Prescription Contact Lenses in Northeast Pennsylvania

The price you pay for contact lenses can vary widely based on the type of product you need, the brand you choose, and your insurance status. Customers may pay anywhere from $150 to $1,500 a year for their lenses. At NEI, we can provide disposable lenses from a variety of brands for less than a dollar a day.

When it’s time to remove your contact lenses, start by washing your hands thoroughly and drying them well to prevent water from getting under the lens. Next, use a finger from one hand to lift your upper eyelid and the middle finger from the other to depress your lower eyelid. You can then use the thumb and index finger of the second hand to gently squeeze the lens and lift it off.

All contact lenses expire and include an expiration date on their packaging. The lifespan of contact lenses depends on their brand and style. It’s important not to use expired lenses, so check the expiration date before you put in a new pair.

Unfortunately, it’s not a good idea to swim while wearing your contact lenses. Water contact of any kind can be harmful, but swimming causes prolonged contact with water that can lead to vision problems, infections, and other serious issues. While no contact lens is completely safe while swimming, disposable lenses can be the safest if thrown away immediately after swimming.

Coverage for contact lenses will vary by provider, but most vision plans cover at least some of the cost. Unfortunately, vision insurance for individuals who need glasses or contacts may be more expensive because of the increased care required.

Most people find that they adjust to wearing soft contact lenses right away. At the most, it may take a few days to get used to these lenses. However, it may take a couple of weeks for your eyes to adjust to wearing rigid gas permeable lenses or hybrid contact lenses.

Several studies have found that children can adapt to contact lenses as early as age 8. However, you must also factor the maturity of your child into the decision to let them try contacts. Does your child have good hygiene practices? Is your child responsible enough to properly care for contact lenses? If so, then you may want to consider allowing your child to wear contacts.

It depends on the type of contact lens you wear:

• Daily disposable soft contact lenses — No care is involved. Wear them once and discard at the end of the day.
• Extended wear disposable soft contact lenses — These should be removed at the end of the day and cleaned overnight by soaking in disinfecting solution. Depending on the type of extended wear lens you use, you may need to replace them weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.
• Longer use soft contact lenses — Some soft contact lenses can be worn for a much longer period of time (replacement only occurs quarterly or sometimes even annually). These contact lenses might also require the use of a weekly enzyme cleaner in addition to daily disinfecting.
• Gas permeable contact lenses — These contact lenses last for years. They require daily cleaning and disinfecting, but their slick surface prevents the buildup of proteins and other deposits.