Have you ever thought about trying contact lenses? What’s stopping you?
Sam Culham, our contact lens optician, said that there are two main reason which hold people back – but thankfully both are easily overcome with the help of the Patrick & Menzies team!
Squeamishness
“A lot of people are quite squeamish about their eyes and worry about the idea of putting contact lenses in,” Sam explained.
To help people overcome this, Sam initially puts the lenses in for them to help them to see how they feel.
“We always give a lesson to first time users to help them get used to putting their contact lenses in. First, we get them to practice holding their eye lids apart and slowly moving a finger towards the eye but not touching it. This helps them to get used to the thought of something coming towards the eye. Afterall it’s natural to try to close your eye in this situation.
“When you put contact lenses in you need to have a steady hand and hold your eyelids open quite firmly. Nine times out of ten when people have problems it’s because they aren’t holding the lids firmly enough.”
And if you are worrying about the thought of taking contact lenses out – don’t! Sam explained it’s actually much easier than you would think.
She explained: “We recommend the drag down method. You don’t even need to look in a mirror while you do it. Hold your eyelid, look up and with the middle finger of your dominant hand drag the lens down and it will come out onto your cheek.
“Sometimes we will offer patients several lessons if they are keen to use contact lenses but find it tricky. And once you start using them regularly it soon becomes part of your daily routine.”
After the lesson, new users will be given a short supply of their prescription lenses to try over the next few weeks before booking in for a return appointment to check how they have got on.
“Obviously if you have any questions or concerns in the meantime you can always give us a call,” Sam added.
You can’t get contact lenses for my prescription…
The other main reason which puts people off trying contact lenses is the assumption their prescription would prevent it.
“Nowadays there are so many options available. This means we can actually cater for most prescriptions,” Sam reassured.
So, even people with more complicated prescriptions such as those with astigmatism or people who need multifocal lenses for reading and distance vision can still enjoy the benefits of using contact lenses.
Patrick & Menzies is an independent optician. This means we can source contact lenses from major manufacturers and smaller specialist companies, to find your perfect fit.
“Even if you think your prescription would stop you from using contact lenses, talk to us as most of the time we can find a solution,” Sam added.
Book an appointment
Thinking about switching to contact lenses? Then get in touch today to book an appointment! The Patrick & Menzies team will help choose the right contact lens type for you.