Fun Facts: Contact Lenses

From decorative contact lenses to prescription lenses, contacts are widely used in today's world. But did you know these fun facts about contacts?

1. Contact lenses are worn on the cornea, or the clear, outermost surface of the eye. 
2. Leonardo Da Vinci first thought of the idea of contact lenses in the early sixteenth century.
3. The world's very first contact lenses were made completely of glass and were made to cover the entire surface of the eye. To make these lenses for a patient, a mold had to be made fitting the person's eye. The patient was awake and alert while this procedure took place. This procedure was known to be very uncomfortable for the patient, and it restricted the much needed flow of oxygen to the eye. Some people even got infections from this procedure, as not everything used was always properly cleaned and disinfected. 
4. Today's contact lenses can correct vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and even reading difficulty. Contact an optometrist, such as at Elk Grove Optometry, for more information.
5. Many people are working on a new type of contact lens, which is believed to be bionic. Reports show that these contact lenses have already been put to the test on animals such as rabbits, and seem to work just fine. With a bionic contact lens, the opportunities are endless. Imagine a world where you can get emails, monitor your health, check your Facebook and other social media sites, and even play your favorite video games, all using your contact lenses. With new and developing technologies, many say that this may soon be a reality. 
6. Contacts can come in a variety of shapes, as well as colors. Full eye contacts, also commonly known as scelara contacts, are often used in costumes and even film production. The most common colors of full eye contacts are black and white. Many websites offer contacts in a variety of colors and designs. Certain costume websites offer contact lenses with designs on them such as checkers, symbols, letters, numbers, and more.
7. Because contacts can reduce the flow of oxygen available to the wearer's eye, it is best to take them out before you go to sleep at night, in order to let your eyes get the necessary oxygen they need to stay healthy. There are reports of contacts slipping behind the eyeball and infections occurring due to sleeping in contacts or simply leaving them in for too long. Because scelara contacts cover the entire eyeball, it is recommended that they are not worn for a period of more than four hours at any given time.