Contact Lens Corner: Have you tried Contact Lenses?

Contact lenses can be a great addition to eyeglasses, once you get over the idea of having to stick something in your eye. Contact lenses have many advantages, especially with individuals who live busy active lifestyles. They can provide improved peripheral vision, they won’t slip out of place when you exercise, and never fog up in the winter. So if you have always wondered about contact lenses, just ask us. We would be happy to educate you on your options.

All contact lens fittings are performed by one of our Doctors of Optometry, ensuring you the best contact lens advice and care for your prescription and unique visual needs.

Book your next eye exam in Edmonton with a 
Doctor of Optometry at Stonewire in Kingsway Mall.

Contact Lens Corner: It's probably time to change your contact lenses

Are you like most contact lens wearers who forget to dispose of their contact lenses on time? Then it may be time to find a solution. Over wearing or extending the life of your contact lenses can lead to increased contact lens intolerance, dry eye sensation, and blurry vision. Waiting to change your contact lenses until they become uncomfortable is an eye infection waiting to happen.

If you wear a 2-week disposable contact lens like Acuvue Oasys or Acuvue Advance, then change them with every paycheck. If you wear a 1-month disposable contact lens like Air Optix Aqua Comfort Plus or Biofinity, then change them on the first or last day of every month.

The alternative to these extended contact lens modalities is to also consider switching into a 1-day disposable contact lens like Dailies Aqua Comfort Plus, Acuvue 1-Day Moist, Acuvue TruEyes or the all new Dailies Total 1 and enjoy a clean new contact lens every day.

If technology is more your thing, consider joining Acuminder by the makers of Acuvue Brand contact lenses. This online tool allows you to schedule text message or email reminders for when it’s time to change your contact lenses.

Book your annual eye exam with a Doctor of Optometry at 
Stonewire Optometry in Kingsway Mall Today.

AIR OPTIX & Breakfast Television Contest

Starting October 15, 2012 keep an eye out on Breakfast Television for commercials talking about the new AIR OPTIX AQUA MULTIFOCAL contact lenses. Designed for patients with active lifestyles who require bifocal or progressive eyeglass lenses, this contact lens may provide comfortable vision at all distance or at least allow you to read the menu after your hockey or soccer game.

Fact: Contact lens usage drops off after the age of 40, because of near vision problems out of traditional contact lenses.

So before you give up on your contact lenses, talk to your Kingsway Optometry eye doctor about whether or not multifocal contact lenses like AIR OPTIX AQUA MULTIFOCAL may be a part-time solution to your vision needs.

During this promotion, viewers can also register at breakfasttelevision.ca to win a $3000 trip to the Caribbean plus a year’s supply of AIR OPTIX contact lenses.

Contact Lens Irritation & Smoke

With campfire season upon us, it’s time to be reminded about things that can lead to ocular irritation. Campfire smoke and cigarette smoke can contaminate your contact lenses and lead to ocular surface irritation and dryness.

If your eyes become sore and irritated, remove your contact lenses immediately. Use an artificial lubricating drop such as Systane Ultra to flush the eye out and rehydrate the ocular surface. Discard the contaminated contact lens or thoroughly rinse and clean the lens before reusing it. Never put a contact lens into a red irritated looking eyeball, as this can result in a serious eye infection. If the redness does not disappear or your vision seems blurry, seek the guidance of an optometrist.

FYI: Visits to your optometrists for eye infections are now covered under Alberta Health Care. A valid Alberta Health Care card is required.

Can I Swim in My Contact Lenses?

No, is the general answer to this question. Swimming in contact lenses may increase your risk of developing a serious eye infection, corneal scarring or vision loss. Contact lenses are porous like sponges and will absorb microbes, chemicals and other impurities from the water. These impurities are then left in constant contact with the surface of the eye, increasing the likelihood of ocular surface disease.

If you must swim in your contact lenses, it’s important to always wear a good fitting pair of swimming goggles, and never open your eyes under water without wearing goggles. Contact lenses can swell and adhere to the surface of the eye, or they may fall out and be lost. Once you get out of the water, it’s important to discard your contact lenses and open a fresh new clean pair. If you swim regularly, you may want to consider try a 1-Day disposable contact lens instead. These lenses should also be discarded after swimming and a fresh new clean pair inserted for the reminder of the day.

