There are many reasons you might start looking into contact lenses. Maybe you’re tired of wearing glasses all day. Maybe you can’t wear glasses. Maybe you only need part-time corrective lenses for competing in sports or recreational activities. Maybe you’re color blind or have an astigmatism and aren’t sure if there are options that are right for you. 

No matter your reasons, our experts at the Brill Eye Center are here to guide you through all of your questions and concerns about finding the right contact lenses in Kansas City for your unique needs. 

Here are some tips to help you along in your search for the right contact lenses:

Benefits of contact lenses

Contacts can give patients the flexibility they are looking for while maintaining the vision correction they need. Sports are easier to manage without having to worry about losing your glasses. Contacts won’t slip down your nose or cause headaches from pinching your nose or ears throughout the day. 

Contacts can also help reshape your eyes for health or medical reasons, through specialized lenses like Overnight Corneal Reshaping Treatment. There are even cosmetic reasons to make the switch to contacts, such as color contact lenses that allow you to change the color of your iris. 

Maybe you want your iris to be red to match the Chiefs on a Sunday in the fall, or you want to be able to wear sunglasses while catching a Royals game at Kauffman. Or you simply don’t want to worry about fogging during the winter months. All of these are benefits and flexibility that contact lenses can provide you in Kansas City, and we can guide you to the right contact lens choice.  

Should I switch from glasses to contacts?

You’ve been wearing glasses for years, but now you’re considering switching to contacts. But what are the benefits of both options?

Contacts can provide a better field of vision because they move with your eye, rather than the static nature of glasses. Contacts also don’t have to be cleaned while you are wearing them, and they provide benefits to people with astigmatism and allergies. 

There are daily wear contacts, which you wear and soak overnight; daily disposable contacts, which you can just throw away at the end of the day; or extended wear contacts, which lets you leave your contact lenses in overnight. 

Benefits of Contacts

• Better for the summer months
• Don’t fog during winter
• Provide flexibility for activity
• Don’t pinch or compress
• More field of vision

Benefits of Glasses

• Less work for care
• No fuss with placing on your eye
• Easier to travel with
• Stylish looks that can be part of your wardrobe
• Can offer safety protection from hazards

Making the choice to get contact lenses doesn’t mean you have to forego your glasses entirely. Maybe you need lenses for participating in sports or recreational activities. There are options that allow you to use your contacts whenever you want, but don’t require you to wear them all the time.

The reality is, most of our patients purchase both contacts and glasses to have the flexibility of using each for different occasions. After all, glasses aren’t just for vision. They’re a beloved accessory in our wardrobe, too! You can completely change your look with different frame styles, like portraying a sporty vs. a dressy appearance.  You wouldn’t wear sneakers to a prom or boots to a volleyball game, would you?

We can guide you through all of your options at the Brill Eye Center and help you determine whether to incorporate contacts as an additional means of correction with your accompanying glasses.  Don’t let a previous bad experience with contact lenses 20 years ago deter you from trying modern super comfortable lens technology. 

Soft or rigid contacts?

Now that you’ve decided to start wearing contacts, you’re faced with another question: Soft contact lenses or rigid contact lenses? 

Soft lenses are typically more comfortable. They stay in place with your eye easier and, because of their flexibility, they are easier to apply. There’s a variety of different types of soft lenses, ranging from ones you dispose of every day to ones you can leave in for multiple days at a time. They are made from a flexible plastic polymer that acts like a sponge to hold water and keep the eyes moist. The new silicone hydrogel materials are super oxygen-permeable so that oxygen can reach the cornea, which helps maintain comfort and eye health.

There are some downsides to soft lenses as well. According to Dr. Brill, the flexibility of soft contact lenses also comes with a need to know how to properly handle the lenses. Our technicians at Brill Eye Center are very adept at teaching patients of all ages 5 to 85 about proper application and removal techniques. To avoid problems with infections or discomfort, you will be given all of the starter solutions you need and a short course of instructions. This will help you maintain a healthy wearing experience and the ability to ask questions at any time. A no-charge in-office trial of lenses is often available to give them a “test-drive.” 

Rigid contact lenses, also known as rigid gas permeable lenses, provide crisp and clear vision to the user. They also combat eye dryness by allowing more oxygen to flow to the cornea and allowing better tear flow under the lenses. These durable lenses can last for years, offering a considerable long-term cost savings compared to soft lenses. 

