Correcting or Improving Vision Problems

There are two types of lenses prescribed for correcting or improving vision. 

• Eyeglasses
  Eyeglasses, the most common form of eyewear used to correct or improve nearly all types of vision problems, are a frame that holds two pieces of glass or plastic, which have been ground into lenses to correct refractive errors. Eyeglasses perform this function by adding or subtracting focusing power to your cornea and lens. Measured in diopters, this measurement (also known as your eyeglass prescription) reflects the amount of power necessary to focus images directly on to the retina.
• Contact lenses
  Contact lenses, which are worn directly on the cornea of the eye, are available for the correction of nearly all vision problems. Like eyeglasses, contact lenses help to correct refractive errors and perform this function by adding or subtracting focusing power to your cornea and lens. Measured in diopters, this measurement (also known as your contact lens prescription) reflects the amount of power necessary to focus images directly on to the retina. However, unlike eyeglass prescriptions, by federal law, eye care specialists are not required to give you a copy of your contact lens specifications until you have been fitted and seen for follow up examinations. Although, many eye care specialists will give you a copy if you request one.
  
  

  Types of contact lenses include:

  • rigid gas permeable
  • soft planned replacement
  • soft disposable
  • colored lenses to change or enhance eye color.
    These lenses can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia. About 24 million Americans wear contact lenses, with soft lenses accounting for 85 percent.
     

• Surgery for correcting or improving vision