Book your next eye exam with an optometrist at Kingsway Optometry and ask about your options for swimming.

Is it time for a change?

Are you’re like most contact lens wearers who forget to change their contact lenses on time? Then it may be time to find a solution. Over wearing or extending the life of your contact lenses can lead to increased contact lens intolerance, dry eye sensation, and blurry vision. Waiting to change your contact lenses when they feel dirty or get uncomfortable is an eye infection waiting to happen.

If you wear a 2-week disposable contact lens like Acuvue Oasys with Hydraclear Plus, then change them with every paycheck. If you wear a 1-month disposable contact lens like Air Optix Aqua Comfort Plus, then change them on the 1^st day of every month. You can also consider switching into a 1-day disposable contact lens like Dailies Aqua Comfort Plus or Acuvue TruEyes and enjoy a clean new contact lens every day.

If technology is more your thing, consider joining Acuminder by the makers of Acuvue Brand contact lenses. This online tool allows you to schedule text message or email reminders on when to change your contact lenses, reorder contact lenses, and schedule your next eye exam.

Don't forget, anyone who wears contact lenses should see their eye doctor at least once a year for a complete eye health examination.

Welcome to Winter!

Cold temperatures are not only tough on your car, but they can also be tough on your eyes. Cold weather increases dry eye symptoms for many patients, and can increase contact lens intolerance. Freezing temperatures and heaters dry out the air around us, causing your contact lenses and your eyes to loose their moisture quicker.

Try to reduce your contact lens usage during very cold periods and ensure that you remove your contact lenses when you get home at night. You can also consider using a quality lubricating eye drop that is approved for contact lenses or one that was recommended by your eye doctor.

Multifocal Contact Lenses Exist!

A common condition in people over 40, presbyopia affects the eyes' ability to focus on objects at near and intermediate distances. Fortunately, there's a brand new solution: AIR OPTIX AQUA MULTIFOCAL contact lenses.

• Designed for crisp, clear vision at all distances
• Superior comfort vs other leading multifocal lenses
• Advance combination of oxygen and moisture for a healthy natural feeling

Ask your eye doctor about trying monthly disposable AIR OPTIX AQUA MULTIFOCAL contact lenses at your next eye exam.

To learn more, visit airoptix.com To try them, vist  Kingsway Optometry.

Image and text via: Ciba Vision Canada

Need Contact Lenses?

If you are almost out of contact lenses or interested in trying contact lenses for the first time, then please stop by our clinic in Kingsway Mall. Kingsway Optometry carries an extensive range of brand name contact lenses brands to choose from, including: Bausch & Lomb, Ciba Vision, Johnson & Johnson, Cooper Vision, FreshLook and Logics. We also carry a large number of the most popular contact lens brands in stock for same day service.

In-Stock Contact Lenses Inventory Includes:

• 1-Day Disposable: Dailies Aqua Comfort Plus
• 1-Day Disposable: Dailies
• 2-Week Disposable: Acuvue Oasys with Hydraclear Plus
• 2-Week Disposable: Acuvue Advance Plus
• 2-Week Disposable: O2Optix
• 1-Month Disposable: Air Optix Night & Day
• 1-Month Disposable: Air Optix Aqua

Stop by our clinic in Kingsway Mall to re-stock your annual supply of contact lenses. Outside prescriptions are always welcomed and walk-in appointments are available.

Less Expensive Contact Lenses

Kingsway Optometry patients can now receive up to $125.00 off their next annual supply purchase of CIBA VISION contact lenses. Products that are eligible for these additional mail-in rebates include: DAILIES Aqua Comfort Plus, Focus DAILIES Toric, Focus DAILIES Progressives, AIR OPTIX NIGHT & DAY AQUA, AIR OPTIX AQUA, AIR OPTIX for ASTIGMATISM, AIR OPTIX AQUA MULTIFOCAL, FreshLook ColorBlends, FreshLook Colors, and Freshlook Dimensions. CIBA VISION contact lens products must be purchased from your optometrists office between July 1, 2011 - December 31, 2011, to be eligible for these additional discounts.

