Two general questions about contact lenses

Since you were all so helpful last week regarding my question about
the way my eyeglass prescription was written, I thought I'd ask about
contact lenses. Two questions:

1) Because of my astigmatism, I need to wear toric lenses, which I've
been doing for awhile. I was interested in trying colored contacts and
the doctor gave me some trials of Freshlook Colorblends (apparently
the only colored toric lens), which I tried but didn't like for a
bunch of reasons. Anyway, I asked about getting a different brand of
colored contacts in a no-power version purely for cosmetic reasons and
was told that to do that I'd need another contact lens fitting
session.

So my question is...why? Assuming the base curve and diameter of the
new brand is the same as the lenses I've been wearing, is another
fitting really neccesary?

2) In line with the above...I just checked the internet to see if I
could buy my clear toric lenses through any of the online retailers.
Apparently, the brand I've been prescribed is made by a company called
Saufron that only sells to eye care professionals. Which means they're
not available through internet retailers and I'm stuck paying whatever
my local eyecare store decides they're worth.

While I'm quite happy with the lenses, I must admit that I'm more than
a little annoyed about not having the option to shop for a better
price. Toric lenses are not inexpensive and I'm not wild about this
feeling that I was fitted with these in an effort to keep my cash
rolling into an particu;ar eyecare store. Advice?

On Aug 27, 9:38 pm, Blasterbot5555 <blasterbot5...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Toric lenses are not inexpensive and I'm not wild about this
> feeling that I was fitted with these in an effort to keep my cash
> rolling into an particu;ar eyecare store. Advice?

is the prescription brand-specific? I thought you could use the
prescription for any brand.

On Aug 28, 4:38 pm, Blasterbot5555 <blasterbot5...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Since you were all so helpful last week regarding my question about
> the way my eyeglass prescription was written, I thought I'd ask about
> contact lenses. Two questions:
>
> 1) Because of my astigmatism, I need to wear toric lenses, which I've
> been doing for awhile. I was interested in trying colored contacts and
> the doctor gave me some trials of Freshlook Colorblends (apparently
> the only colored toric lens), which I tried but didn't like for a
> bunch of reasons. Anyway, I asked about getting a different brand of
> colored contacts in a no-power version purely for cosmetic reasons and
> was told that to do that I'd need another contact lens fitting
> session.
>
> So my question is...why? Assuming the base curve and diameter of the
> new brand is the same as the lenses I've been wearing, is another
> fitting really neccesary?
>
> 2) In line with the above...I just checked the internet to see if I
> could buy my clear toric lenses through any of the online retailers.
> Apparently, the brand I've been prescribed is made by a company called
> Saufron that only sells to eye care professionals. Which means they're
> not available through internet retailers and I'm stuck paying whatever
> my local eyecare store decides they're worth.
>
> While I'm quite happy with the lenses, I must admit that I'm more than
> a little annoyed about not having the option to shop for a better
> price. Toric lenses are not inexpensive and I'm not wild about this
> feeling that I was fitted with these in an effort to keep my cash
> rolling into an particu;ar eyecare store. Advice?

On Aug 28, 4:38 pm, Blasterbot5555 <blasterbot5...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Assuming the base curve and diameter of the
> new brand is the same as the lenses I've been wearing, is another
> fitting really neccesary?

A toric lens is surely going to be a hard lens material (otherwise it
would not correct your astigmatism). Therefore i am assuming the lens
material will not be completely gas permeable and therefore the health
of your eye is reliant on a good flow of tears between the contact
lens and the cornea.

Each manufacturers lenses will likely have different curves no matter
what it might seem like from the number on the box.

>
Toric lenses are not inexpensive and I'm not wild about this
> feeling that I was fitted with these in an effort to keep my cash
> rolling into an particu;ar eyecare store. Advice?

I think you are being a bit overly cynical and a bit cavalier with
your eye health.. If you are requiring a hard lens material the fit
is likely to be that much more critical than for the softer gas
permeable types.

Either way no contact lens can ever create the same healthy conditions
that your eye needs as can an eye with no contact lens placed upon
it. Contact lenses can never be the best healthy choice for the
long term health of your eyes so if you are going to wear then having
the best possible fit makes sense.

A.

Hello

I am not a practitioner but I have done research on contact lens
materials.
It is likely that different brands of contact lens will have different
surface
properties (wettability) which means they may interact with your tear
film
differently. So one type of lens could feel more dry than another even
if
they are both soft lenses. This may also affect how they move on the
eye
when blinking. A fitting session will probably check this.

Many people buy contact lenses successfully over the internet but it's
important to make sure you still visit the practitioner for aftercare
checkups. It would therefore probably be best to find another optician
who is happy to provide an aftercare only service. It's a little
awkward
because they probably make most of their money by selling contact
lenses (and glasses) rather than the aftercare so the internet
companies
are doing very well because they don't have to subsidise the
aftercare.
But as I say, many people manage so it must be possible, though
with a different brand of contact lenses.

Did you mean Sauflon (instead of Saufron)? I'm not sure where you
are, but in the UK they supply Tesco's supermarket which may
be a cheaper option now that some of the supermarkets have
their own opticians department.

