First the contact lenses entered the market has an alternative to eye glasses but today it has turned out into a fashion accessory. Initially contact lenses were used to treat certain eye diseases but know they are also being used cosmetically to change the apparent color of the eyes.

    It`s very important to consult a doctor to get your eye measurements before starting to use contact lenses. First you need to know that your eyes are healthy enough to wear contact lenses then you need to learn how to use contact lenses from a fitter. You need to follow the instructions of care and wear of contact lenses carefully. If you find any problems it`s advisable to consult your doctor immediately.
    A fitter is usually an ophthalmologist, an optometrist, or possibly an optician. Ophthalmologists are usually the doctors graduated from a school of medicine (MD) or osteopathy (DO) and are additionally trained for around 3-5 years for fitting contact lenses, making eye examinations, eye diagnosis, and surgery. Ophthalmologists perform both conventional surgery and laser surgery.
    Optometrists are usually the graduates from a school of optometry (OD) and are trained on eye examinations, treatment of certain eye diseases and fitting contact lenses. Eye doctors are able to perform both laser surgery and conventional surgery.
    Opticians do not perform any eye examinations or eye diagnosis or any eye surgery instead they just fit glasses and contacts on the prescription of an ophthalmologist or an optometrist.
    Today rigid gas permeable (RGP) and Soft lenses are available in the market and both have different indications, care and wear regimen. Because of the significant risks the older hard (PMMA) lenses are rarely used today. Single day wear soft lenses are available today and have to be discarded after a single usage. Other soft lenses and some RGP lenses are available which can be worn for a day and then removed, cleaned, and disinfected each night. With regular care some RGP lenses even last for years. Soft lenses have to be replaced on a regular basis, which may vary from 1 week to 1 month to 3 months and even up to 1 year. Usually extended wear soft lenses can be worn overnight for 1 week and then replaced every 1-2 weeks. Using lenses after recommended schedule would lead to eye infections and others problems.
    Using contact lenses overnight decreases the amount of oxygen available to the eye and thus increasing the chances of infections four times. So it is advised not to use extended wear of contact lenses.
    Inappropriate maintenance of contact lenses may even lead to blindness from infections. So it is recommended to go for proper fitting, instructions, care and maintenance to avoid problems. Once the contact lenses are fit some users do face problems during removal of contact lenses, the fitter should provide information about the methods to be followed in case of problems. Some users do experience irritation, reddening of eyes and blurred vision and are all due to poor lens fittings, lens wear out or wrapping or even due to sensitivity to solutions. These problems have to be dealt out early otherwise they would lead to corneal ulcers and other infections. It is highly recommended to use lens solution suggested by the fitter. Some solutions such as Thimerosal are allergic to certain people.
    From wearers viewpoint one major concern is the danger when a contact lens slips off the eyes. Redness of eyes and light sensitivity are due to corneal ulcer and abrasions on the cornea are due to insufficient supply of oxygen and it`s due to the over-wear of the contact lenses. Improper cleaning of contact lenses leads to reddening of eyes.
    No matter whether the eye complaints are due to contact lenses or not they still need to be diagnosed and treated. If you find any problems it is highly recommended to contact optometrist or an eye specialist immediately.