Finding the "right fit" for your contact lenses is vital. This is what really sets EyeHealth Northwest apart from mail order or mall bought contacts. At EyeHealth Northwest, our professional & certified contact lens technicians will assist you and your doctor in the selection of the contact lenses most suited to your needs. We offer a wide variety of contact lenses including soft, gas permeable, toric (for astigmatism), bifocal, tinted, daily wear, extended wear, and disposable contact lenses.

Should I wear hard or soft contact lenses?

"soft" lens | "hard" lens

• Daily wear: These are the most economical. Daily wear lenses are removed nightly and are replaced on an individualized schedule. They should not be used as an extended wear lens.
• Extended wear: These lenses can be worn overnight. However, weekly removal is recommended for thorough cleaning and dissinfection. Extended wear lenses are documented to have higher risk of corneal infection as compared to daily and disposable wear lenses.Consult our certified contact lens fitters or your doctor to determine your best options.
  
• Disposable wear: These lenses are daily wear and replaced more frequently than traditional daily wear lenses. Disposable lenses are replaced daily, weekly, or monthly. Due to the frequency of replacement, these lenses tend to be more expensive. However, they are considered healthier for the eye and more convenient. Disposable wear lenses are also a good option for persons with allergies, and for those likely to form deposits with continous wear.
• Toric Contact Lenses: These lenses are uniqely designed for correction of an astigmatism.
• Rigid Gas Permeable or RGP Lenses: These lenses are more rigid and less flexible that soft contacts. As an option, RGP’s may be the best choice when a cornea has moderate to high degree of astigmatism. RGP’s offer excellent vision. Patient with allergies or a tendancy to form protein deposits may benefit from the RGP’s.
• Bifocal contacts: These lenses are designed to allow both distance and near vision. Bifocal contacts may be an an alternative option for patients needing bifocal glasses or progressive lenses.
• Monovision: This is an option for persons needing correction for both near and distance vision. Monovision is a term describing the specific way contacts are worn; wear one contact for distance vision, and one for near vision. Monovision is an option for patients needing reading glasses.

Which soft contact lens replacement regimen is best?

It takes a dedicated specialist like those at EyeHealth Northwest to keep up with the many options for contact lenses these days. There are 1-day, 2-week, 1-month, and 3-month replacement plans. The general rule is that the more frequently you replace the lenses, the healthier it is for your eyes, but also the more costly it becomes. For many people, the best compromise between cost and health benefits would be the 2-week disposable contact lenses.

If I wear contact lenses, how often should I have my eyes checked?

For most people an annual contact lens check is necessary. Your EyeHealth Northwest doctor will perform a complete dilated exam every 2 years.

What solutions work best for contacts?

A multipurpose solution such as Clear Care, Complete, or Optifree works well for two week to monthly disposable lenses. Ultra Care works well for people who have preservative sensitivity or lens deposit issues. Your EyeHealth Northwest contact lens specialist will be best equipped to recommend a particular solution for your eyes after your complete exam.

Can I sleep in my contacts?

The doctors at EyeHealth Northwest recommend patients remove lenses nightly. Long term studies validate this recommendation which has been shown to be much safer for your eyes in the long run.

Are there lenses for astigmatism?

Yes! The key to success in correcting astigmatism with contact lens is the quality of the fit. At EyeHealth Northwest, our contact lens specialists are experts at making these more challenging situations work well for our patients. Depending on the degree of astigmatism, there are soft,"toric" or hard,"Rigid Gas Permeable" contact lenses to choose from.

What types of contact lenses are best for astigmatism?

Depending on the degree of astigmatism, there are soft or hard contact lenses to choose from. These lenses are designed for the unique cornea curvature created by an astigmatism. These lenses differ from regular contacts, as they do not rotate like spherical contacts when you blink or look around.

What contacts work best for patients with keratoconus?

EyeHealth Northwest has specialists in the fitting of therapeutic contact lenses for the medical condition Keratoconus. Keratoconus is a corneal condition which causes the cornea to become misshapen resulting in progressive thinning of the apex of the cornea. Specially designed hard contact lenses are the traditional contact lens of choice, however new soft lenses for keratoconus are also an option.

Are Rigid Gas Permeable (RPG) lenses available?

Yes. Specially trained & certified technicians are available for fitting & maintenance of RGP lenses. RGP lenses offer increased sharpness and clarity. These lenses may be recommended for patients with moderate to high degrees of astigmatism, persons with allergies, or patients with increased tendency to form protein deposits on contacts.

Are there bifocal contact lenses?

Yes. This area of contact lenses is exploding with innovation. Daily, two week, monthly, quarterly soft contacts are now available. These lenses are designed to allow both distance and near vision in a single lens. Monovision is another option. In monovision, contacts are worn a specific way, whereby one eye is corrected to see distant objects and the other eye is corrected for near vision. At EyeHealth Northwest, our specialists in contact lenses are certified experts at fitting these more sophisticated lenses.

Can I get colored contacts?

Yes. Colored contacts fall basically into two categories; enhancers and opaques. Enhancers work best for light colored eyes, whereas opaques work best for dark hazel or brown eyes. The color options in both categories--especially opaques--have increased exponentially. If you are already a contact lens wearer, your EyeHealth Northwest doctor can advise you on the best option for your eyes.

Which soft contact lens replacement regimen is best?

It takes a dedicated specialist like those at EyeHealth Northwest to keep up with the many options for contact lenses these days. There are 1-day, 2-week, 1-month, and 3-month replacement plans. The general rule is that the more frequently you replace the lenses, the healthier it is for your eyes, but also the more costly it becomes. For many people, the best compromise between cost and health benefits would be the 2-week disposable contact lenses.

If I wear contact lenses, how often should I have my eyes checked?

For most people an annual contact lens check is necessary. Your EyeHealth Northwest doctor will perform a complete dilated exam every 2 years.

I have allergies, can I still wear contacts?

Only a complete exam with your EyeHealth doctor can determine your best lens option. If you have chronic, severe allergies, glasses or LASIK surgery rather than contact lenses may be the best option. If your allergies are seasonal, a combination of glasses during the allergy season and contact lenses the rest of the time is a possible option. Another option may be to wear 1-day disposable contacts with the usage of an ocular allergy medication. For mild allergies, a 1-day or 2-week disposable lens works well.

Can I wear contacts after LASIK surgery if necessary?

Yes, however the accuracy of LASIK currently is so high that it would be rare to wear contacts ever again after surgery. EyeHealth LASIK specialists have treated thousands of patients since the late 90's without needing to refit in contact lenses. Learn more at our LASIK site.

Can I sleep in my contacts?

The doctors at EyeHealth Northwest recommend patients remove lenses nightly. Long term studies validate this recommendation which has been shown to be much safer for your eyes in the long run.

What is new with colored contacts?

Colored contacts fall basically into two categories; enhancers and opaques. Enhancers work best for light colored eyes, whereas opaques work best for dark hazel or brown eyes. What's new is that the color options in both categories--especially opaques--have increased exponentially. If you are already a contact lens wearer, your EyeHealth Northwest doctor can advise you on the best option for your eyes.

Can I get a copy of my contact lens Rx?

Yes of course. We recommend you get a complete fitting with an EyeHealth Northwest contact lens specialist as a first step. Contact lenses rest on the cornea, one of the most sensitive parts of our bodies, therefore, assessing the fit of the lenses is extremely important to assure that no corneal damage has occurred. Once the specialist and the patient are happy with the fit, a contact lens prescription will be written if requested. The expiration date is typically one year from the last eye exam.