Richard

On 28 Aug, 06:38, Blasterbot5555 <blasterbot5...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Since you were all so helpful last week regarding my question about
> the way my eyeglass prescription was written, I thought I'd ask about
> contact lenses. Two questions:
>
> 1) Because of my astigmatism, I need to wear toric lenses, which I've
> been doing for awhile. I was interested in trying colored contacts and
> the doctor gave me some trials of Freshlook Colorblends (apparently
> the only colored toric lens), which I tried but didn't like for a
> bunch of reasons. Anyway, I asked about getting a different brand of
> colored contacts in a no-power version purely for cosmetic reasons and
> was told that to do that I'd need another contact lens fitting
> session.
>
> So my question is...why? Assuming the base curve and diameter of the
> new brand is the same as the lenses I've been wearing, is another
> fitting really neccesary?
>
> 2) In line with the above...I just checked the internet to see if I
> could buy my clear toric lenses through any of the online retailers.
> Apparently, the brand I've been prescribed is made by a company called
> Saufron that only sells to eye care professionals. Which means they're
> not available through internet retailers and I'm stuck paying whatever
> my local eyecare store decides they're worth.
>
> While I'm quite happy with the lenses, I must admit that I'm more than
> a little annoyed about not having the option to shop for a better
> price. Toric lenses are not inexpensive and I'm not wild about this
> feeling that I was fitted with these in an effort to keep my cash
> rolling into an particu;ar eyecare store. Advice?

On Aug 28, 4:34 am, andrewedwardj...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Aug 28, 4:38 pm, Blasterbot5555 <blasterbot5...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Assuming the base curve and diameter of the
> > new brand is the same as the lenses I've been wearing, is another
> > fitting really neccesary?
>
> A toric lens is surely going to be a hard lens material (otherwise it
> would not correct your astigmatism). Therefore i am assuming the lens
> material will not be completely gas permeable and therefore the health
> of your eye is reliant on a good flow of tears between the contact
> lens and the cornea.
>
> Each manufacturers lenses will likely have different curves no matter
> what it might seem like from the number on the box.
>
>
>
> Toric lenses are not inexpensive and I'm not wild about this
>
> > feeling that I was fitted with these in an effort to keep my cash
> > rolling into an particu;ar eyecare store. Advice?
>
> I think you are being a bit overly cynical and a bit cavalier with
> your eye health.. If you are requiring a hard lens material the fit
> is likely to be that much more critical than for the softer gas
> permeable types.
>
> Either way no contact lens can ever create the same healthy conditions
> that your eye needs as can an eye with no contact lens placed upon
> it. Contact lenses can never be the best healthy choice for the
> long term health of your eyes so if you are going to wear then having
> the best possible fit makes sense.
>
> A.
=================

I suggest that you stick to your own little niche of psychology and
vision, since you know zero about contact lenses.

> A toric lens is surely going to be a hard lens material (otherwise it
> would not correct your astigmatism).

wrong. there are indeed soft disposable toric contact lenses. that's
what most contact wearers with astigmatism wear and what most are
fitted with.

> Therefore i am assuming the lens
> material will not be completely gas permeable and therefore the health
> of your eye is reliant on a good flow of tears between the contact
> lens and the cornea.

wrong. there are oxygen-permeable soft toric lenses that are not
dependent upon tear flow to sustain corneal health

> I think you are being a bit overly cynical and a bit cavalier with
> your eye health..

and i think you are a bit cavalier about offering advise to someone
about a subject that you have no knowledge of. why do you come to
this forum and start serving up advise about contact lenses?

On Aug 28, 2:36 am, Bucky <uw_badg...@email.com> wrote:
> On Aug 27, 9:38 pm, Blasterbot5555 <blasterbot5...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> is the prescription brand-specific?

yes

> I thought you could use the
> prescription for any brand.

no. contact lenses from one manufacturer are not equivalent to
contacts offered by another. the plastic is different. the edge
design is different. the thickness is different, etc.

Also, one may deform easier than another when blinking
due to different mechanical properties.

Richard

On Aug 28, 7:37 am, p.clar...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Aug 28, 2:36 am, Bucky <uw_badg...@email.com> wrote:
>
> > On Aug 27, 9:38 pm, Blasterbot5555 <blasterbot5...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> > is the prescription brand-specific?
>
> yes
>
> > I thought you could use the
> > prescription for any brand.
>
> no. contact lenses from one manufacturer are not equivalent to
> contacts offered by another. the plastic is different. the edge
> design is different. the thickness is different, etc.

Excuse me, in that case :
It is different, but I do not think that her OD think the same.
He prescribed not the best or more comfortable for her.
He prescribed the brand which he sells.
>From this point of view He is distributor of that brand, not OD

Lena

On Aug 28, 6:15 am, "Mike Tyner" <mty...@mindspring.com> wrote:
> <andrewedwardj...@gmail.com> wrote
>

>
>
>
> > Therefore i am assuming the lens
> > material will not be completely gas permeable
>
> Because rigid materials can't be more permeable than soft?

No some rigid materials more permeable than soft.
Hint is even in the name RGP is a Rigid Gas Permeable
>

>
> When you're sawing off a limb, it's best to be next to the trunk, not out on
> the limb.
>
Lena