A potential disadvantage of rigid lenses is that you may displace or lose a lens on occasion, although this is rare in actuality with our current computer-aided designs. There is a slight learning curve to master application and removal as well as a more noticeable initial lens awareness for new wearers. 

The choice between rigid contact lenses and soft contact lenses is ultimately up to personal needs and wearing preference, but our Kansas City contact lens fitting specialists will be invaluable to make the best choice with the least risk to match your needs and lifestyle.

Specialized contact lenses

Some patients may require contacts for more than just vision correction. Specialized contact lenses are an alternative to surgical methods to correct vision problems for which glasses just won’t work well anymore. Here are a few conditions that custom-designed lenses excel at:

• Keratoconus and pellucid marginal degeneration
• Irregularities of the ocular surface
• Post refractive surgery management
• Strong optical corrections
• Severe dry eye
• Auto-immune diseases

Whether you need overnight corneal reshaping lenses, scleral lenses, or other specialized contacts, we can help you determine the right contact lens choice for you at Brill Eye Center.

A Guide to Overnight Corneal Reshaping Treatment in Kansas City

Choosing the right brand for you

There are so many different brands and manufacturers of contact lenses. From Acuvue to Air Optix to Ultra and more generic options, it can be difficult to know exactly which brand is right for you. We know all the intimate details of the materials, curves, prescriptions, oxygen transmission, modulus of elasticity, water content, surface wettability, thickness, edge design and more that makes lens selection more of a science than paying attention to a TV ad or celebrity endorsement. DIY can be dangerous to your eye health.

The good news is, you don’t have to make these decisions on your own! We can help you determine whether you prefer a daily, bi-weekly or monthly change lens and whether you need multifocal lenses or toric lenses for astigmatism. Every eye and every patient are different, and we want to find the right contact lens option in Kansas City for your unique needs. 

Can contacts help me if I’m color blind?

Contacts can bring your world into focus, but can they help bring color to your world as well? Yes! 

Color blindness means more than just “black-and-white” vision. Often, people who suffer from color deficiencies have an inherited trait that makes it difficult to distinguish certain colors. 

Three different types of cones in your eye let you see a spectrum of colors, but when you’re colorblind, it means that one or more of the cones are interpreting colors incorrectly. People who are colorblind often see certain colors as washed out, or they might find themselves confusing different colors.

Life with Color Blindness as Explained by a Color Blindness Doctor in Kansas City

Contact lenses can help alleviate the issues from color blindness through specialized lenses that alter the way you see the world and help you distinguish between colors. The lenses aren’t right for everyone, as they require your brain to adapt to perceive the change. 

Contacts for astigmatism

Having an astigmatism means the front part of your eye, or cornea, is shaped in an oval rather than a circle (like a football rather than a basketball). Though we often see a small amount of astigmatism in most patients, the higher degree of astigmatism you have, the more unclear vision it may cause.

We typically prescribe eyeglasses for people with astigmatism, but contact lenses are still an option! Even large amounts of regular astigmatism can be corrected by soft lenses, while rigid lenses are more helpful for moderate amounts of irregular astigmatism. Severe astigmatism, which can be an underlying result of keratoconus, can be corrected through specialized lenses like oversized  scleral lenses that ride on the white part of the eye and totally vault the cornea.

If you have astigmatism and are looking for the right contact lenses, our knowledgeable, professional staff will run scientific tests to determine the severity of your issues and work with you to determine the best solution. 

How to get the most out of your contact lenses

No matter your choices, you want to get the most out of your contact lenses and find the right style and type for you. Everything from fit to cosmetic choice to correct cleaning habits can have an effect on your contact lens success.

The current standards of lens care and handling will assure that you will maintain healthy contact lens wear  to avoid infections or potential damage to your eye. One of the primary ways to maintain healthy contact lens care is to discuss any issues or changes with your provider. Even though you may be a long-term experienced wearer, it is wise to let the team at Brill Eye Center in Mission, KS give you a refresher course in proper handling and use of care products.

Get Your Contact Lenses at Brill Eye Center in Kansas City

For over 38 years, Brill Eye Center has remained at the forefront of innovative eye care. Our wealth of experience, combined with advanced technology and personalized care, allows for a rewarding experience that produces lasting results for our patients. We pride ourselves on putting the “I care” back in eye care, and we won’t rest until you’ve achieved your ideal visual outcome.