How to Get the Most Comfortable Pair of Contact Lenses

Contacts can be awkward for the first time user, and feel especially uncomfortable. Finding the most comfortable pair of contact lenses for your eyes can be a test of trial and error for you and your eye doctor. The eye doctor part is essential to the comfortable contact equation. Doctors must determine the measurements that your contacts need to be in order to fit them correctly. Without the doctor, contacts may not fit properly and can harm your eyes. Still there is more that you can do to increase the comfort of your contact lenses.

Avoiding Dry Eye

Dry eye causes eyes to appear red and feel gritty. All About Vision offers that this could come from over the counter medicines and prescription medicines, from antihistamines to blood pressure medications. The best way to take care of this when you have contacts is to use contact drops that contain artificial tears. These drops must be for contacts only, as other contact drops can discolor contacts.

Nutrition, Nutrition, Nutrition!

All About Vision offers that one of the most essential ingredients to having healthy eyes and a comfortable contact experience is nutrition. Drinking lots of water and less caffeine and alcohol is important to maintaining eye health. Also, nutritional supplements may help, especially omega-3 fatty acids that are naturally found in salmon, flaxseed oil and many other fish.

The Environment

The environment in which you surround yourself is an integral part on how comfortable your contacts are going to feel in your eyes. Dusty work areas or a house with pets may increase the chances of getting debris caught between the contacts and the eyes. Also, contact wearers should not touch their eyes after using soaps, cleaners, or other similar products. Keep rewetting drops available if you spend much time on the computer or if you smoke. All of these things can keep your contacts from feeling their most comfortable.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Vision-Doctor.com. He provides more contact lens tips and discount contact lenses that you can research and purchase in your pajamas on his website.

Contact Lenses on Vacation 7 Simple Tips

When you are on vacation, contact lenses are great convenience - they are invisible and you don?t have to take them off while swimming. However, contact lenses can also spoil your vacation, if you don?t take precautions. Here are some simple things you can do, to prevent it happening to you.

1. Make sure that you have a spare pair of lenses

Even if the lenses you wear aren?t frequent replacement lenses, it is always recommended that you have spares. A lens can get lost or damaged, and replacements might be difficult to find. If you wear daily disposable lenses, take the amount of lens you need for your vacation plus several extra - just in case.

2. Don?t forget your contact lens case and solution.

Most brand name solutions can be bought in smaller bottles, which are excellent for traveling. And you can get a case that clips onto a solution bottle, so the pieces don?t get separated in your luggage.

3. Don?t let water in your eyes when swimming

Contact lenses are great for swimming and all water sports, but it is best to prevent their contact with water. However, water contains myriads of bacteria, which can get onto your lens and cause keratitis. So it is best to wear tight goggles, when swimming. If seawater gets into your eyes anyway, you should take your lenses out as soon as possible and clean them before putting them back in.

4. You still need sunglasses

Most modern contact lenses, like all Acuvue or Focus lenses, block harmful UV rays. However, the lens only can protect the area it covers, which is not the entire surface of your eye. Also, contact lenses don?t reduce glare. So it is safest to wear sunglasses with high UV protection over your lenses, and a sunhat.

5. Don?t neglect caring for your lenses

If you are tired after a day of sightseeing, it might be tempting to fall asleep still wearing your contacts. This is not a good idea - unless you wear extended wear lenses, of course. No matter how tired and relaxed you feel, take your contact lenses out for the night. See tips for contact lens and eye health

If you don?t want to care for your contacts during vacations at all, ask your doctor if extended wear contacts would suit you. Acuvue 2 can be worn without removal for up to 7 days, and Focus Night and Day for up to 30 days; they are great for vacations.

6. Be careful with sunscreen creams and inset repellants

Be very careful to avoid getting sunscreen or insect repellant in your eyes. If it gets into your eyes, it can cause serious irritation. If this happens, take your lenses out and give them a good clean.

