[title text=”High Oxygen Contact Lenses” style=”bold_center”]
Corneal Neovascularization With Contact Lens Wear
High Oxygen Contact Lenses
Defined – Neovascularization is a condition of the cornea where blood vessels start to grow into the otherwise clear and translucent cornea. A common cause is anoxia – lack of oxygen from wearing contact lenses that do not breathe. It can affect as many as 50 percent of contact lens wearers after 20 years of wearing the old style of lenses. Switching to new high oxygen transmitting contact lenses is an important strategy for the treatment and prevention of Neovascularization.
Factors Affecting Risk of Corneal Oxygen Deficiency
On average, 1-2 week contact lens users wear their lenses for 14 hours a day2, with 84% reporting that they nap with their lenses on3, which also increases the potential for added eye stress. Contact lenses that allow more oxygen to reach the eye may help protect against the symptoms of corneal oxygen deficiency.
State-of-the art “breathable” silicon hydrogel contact lenses, which are made with materials that deliver greater amounts of oxygen to the eye, are designed to help protect against the potential for corneal oxygen deficiency. O2 OPTIX™ is the latest innovation in breathable lenses, providing more than five times the oxygen than the leading soft contact lens and is the healthy choice for daily or occasional overnight wear.
Good vision requires a healthy cornea, and a healthy cornea needs a high level of oxygen. The contact lens acts as a barrier between the eye and the oxygen the eye needs. When the cornea does not receive enough oxygen, the eye may become stressed.
Early Stages of Cornea Oxygen Deficiency
Without enough oxygen, you might feel symptoms such as end-of day discomfort, irritation, dryness, and redness. Also known as corneal oxygen deficiency. In the long run, lack of oxygen may even cause complications. People who wear their contacts longer than the recommended wearing time are most at risk. O2 OPTIX™ is made with a revolutionary silicone hydrogel technology allowing 5 times more oxygen to reach the eye than the leading 2-week lens to help protect you from the signs and symptoms of corneal oxygen deficiency.
Your eyes need oxygen to stay healthy and comfortable. But soft contact lenses create a barrier to the natural flow of oxygen between your eyes and the air around them. O2OPTIX provides the highest oxygen transmissibility of any 2-week soft contact lens, helping to keep eyes whiter, brighter and healthy-looking. It is the healthy choice for daily or occasional overnight wear.
We are exclusive dealers for Air OPTIX™ – High Oxygen Contact lenses from Ciba Vision and Purevision from Bausch & Lomb.
Cathy Beaulieu is a Registered Optician, Certified Contact Lens Fitter & Certified Refracting Optician with over 30 years of experience in the eye care industry. Cathy specializes in difficult Contact Lens fittings, Bifocals, Astigmatism and Myopia patients.
You can book a custom contact lense fitting here or contact us if you have any questions.