Market of contact lens is spreading day by day. It has become popular with the teenagers and young people. People use different types of contact lenses for so many reasons. But the history of contact lens is very old. Leonardo DA Vinci, the greatest Italian painter, sculptor, inventor came up with the idea of contact lens. He did not implement the idea and did not think about contact lenses to be used to correct the vision. Yet, his idea inspired other persons named Thomas Young, Sir John Herschel etc. to implement it later.
At last, in 1888 Adolf Fick, successfully fit contact lenses. Initially, he fitted contact lenses in rabbits experimentally and later himself. Heavy Blown glass had been used to make those lenses. Later, in 1960 with the help of improved manufacturing technology a lens named PMMA became the first corneal lens which got more mass appeal. But the most disadvantages of this lens were oxygen can not transmit through this lens. It can cause serious clinical effects. In 1965, National Patent Development Corporation introduced rights to produce lenses and gave sublicensed to Bausch Lomb to manufacture lenses in the United States.
Depending on the material, primary function and wearing schedule Lenses can be classified in so many categories. Let’s have a look on the below categories:
Corrective Contact Lenses
To correct and improve the vision these can be used. Myopia, Hypermetropia, Astigmatism can be corrected by this lens. To get the clear vision with the accurate power with this lens, the lens directly focuses the light so that it enters the eye.
Multifocal Contact Lenses
These lenses have multiple focal points and generally developed for constant viewing within the center of the lens.
Monovision
This kind of lenses has only one focal point per lens. Usually, this single vision lens used to focus one eye for distance vision which is the person’s dominant eye and another eye for near vision so that the person’s brain can be used to the setup to see very much clearly from all distances.
There are some other types of lenses also in the market. Cosmetic contact lenses is one of them which got much popularity to change someone’s eye appearance. Also, refractive error can be cured by cosmetic lens. But this lens is not advisable to use as different types of irritations, infections can be occurred by this lens.
A newly invented lens named circle contact lens become a new craze in Japan, China and South Korea. Circle lenses extended the looks of the iris directly on the sclera by possessing a dark tinted area surrounding the iris. The outcome is, the outside appearance associated with a bigger, wider iris.
Generally, contact lenses are safe as long as it is being used as per rules and regulations. Incorrect use of contact lenses can potentially affect eyelid, cornea and the conjunctiva. Due to inaccurate wearing schedule many complications can arise. After a designated time schedule contact lenses muct be changed. Also, mishandling of contact lenses increase the chance of infection. Wash hands before touching the contact lens with soap and dry hands with tissue or towel. So, special care should be taken to the contact lenses.