7. Wear glasses on long flights

During long flights, most contact lens wearers feel miserable. This is because in an airplane, both atmospheric pressure and humidity are low. As a result, your soft contact lenses dehydrate and draw moisture from your eyes. Many people also nap during a flight, and sleeping in contacts isn?t recommended. If you can wear glasses as well as contacts, it is a good idea to do so in the plane. If glasses are not an option, use special eye drops and make sure you drink plenty of water during your flight.

Keep these simple rules in mind when going on vacation, and your contacts shouldn?t cause any problems to prevent you enjoying your holidays.

Tanya Turner is a contact lens expert and a founder of Contact Lenses Consumer Guide.com/, where you can find unbiased information about eye health and all types of contact lenses with reviews and pictures

Can You Afford LASIK Eye Surgery?

LASIK eye surgery is generally considered to be more expensive than other more conventional surgical procedures. This can in part be attributed to the use of high-tech equipment such as lasers.

Having said that, I think it is worthwhile to mention that the cost of LASIK continues to come down. This is in part due to improvements being made to the overall process, such as the use of more efficient and cheaper lasers.

According to the FDA the average cost of LASIK eye surgery was in the region of $1,344 in 2005. This is a significant reduction from the original numbers listed in 2002 of nearly $1,600.

However, be as it may, when deciding on the type of LASIK eye surgery or surgeon, price should never be the overriding factor. Remember you?re not buying shoes you?re taking a risk, so why not take the best calculated risk by going to someone who has built up a good reputation?

Here are a few things that may help you understand why the costs of LASIK laser surgery are high.

? The fee of leasing the building where the surgery is located

? The leasing or purchase of the laser as well as maintenance of the blades or lasers can increase LASIK cost. Surgeons may also be upgrading to newer and more efficient lasers.

? There may be additional, per eye fees to be paid to the developer or manufacturer of the laser, if the machine is leased.

? You may need special gowns, masks, gloves, medications, or surgical solutions to keep the operating room sterile and safe.

? There may be Advertising and insurance for the office.

When you are considering different LASIK surgery options it may be a good idea to ask your surgeon the following:

? What is and what isn?t included in the cost of the LASIK eye surgery?

? What if complications occur or if enhancements are needed. Will I be charged and if so, how much?

? What about the cost of LASIK medications such as anti-inflammatory or painkillers?

? Will I need temporary contact lenses after LASIK? Are they included in the cost or will they be paid for separately?

? What about follow-up visits after LASIK? What are the costs if they are not included in the fee for the surgery?

Don?t forget to contact your insurance company to determine if they cover the cost of LASIK laser surgery. Some insurance companies don?t cover the cost of LASIK because they see it as a cosmetic enhancement.

If financing is not a problem you should strongly consider using a LASIK surgeon who best fits your needs and addresses your concerns.

For those who already had successful LASIK procedures, the cost of LASIK laser eye surgery is a small price to pay compared to the joy offered by their newly improved vision.

The author L Jimmy Roos writes widely, offering solutions on various topics that affect the human condition. For more information on Lasik laser eye surgery and how it can help you, please visit now http://www.lasikeyeadvice.com

Your EyesThe Windows to Your Soul

Our eyes are one of the most important features on our face. Our eyes not only allow us to see, they show emotion?joy, love, fear and even anger. It is said that when we address one another we should look directly into the eyes of the speaker. A baby?s eyes get noticed for being so large and round, a man?s eyes get noticed for their color and expressiveness. A woman?s eyes should get noticed for the same intrinsic qualities, not for the amount of makeup she has adorned them with.

I like to start with the eyeliner. No matter which type of liner you prefer, (liquid, pencil or even powder) get as close to the lashes as possible, staying on the outside of the eye. Do not apply liner inside the lash line, as this could cause the transfer of bacteria into the eyes. Keep this line of color subtle. Gently smudge it a little with the end of an eye shadow applicator or a brush for a softer, more natural look.

It is always a good idea to apply your eye shadow prior to your cheek color. This way, if the product finds its way onto your cheeks, you can simply brush it away. You may want to dust a little translucent powder on your cheeks and under your eyes to make for an easy clean-up. For a simple, natural look, stick to the neutrals.

