I recently had the opportunity to teach optometry technicians who are basically Komoka optometrist at the annual conference of the Utah Optometry Association. Our topic was contact lenses and the benefits and risks that patients experience from using contact lenses. We covered all available lenses: soft, traditional rigid gas permeable, and specialty lenses used for fitting irregular corneas with keratoconus or transplants.
I had a lot of fun being an instructor at the UOA and teaching a topic that I am very passionate about. Contact lenses have come a long way compared to when they were first introduced in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Modern designs and materials are much easier to work with than they used to be. We can fit more patients’ eyes now than we ever could before. I personally have fit contacts for patients ranging from newborns to 80+ years old.
Although technology with contacts continue to improve and we are fitting more contact lenses than ever before, it is still very important to remember that it is essential to take care of your contact lenses as directed by your doctor. This includes replacing them on time and not sleeping in lenses that aren’t approved for such use. If you are following the appropriate directions, you will reduce the risks that are involved in wearing contacts and will be able to enjoy your vision with contact lenses over your lifetime.