So you're considering wearing Contact Lenses?        

Despite the odd scary story these days lenses really are safe to wear or I'd be spending my life sorting out problems however there are a few rules:

Ignore these at your peril:

Rule 1

My philosophy is that I still want you to be wearing your lenses in 5 -10  years time. Years ago very few people managed to wear lenses for more than a few years without running into problems. Modern lenses and solutions are infinitely better but the first priority must be to look after your eyes.

Rule 2

Consider the complete cost of your lenses carefully, as an absolute minimum you will need to budget for

1. The cost of the lenses, these days most people wear disposable lenses so look at the cost per month.

2. The cost of soaking solution and a case (normally replace every 3 months)

3. The cost of check up's, you should consider every 6 months an absolute minimum.

4. The cost of joining the scheme in the first place, some quotes are a bit vague on this point.

5. The cost of Saline to perform "Rub & Rinse" a simple routine which makes the lenses much more comfortable to wear.

On top of these basics you might also consider the following:

1. Make sure you have a backup pair of specs, they quickest route to disaster is to become dependent on you contact lenses.

2. Consider an annual eye examination without lenses to check the focusing and well being of your eyes.

3. From note3 above I would personally recommend a check up every 3 months.

Some people might be tempted to try to buy lenses as cheaply as possible, they are probably the same people who wait until they have toothache before they visit their Dentist. The difference is that if push comes to shove you still have a few spare teeth.