Wearing contact lenses can cause gradual changes in your vision and the health of your eyes often without your knowing it. Because you are wearing a piece of plastic over your eye every single day, microscopic changes can occur that may eventually reduce the oxygen flow to your eyes, sensitize your eyes to protein build-up on the lenses and change the shape of the cornea resulting in irreversible problems that may prevent you from successfully wearing contacts in the future or set you up for an increase in infections.

Yearly examinations allow your doctor to evaluate the effect – if any – that contact lens wear has had on the health of your eyes and give them a chance to refit you with a better design or material for your eyes. Everyone reacts differently and some problems may not present themselves until months after wearing contact lenses. And quite frequently your prescription may change only slightly, but which quite often results in your seeing better after you receive the new prescription — much to your surprise!

The tears of the eyes contain oils and proteins that coat your contact lenses, causing them to repel moisture and therefore feel dry later in the day as they get dirtier. This is especially a problem in dry environments e.g. office, home in the winter, automobiles where the fans are blowing, etc. Also, as we all get older, our tear chemistry changes which can cause contact lenses to feel less comfortable.

Fortunately there are now contact lens materials available that repel deposits and stay cleaner longer, therefore, maintaining a more ‘moist’ and comfortable lens at the end of the day. Rubbing your lenses every night with your multipurpose solution before storage also helps keep your lenses cleaner and therefore maintains moisture as well. In some cases single-use ‘daily’ disposable lenses are an excellent alternative for this common problem.

Eyeglasses are a must as a backup for any contact lens wearer. Everyone who wears contact lenses should allow their eyes to ‘wake up’ in the morning before shovng a contact lens on them and to rest their eyes before sitting down to watch that late-night TV show. It’s best to put your glasses on to give your eyes a rest before going to bed and to prevent the possibility of falling asleep with your contacts in while watching that TV show.

An even more important reason that few ever think of is what would you do if you develop an eye infection? It happens, and when the doctor has to tell you that you can’t wear your contact lenses for one week while your eyes heal, how will you ever get around in the world without contacts or glasses? If you wear contacts you need to keep your eyeglasses up to date so that you will be able to function during those times your eyes are tired, sore or unable to wear contact lenses for any length of time.