Buying Contact Lenses Online: Risks You Can Avoid Diagonale

CATEGORY: Health

Buying Contact Lenses Online: Risks You Can Avoid

It would be tempting to order your contact lenses online for many reasons. But this practice can be risky for your vision and your eye health.

Contact lenses are a medical device affixed directly to the cornea. If they are poorly fitted or not checked by an eye care professional, they can cause problems.

 

Each lens is a unique product with specific characteristics:

  • A material
  • A duration of wearing (daily, bi-weekly, monthly)
  • A curvature
  • A diameter
  • An adjustment
  • Oxygen permeability
  • Resistance to deposit
  • Moisture content

It is recommended to consult your optometrist once a year (or every 2 years) to have the health of your eyes and your vision checked. Thus, you will have a personal consultation regarding your contact lenses to find the most suitable for your eyes and your needs.


Advice from the Canadian Association of Optometrists

Having a prescription (old or new) and ordering your contact lenses online, does not mean that you will get a lens adapted to your individual eye characteristics (every eye is different), unless they are obtained from an eye care professional.

 

Risks with ordering lenses online

  • Some sites do not check your prescription 100%: your lenses could therefore be optically incorrect and/or poorly adjusted.

  • Many online sites (even those in Canada) sell products not approved by Health Canada, which poses a risk to your eye health.

  • An online supplier will not be able to offer you an eye follow-up service if you are having difficulty with your contact lenses (infection, irritation, discomfort…). Also it may not offer a replacement or exchange privilege.

  • Lenses from abroad can be exposed to significant uncontrolled temperature variations (warehouse, transport, etc.): this can affect the integrity of the lenses and therefore cause eye problems.

  • Distribution channels abroad may contain gray market (counterfeit) products: no way to guarantee that the contact lenses presented on the order site and those sent come from the direct manufacturer.

 

With an optometrist or eye health professional, it is the assurance of:

  • Contact lenses prescribed, lens characteristics and care methods will be based on eye measurements, tear composition, your vision prescription and your needs.

  • The lens solutions and care system is based on the compatibility between your eyes and contact lens materials. It is important to respect the recommended cleaning products or to inform your optometrist before any change.

  • Follow-up by a professional for good eye health, good vision and good comfort. Do not hesitate to consult quickly if you feel any discomfort or if your vision seems to have changed.

  • Updating your contact lenses if needed: new lens technologies are produced to improve certain characteristics. Your optometrist will know how to upgrade your contact lenses to better meet the needs or requirements of your lifestyle.

 

Finally, if you still want to order your lenses on the Internet, we invite you to do so from the Clinic's website: https://vision.store/clinique-optometrie-belanger/en/

 

Also, we offer home delivery of your contact lenses at no additional cost. Do not hesitate to ask us.