Near-Sighted Eye: If you are nearsighted, the cornea of your eye is overly curved or your eyeball is too long. This combination brings images of distant objects (street signs) to a focus point in front of the retina. When the light reaches the retina, a blurred image is seen since the light rays spread apart after the focus point.

Far-Sighted Eye: If you are farsighted, the cornea of your eye is not curved enough or your eyeball is too short. This combination of factors causes the focus point of the eye to be located behind the retina. When light reaches the retina, a blurred image is seen since the light rays have not been brought to focus prior to reaching the retina.

Astigmatic Eye: If you have astigmatism, the cornea of your eye has a non-spherical shape (like a football) and does not bring light to focus at a single point. Instead, it focuses images over a range of points producing a blurred image. Both nearsighted and farsighted eyes can also have astigmatism.
    Astigmatism is usually hereditary, although factors, such as low light levels and too much work done close up can contribute. Over time this condition may increase slowly, but generally over a lifetime it remains relatively stable. Forty-five percent of people who require vision correction have some degree of astigmatism. Symptoms include squinting, occasional headaches and eye strain. In most cases, astigmatism is accompanied by myopia or hyperopia.

Presbyopic Eye: Presbyopia is a visual condition which becomes apparent in middle age, in which the loss of elasticity of the eye causes difficulty or inability to focus sharply for near vision.

Bifocal Lens: Bifocal/multifocal lenses contain two or more kinds of correction by providing the wearer with simultaneous distant and near vision. Monovision is a contact lens fitting technique where one lens is prescribed for distance and the other for close-up vision. Both eyes work together to bring objects into focus. Your brain must interpret images you see and learns to select the sharpest image. Monovision has proven successful for people with mild cases, usually those in early stages of presbyopia. Most patients adapt after some practice.

Daily wear soft lenses: Soft contact lenses offer crisp vision with a comfort that you would never expect from a contact lens. These lenses are intended to be worn for most waking hours and removed for sleeping.

Extended wear soft lenses: These lenses offer the same vision and comfort as daily wear lenses but have the added convenience of being able to sleep in them for a period of time specified by your doctor.

Disposable lenses: Disposable lenses offer the comfort and vision of soft contact lenses without the need for daily and weekly cleaning regimens. Contact any of our locations for wearing options available for disposable lenses.

Toric Lenses: For those of you with astigmatism who thought you couldn’t wear soft contact lenses there are now lenses for you. Toric lenses are a soft lens that correct your astigmatism and give you the comfort you never thought you would find.

Tinted lenses: Contact lenses that both correct your vision and give you the eye-color you feel you should have been born with. You now have the option to either highlight your natural eye color with enhancing lenses or change the color of your eye entirely. Opaque lenses change even the darkest of brown eyes to any shade.

Gas permeable lenses: Lenses that resemble traditional hard lenses but allow your eye to "breathe", giving you added comfort and protecting the health of your eyes.

What's the difference between hard and soft contact lenses? Soft contact lenses are manufactured from hydrophilic polymers (water-loving plastics). Varying from 38% to 71%, the water content is what makes soft contact lenses pliable. Hard contact lenses are not manufactured from hydrophilic plastics and therefore do not contain water. Although they can provide good ocular health, they are not as comfortable initially as soft lenses. 

What are planned replacement lenses? Planned replacement is a complete program of contact lens vision care in which contact lenses are replaced at planned intervals throughout the year. The interval is decided by your eye care practitioner based on the lens chosen, and the patient's specific characteristics. Replacement cycles generally vary from one month to three months.

What is the difference between daily wear and flexible wear? Daily wear lenses are worn during the day and must be removed at bedtime. Flexible wear lenses are thinner or have a higher water content, allowing more oxygen to pass to the eye. They can be worn continuously, even overnight, for up to seven days. Eligibility for flexible wear use is evaluated by an eye care professional.