How to Buy Contact Lens Online

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What's the best place to buy contact lenses? Should you find out how to purchase contact lenses online? Or is it better to buy them directly from the doctor, or at a warehouse club, or at an optical store?

The very first time you buy contact lenses you will have to see an ophthalmologist or optician to get your prescription. If you do not get a good fit, or if you they are made from a material not suitable for your eyes, you may experience irritation, inflammation, redness, tearing, swelling, and even permanent tissue damage.

The right prescription is essential. The doctor will prescribe:

Power, measured in diopters, a higher positive number for correction of farsightedness and a higher negative number for the correction of nearsightedness,

Base curve, the curve of the lens fitting the curve of your cornea,

Diameter, the distance from one side of the lens to the other, determining how the lens will rest on your eye,

Cylinder, the measurement of the lens for correcting astigmatism,

Axis, a correction in the shape of the lens to make it more oval than round, also to correct for astigmatism,

Add power, for bifocals,

Color and style (such as cat's eye effects), which are unique to each

Brand.

Your prescription will tell you how often you must replace your lenses (once a day, once a week, every two weeks, monthly). The packaging with your lenses also gives you the manufacturer's recommendations for how often you need replacements, but you should rely on your eye care practitioner to work with you to choose the best replacement option for your visual correction, ongoing visual health, and lifestyle.

Even if you buy contact lenses that are well-fitted and made from the right materials for your eyes, you may still want see your eye care practitioner at some time during the first few weeks of wear in case there are problems. After you are sure you have the right fit, however, you do not have to get your lenses from the doctor.

Most people nowadays wear disposable lenses, so they need a steady supply of new contacts. Price should never be your only consideration in choosing the supplier for your contacts.

Overall, the quality of the best place to buy your contact lenses depends on:

Price, including the value of your time and the cost of fuel for your car

Convenience, the ease at which you can place an order

Availability, the reliability of your retailer to have your lenses in stock and

Customer service before and after your purchase.

Many contact lens wearers find that online retailers offer service and value along with lower prices. You should always consult an eye care practitioner if you experience changes in vision, unusual redness, swelling, or infection, but as long as you use clean lenses that you do not share with others, complications are rare.

Just because your eyes feel OK and you are not experiencing any problems after you buy contact lenses does not mean your eyes are healthy. To ensure the ongoing health of your eyes, most contact lenses expire after one year (although state laws may prescribe longer periods).

When your prescription expires, you will have to see the doctor again to get another prescription. The reason for this requirement is to make sure that your contact lenses are not hurting your eyes and that you do not have any new ocular health problems.

Even when there are problems with a prescription, however, in over 90 per cent of cases all that is needed is for the eye care practitioner to choose a more appropriate material or a different size to ensure the ongoing health and comfort of your eyes.

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