Submitting your contact lens rebate is extremely easy with CIBA VISIONS new online rebate system. This new online system allows patients to upload the required information and track the process of their claim through every step.

Book your next eye exam and contact lens fitting at Kingsway Optometry today.

1-Day Contact Lenses Offer a Clean, Clear, Comfortable Option

1-Day disposable contact lenses offer patients a great alternative to conventional 2-Week or 1-Month disposable lenses. For years now research has shown that the more often you can dispose of your contact lenses, the healthier your eyes will be, the better they will feel and the better your vision will be. Wearing contact lenses until they irritate your eyes, results in contact lens discomfort and patients looking for more expensive alternatives such as laser eye surgery.

To combat contact lens discomfort, manufacturers set out to create a 1-Day disposable product so that patients no longer had to remember when to change their 2-Week or 1-Month contact lenses. As a side benefit, 1-Day contact lenses turned out to be a savings grace for allergy sufferers, patients with contact lens solution allergies, and a hygienic alternative for young kids.

Yes 1-Day contact lenses cost slightly more then 2-Week or 1-Month disposable lenses, but you will also never have to purchase contact lens solution again. An annual supply of 1-Day contact lenses is also only about 1/10 the price of some laser eye surgery procedures. 

To learn more about 1-Day disposable contact lenses, book a comprehensive eye health examination and a professional contact lens fitting with your optometrist at Kingsway Optometry. 

1-Day Disposable Trial Lenses Include:

• Dailies Aqua Comfort Plus by Ciba Vision

• Focus Dailies by Ciba Vision

• 1-Day Acuvue TruEye by Johnson & Johnson

• Softlens 1-Day by Bausch and Lomb

 

Coloured Contact Lenses

If you are looking to change your eye colour or enhance your eye colour then coloured contact lenses may be a great option for you. Coloured contact lenses are designed to bring added attention to your eyes. They can make blue eyes bluer, green eyes greener and brown eyes, well, not brown.

Enhancer coloured contact lenses such as focus soft colours help to bring a little extra pop to your own natural eye colour. They are designed for people with light coloured eyes such as blue and green and will not work for people with darker eyes. A light tint is added throughout the entire lens and enhancer contact lenses tend to provide the most natural appearance. The downside to enhance contact lenses is that they can change your colour vision and you may not be able to accurately judge subtle colour variations or you may fail a colour vision test when you wear them. 

Opaque coloured contact lenses such as the Freshlook Colorblends are used when people want to change their own eye colour. They are best designed for people with darker coloured eyes but can still be used in people with lighter eyes. A paint like finish is applied to the outer edge of the lens that closely resembles the natural human iris, but the centre of the lens in front of the pupil is left clear. Unlike enhancer lenses, opaque coloured contact lenses will not impair your colour vision. However, due to the peripheral colour they can impair a person’s peripheral vision and should never be worn for sports.

Circle lenses from companies such as Geo Medical are the newest craze in contact lens wear and have started to pop up in many of the Asian countries. Circle lenses are used to produce the illusion that a person’s eye is larger than it really is. This is achieved by making the contact lens slightly larger in overall diameter. The challenge with these contact lenses arises in the fact that they are made with older conventional style contact lenses materials, which do not allow the same amount of oxygen to the cornea. In fact, most of these contact lens materials have not been used in our optometry clinics in over 10 years. So as an optometry clinic we cannot endorse our patients wearing these lenses as these contact lenses as they may compromise the overall health of your eyes.

So if you would like to try enhancer or opaque coloured contact lenses then book an appointment for a professional contact lens fitting at Kingsway Optometry.

Book an Eye Exam with an Eye Doctor at Kingsway Optometry Today

Optometrists - Eye Exams - Contact Lenses - Medical Treatment

Photos via CibaVision.ca

What contact lens solution are you using?

Patients and eye doctors often took contact lens solution for granted, or at least we all did in the past. Contact lens solutions have been shown to be a vital component of your overall contact lens comfort and ocular health. They can lead to or contribute to ocular irritation, blurred vision, allergic reactions and dry eye symptoms. Patients often present to our clinic looking for newer or different contact lens brands that provide more moisture, when the problem may be in the contact lens solution they use to store them in at home.

