Who Is a Candidate for Contact Lenses?

People choose contact lenses for a variety of reasons. Sports and personal appearance are perhaps the two most common reasons someone chooses to place a small plastic lens directly on her eye, but there are other reasons as well.

Vision Problems

• People with vision problems who do not want to wear eyeglasses for cosmetic reasons may choose to visit an eye doctor and obtain contact lenses. Most people with eye vision problems are able to wear one of several types of contact lenses.

Contacts for Physical Activity

• Both amateur and professional athletes with vision problems often wear contacts while they participate in competitive athletics. Contacts are worn in place of eyeglasses because they are less likely to come loose or fall off during physical activity.

Cataract Patients

• People who have received minor cataract surgery, where the lens of the eye was not removed, may be required to wear special contacts after surgery.

Decorative Contact Lens

• People who want to change the appearance of their eyes or hide a discoloration of the eye might opt for contact lenses that change the appearance of the eye. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) anyone who wants to wear decorative contact lenses should obtain the lenses from a licensed professional and have an eye exam with an eye care professional before acquiring these kinds of lenses.

Presbyopia

• Older persons (40 or older) who develop presbyopia, the inability to focus on near objects, can benefit from monovision, a system of installing two different contact lenses on a pair of eyes. The patient will receive one closeup lens and one for distance (if needed). In combination, the lenses and eyes work together to re-create normal vision.