Choose a midtone shade for over the entire eye lid. Gently blend a darker color into and slightly above the crease. Blend with a soft crease brush, using gentle strokes up and down so that the crease color fades seamlessly onto the brow bone and the lower lid. Use the midtone again on the lower lid and blend up into the crease. If you are feeling daring, choose a third, lighter color to highlight the brow bone. Blending is the key operation here. No heavy lines of color please. For evening, use the same technique but try more shimmery eye colors.

Lastly, let?s not forget our trusty friend, mascara. Apply your mascara last to avoid smudging it when applying your liner and shadow. Also, any loose shadow particles will stick to your freshly applied mascara?not a good look. Waterproof mascara is great for sports or for going to a tear-jerking movie, however, it is difficult to remove. This can cause product build-up on the lashes, creating a cakey look. Worse yet, continuous use of waterproof mascara and product build-up can cause your precious lashes to break, thus causing you to use even more mascara. A better solution would be a water-resistant mascara. It is much easier to remove. So just remember, what goes on, must come off.

The windows to your soul now sparkle with subtle color, making your eyes and you, yourself, impossible to ignore. Those around you won?t be able to take their bulging spheres off of your beautiful eyes.

Have a great day!

Dawn Hull
Professional Skin Care Consultant
http://www.MaryKay.com/ShopOnline

Sign up to receive a FREE monthly beauty newsletter: Beaut-e-News - Discover what's new, what's now ? what's changing the face of makeup and skin care! You'll find beauty secrets revealed and tips and techniques that will help you look your beautiful best. Click here to register: http://www.marykay.com/PWS/MyMK/Login.aspx?Moniker=SHOPONLINE

Hyperopia Can Laser Eye Surgery Correct This Condition

Farsightedness and laser eye surgery may not seem to be a good option at first glance. But the success of LASIK has proven that there is finally a surgical technique to correct this vision problem.

What is Hyperopia or farsightedness? It?s a vision problem where persons can see distant objects clearly but experience difficulty in seeing objects close up.

In a normal eye, the light that enters focuses directly on the retina. Those with farsightedness, experience light as focusing behind the retina. This happens when the corneas are flatter, or the eye is shorter.

Is this option: farsightedness and laser eye surgery worth looking into? Yes and a brief explanation of how LASIK and CK works, both recommended surgical techniques for this condition would help you make up your mind.

CK stands for Conductive Keratoplasty and is an FDA approved procedure. In this operation, a small probe, thinner than a strand of human hair, is used to release radiofrequency (RF) energy. The probe goes around in a circular pattern on the outer cornea to shrink small areas of corneal tissue. This circular shrinkage pattern creates a constrictive band (think of the belt tightening the waistline) and increasing the curvature of the cornea.

During the LASIK (Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis) surgical procedure, the surgeon will fold the flap and remove corneal tissue underneath by the use of the excimer laser. This very precise laser removes very tiny bits of tissue thereby reshaping it. Of the two, which option for farsightedness and laser eye surgery, should you consider?

The advantages OF LASIK are it?s an older technique compared to CK which was just recently approved by FDA in 2002. Operation time is relatively fast, from 15 to 45 seconds on each eye. Improvement in vision is felt within 24 hours.

For CK, improved surgical techniques and technology make has made it a more stable technique. It is also non-invasive, there are no knives, or lasers or instruments inserted into the eyes. So it causes fewer complications. This operation normally takes 15 minutes to perform, and compared to LASIK it will take a week before you see improvement in your vision.

Which of these two options for farsightedness and laser eye surgery techniques is the best for you? Do some preliminary research, and make it an in-depth research on each option. Ask your optometrist, which eye surgeon, she or he believes you should see. In the initial consultation, you?ll find out which procedure works for you.

What?s worth remembering is you free yourself from using contacts or eyeglasses. There is a cure for farsightedness and laser eye surgery is it!

Tim Gorman is a successful webmaster and publisher of Vision-Doctor.com an online website that offers discounts on contact lenses, eyeglasses, sunglasses and free information on LASIK eye surgery procedures that you can view in the privacy of your own home.