In 2007, Bausch and Lomb’s initiated a voluntary recall of their Renu Multi-purpose solution, after concerns that it may have been related to an increase in fungal eye infections. Other companies soon followed, with voluntary recalls of their own. The positive side of this story though is that new more stringent guidelines have been developed, and solutions most finally underwent rigorous eye care testing to ensure their efficacy and safety.

There are three categories of contact lens solutions: Multi-Purpose, Hydrogen Peroxide, and Saline Solution.

Multi-Purpose Solutions

Brand Name - Multi-Purpose solutions

Brand name multi-purpose products are used for cleaning, disinfecting and storing your contact lenses overnight. All of these branded solutions use the latest in medical technology and disinfecting techniques to ensure optimal contact lens performance. They are all FDA approved and have undergone rigorous trial processes and lab testing. 

• Optifree-Replenish by Alcon
• Optifree-Express by Alcon
• Renu by Bausch and Lomb
• Solo Care Aqua by Ciba Vision
• Complete by Advanced Medical Optics
• Sensitive Eyes by Bausch and Lomb

Private Label - Multi-Purpose solutions

Private label multi-purpose products are used for cleaning, disinfecting and storing your contact lenses. In most cases private label or no-name products tend to be older versions of contact lens solutions, which offer fewer added benefits to consumers. Products within these bottles can change, as manufacturers bid for contracts. So, really patients and doctors have no idea what they are using, which can lead to solution sensitivities and reactions over time.  These products are FDA approved, and have gone through rigorous FDA approvals in the past. 

• Equate by Wal-Mart
• Lens Care Multi-Purpose Solution by Life Brand
• Eye Assist by Rexall

 

Brand Name -Hydrogen Peroxide Solutions

Brand name hydrogen peroxide solutions are used to clean, disinfect and store your contact lenses over night. Hydrogen peroxide cleaning systems are great for patients with preservative allergies or dry eye. However, these products have very specific instructions that need to be followed. Talk to your eye care professional prior to using them. 

• Clear Care by Ciba Vision
• AoSept Plus by Ciba Vision
• OxySept by Advanced Medical Optics

 

Saline Solutions

These products are only designed for rinsing contact lenses. These products are not designed to clean or disinfect your contact lenses. 

• Sensitive Eyes Saline Plus by Bausch and Lomb
• Softwear by Ciba Vision
• Saline Solution by Life Brand

Still confused? Talk to your optometrist at your next annual contact lens examination.

ACUVUE Brand Contact Lenses

Up to $150.00 OFF

on ACUVUE brand contact lenses when you purchase a 1-year supply. Thanks to manufacturer mail-in rebates from ACUVUE and in-office volume discounts from Kingsway Optometry you may be able to save significantly on your next contact lens. We also offer FREE home delivery on any one-year supply of ACUVUE Brand contact lenses

Additional savings over our already low contact lens prices:

ACUVUE OASYS, ACUVUE OASYS for ASTIGMATISM, and ACUVUE OASYS for PRESBYOPIA*
1-Year supply – Save $50
6-Month supply – Save $20
 
1-DAY ACUVUE TruEye Brand  or 1-DAY ACUVUE MOIST*
1-Year supply – Save $150 – 2 X $75.00 rebates per year
6-Month supply – Save $75
 3-Month supply – Save $25

Purchase any other one- year supply of ACUVUE Brand contact lenses such as Original ACUVUE, ACUVUE 2, ACUVUE 2 COLOURS and ACUVUE BIFOCAL and save at least $25.00 over our already everyday low prices.

See, it’s a myth that you’re eye doctors office is more expensive! Start saving your money today! To quote Johnson & Johnson, the makers of ACUVUE Brand contact lenses "Switch to an exceptional contact lens experience and SAVE”.

Talk to one of the optometrists at Kingsway Optometry on how you can join the evolution of ACUVUE Brand contact Lenses. 

Book an Eye Exam with an Eye Doctor Today!

*Ask one of our associates for details and a mail in rebate certificate at time of purchase.  See rebate for details. Rebates expire December 31, 2010. A valid contact lens prescription is required. Fitting fee’s not included for new wearers or people looking to try a new brand.