Contact lenses come in many different shapes, sizes and forms. There are gas permeable (RGP) or hard lenses, which provide good vision but poor initial comfort. The soft lenses are comfortable, but provide variable vision depending on the shape of your cornea and the amount of astigmatism you have. A new lens that emerged is a combination of the RGP and soft lens, call the SynergEyes® hybrid lens. It is composed of "a two-phase material platform that combines the optical clarity, stability and durability of a gas-permeable lens with the comfort and stability of a soft contact lens."  So you get the best of both worlds. The soft skirt of the SynergEyes lens provides all-day comfort while the "breathable" rigid center keeps eyes healthy while giving consistent, crisp, clear vision during the day and at night. No other contact lens currently offers these advantages. SynergEyes® hybrid contact lenses are good for a variety of conditions, including myopia (near sightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism, presbyopia, keratoconus, and anyone with irregular corneas.

The SynergEyes® hybrid lens provides crisp vision and all day comfort for those with astigmatism. With RGP, patient with high astigmatism can obtain clear vision with minimal fluctuation due to blinking. However, RGP provides poor comfort initially and have a long adaptation period. Soft contact lens solves the problem of comfort, but the vision can be unstable due rotation of the lens from blinking. The hybrid lens provides comfort with the soft skirt and clear stable vision with its breathable rigid center.

They are also a good option for patients that need a bifocal correction. Multifocal lenses are very similar to progressive (no line bifocal) glasses. There is some form of visual compromise with most soft multifocal lenses and comfort issue with RGP mutifocal lenses. Some soft multifocal lenses provide good distance vision but tolerable sometimes poor near vision or vice versa. The SynergEyes® hybrid lens provides both good distance and near vision, with little compromise to either vision as a soft bifocal contact might even at night.

SynergEyes® lenses are an FDA-cleared lenses for treatment of keratoconus and other corneal abnormalities.  They provide all day comfort and clear vision for those with keratoconus, an eye disease that is caused by thinning and steepening of the cornea. In earlier stages of the disease, patient are able to wear glasses or soft contact lenses. However as the disease advances, glasses and soft contact lenses will not provide adequate vision and RGP lenses are sometimes intolerable. SynergEyes® provides all stages of keratoconus patients with the all-day comfort of soft contact lenses and the great visual clarity of RGP lenses.

A simple eye examination saved a 13-year-old Maitland girl’s life and sight after an optometrist picked up an abnormality indicating a brain condition. Another reason to have the eyes examine regularly. Read more about!

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/local/news/general/eye-test-saves-maitland-girls-life/2034812.aspx

Some how the end of 2010 is quickly approaching and there are only two months left. Flex spending account or FSA is a USE IT OR LOSE IT type of account. So don't forget to USE IT on your EYE CARE needs. Some of the things you can use it on are co-pays, glasses, contact lenses, contact lens solutions, over-the-counter eye drops and prescription medications.  Schedule an appointment today at our Alexandria office or Falls Church office!