Several brands of contact lenses are built with UV protection. Keep in mind, however, that contact lenses only cover the center of the eye and not the surrounding areas, such as the conjunctiva or eyelids. It is still best to wear sunglasses. Depending on your environment, wearing contact lenses for too long outdoors may irritate your eyes more than usual, especially if you are in a dry, hot, and/or windy area.

Presbyopia is a condition that affects almost all of us as we get older. We need progressive lenses which offer support at near, far and everything in-between. Here contact lenses, in this case progressive or multifocal contact lenses, may also be a good solution. Various versions are available. The simplest solution is by combining contact lenses for distance vision with reading glasses. Or by using the monovision method in which one eye is corrected by a contact lens for near vision and the other eye for far. Habit and the brain do the rest. However, your three-dimensional vision may suffer slightly, and the difference between vision with your right and left eyes must not be too great.

The ‘simultaneous system’ is based on contact lenses which combine the individual powers for near and distance vision in a single lens on an alternating basis. Different designs are used. The two powers for near and far are always arranged in circular rings on the progressive contact lens. There are designs where the distance range is in the middle and the near zone is outside. There are even lenses with a ring for the transitional zone in-between or with powers that alternate ring by ring. Both powers are perceived at the same time. Our brain gets used to seeing the “right” image up close and far away.

There are nights that simply weren’t meant for sleeping! And that’s when we tend to forget that we are still wearing our contacts. Where on earth are we supposed to put them during a long night at a party? Even in situations like these, please try to think of your eyes and the next day. On days – or rather nights –like these, the best option is to use dailies. And, of course, they require the same thorough washing of your hands to prevent infection. However, dirt and loss are not major issues with dailies. They are simply disposed of after wear and do not have to be disinfected. Afterwards, fashionable glasses with attractively thin lenses can be real eye-catchers. It’s the mix between glasses and contacts that does it!

Coloured contacts are a real hit – with or without a prescription power. Would you like to attract attention with your piercing blue eyes at a special event, or steal the show at a dinner party with your seductively green eyes that perfectly match your head-turning evening dress? Or put the finishing touch to your Halloween disguise with sinister cat’s eyes? It’s all possible with contact lenses. Be bold – try them for yourself! Eyes sometimes say more than a thousand words. The same care has to be taken with coloured as with clear contact lenses: thorough cleaning with suitable cleaning agents is vital to ensure healthy eyes.

Contact lenses just shouldn’t be worn 24/7. Give your eyes a break – and some fresh air. Experts generally advise against wearing contact lenses for longer than eight hours.

However, there is no definite rule, as the wearing time depends on each individual wearer and on the type and quality of the contact lenses. Make sure you observe the specified wearing time, cleaning instructions and expiry date to ensure that your lenses don’t irritate your eyes. And it’s best to also check the oxygen permeability of the contact lenses before buying them, as among others this is decisive for the wearing time. This is indicated by the Dk value (relative dielectric constant). This is influenced by the material and to some extent also by the temperature of a contact lens. Please ask your optician for advice.

Permanent contact lenses have been developed for people who are allergic to contact lens solutions. Clarify with your optician if these are suitable for you – after all, you will wear them non-stop for 30 days, also at night. There isn’t even any need to remove them intermittently for cleaning and disinfection.

If your eyes show any signs of inflammation or irritation or if you experience pain, take your contacts out and use your glasses. Do the same if you have a high temperature or a bad cold. On recovery from an illness, it is important to ask your doctor whether you can continue to wear the same contact lenses or if you should discard them just to be on the safe side. This is particularly important for monthlies or 6 month replacement.