Contact Lenses
Recent advances in contact lens technology have meant that contact lenses today are more comfortable and safer to wear than previously. It has also meant that a much wider range of people can be fitted with soft disposable lenses than ever before. Our optometrists at Blink Optical are equipped with the latest knowledge and products available on the market and will work with you to determine the most appropriate contact lens for your lifestyle and needs.
Disposable contact lenses are the most commonly prescribed lens today. These lenses are available as daily disposable (where the lens is worn once then disposed of), fortnightly/monthly disposable, coloured lenses and extended wear (where the lens is kept in continuously for up to 1 month or as determined by your optometrist).
Toric disposable lenses are available for people with astigmatism. The range of prescriptions that can be accommodated for within this category has been significantly expanded over the last 5 years.
Multifocal contact lenses allow good vision both close up and far away, without the need for any spectacles.
Silicon Hydrogel lenses are the newest class of contact lenses on the market. These allow up to 6 times more oxygen to pass through the lens than traditional materials, and are highly recommended for people who wear their lenses for long hours, and for those who want to sleep in their lenses.
Conventional contact lenses are still available, but are usually only recommended if the prescription falls outside the range of disposable lenses. Disposable lenses are generally considered to be healthier for the eye as they are replaced before deposits accumulate too much on the lens surface, and they usually allow more oxygen to reach the cornea.
Rigid Gas Permeable lenses are smaller and much more rigid than soft contact lenses. These lenses float on the tear film in the eye, making them more uncomfortable upon initial fitting. In some people, particularly those with an uneven eye surface, these lenses will offer much clearer vision than a soft lens alternative. After a period of adaptation, these lenses become quite comfortable to wear and allow a good flow of oxygen to reach the eye.
Consultations for contact lenses may only be bulk-billed to Medicare under very specific conditions. The majority of people will be required to pay for the consultations required to start off in lenses. At Blink Optical, we offer this as a package rather than requiring payment each visit. For a first time wearer, the consultation fees are $99 which is not claimable from Medicare or a healthy fund. This includes the initial fitting, teaching of lens insertion, removal and appropriate lens care, and all aftercare or follow-up appointments required to finalise the lens prescription.
