See Well Archives

Can You Sleep With Contacts? What to Know

Written By Oliver Torres

Can you sleep with contacts in? It’s a question many ask. And in fact, half of all contact lens wearers in the U.S. have reported sleeping with their contacts in. (Source)

That’s a bad idea, in most cases.

New innovations in contact lens materials and the growing popularity of daily and two-week disposable lenses have reduced the amount of lens-related infections. However, unlike prescription glasses, contact lenses require you to adhere to specific care instructions to avoid harming your eyes.

There are many contact lenses designed for extended wear (continual wear for up to 7 days), but considering only 5% of all contact lens wearers in the U.S. are prescribed extended wear lenses, it can be assumed that most people are risking their eye health by sleeping with their contacts.

The reason few people are prescribed extended wear lenses is that eye doctors are aware of the higher risk of infections and corneal injury. Wearing daily disposable soft contacts, where a fresh lens is used each day, virtually eliminates the chances of protein build-up and the reuse of non-sterile saline solution.

The vast majority of contact lens-related complications are self-inflicted, brought on by overwearing. So, can you sleep with contacts? That’s the question we’ll be answering. If you consistently sleep in your contacts, and they aren’t intended for that use, consider the following:

Prism Correction Glasses: What Are They?

Written By Michael Healy

Eyeglasses are typically prescribed for two main reasons: astigmatism and near- or farsightedness. Another common reason is to correct double vision, or diplopia. Read on to understand the warning signs, diagnostics, and whether or not you might be in need of prism correction glasses.

What causes the need for prism correction glasses?

If your eyes are working in accordance with each other, you have what is known as binocular vision. When light passes through the cornea, the dome-shaped tissue lining the outside of the eye helps to focus the light before it reaches the retina, the light-sensitive tissue lining the back surface of the eye.

Light that’s been converted by the cornea is sent to the brain as electrical impulses along the optic nerve to be translated into images. Typically, the eyes work together to see one, single image because light falls on the same spot in each retina.

However, in someone with diplopia, light falls on different parts of the retina, causing two separate images to be seen.

Diplopia is not the only reason for potentially needing prism correction glasses. Other causes include:

The Pros and Cons of Progressive Lenses

Written By Oliver Torres

Progressive lenses are a wonderful innovation in eyewear. But they’re not for everybody.

Progressive lenses are not bifocals (or trifocals)

Progressives give you line-free multifocal glasses.

The goal is to get a seamless progression from your lenses that deliver magnifying power for near and intermediate vision. Each lens changes gradually from point to point on the surface to provide the correct lens power for seeing clearly at various distances.

They differ from bifocals, which have only two lens powers—one for distant objects and one in the lower half of the lens—for vision correction at a specified reading distance. With bifocals, the different power zones have a clearly visible line across the center of the lens.

Progressive lenses don’t have this line. In fact, they’re sometimes called “no-line bifocals.” The truth is, progressive lenses offer a more advanced multifocal design than bifocals—or trifocals.

Foods to Fend Off Macular Degeneration and Cataracts

Written By Michael Healy

11 million people suffer from age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye condition that can cause blurry vision or lead to a total loss of central vision. According to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, AMD is the leading cause of vision loss in adults over 55 years old.

Cataracts is another common eye condition that, like AMD, affects the lens of the eye. The lens becomes cloudy and can cause your vision to become blurry, or colors can appear more muted or dull. Cataracts can also cause impaired night vision and sensitivity to light. This is another age-related eye issue and while it is possible to restore your vision through cataract surgery, there are things you can do to slow down or prevent their development.

Getting Contacts for the First Time: What to Know

Written By Oliver Torres

Contact lenses are an amazing product of innovation. It still amazes me that something so small and delicate can bring a person’s world into focus. Contacts may seem like an obvious choice for anyone who wears glasses, but there are a few things everyone should consider first. Here’s what to know when getting contacts for the first time.