69654 EXE MODULE 2_v3

LENS TYPE KNOWLEDGE. KMFL TRAINING ACADEMY

“I played football for In this Module Leeds United under-18, but at 17 my eyes 1. About Contact Lenses started to go and I had 2. Risks & Regular Eye to wear glasses. Examinations The football had to go 3. Process for First-Time - there were no contact Contact Lens Wearers lenses in 1957” 4. Types of Contact Lenses 5. Contact Lens Material Geoffrey Boycott 6. Contact Lens Care & Cleaning 7. Scleral versus Corneal Contact Lenses 8. Upsell Opportunity 9. Contact Lens Club

About Contact Lenses Contact lenses are very convenient for several sporting activities and lifestyles and even so, they complement rather than replace spectacles. All contact lens wearers must have spectacles to enable them to have 1 contact free day per week which is Important for their ocular health! Contact lenses cover the corneas which are living tissue dependant on a supply of oxygen and nutrients and the removal of waste products. These functions are performed by our tear fluid and other processes because corneas do not have blood vessels. Contact lenses adhere to the cornea due to an attraction between the lens and tear fluid. Even children from the age of 5 can wear contact lenses in the correct circumstances and with the correct supervision. Customers must NOT wear contact lenses when they: . Swim (prescription goggles are an option) . Shower . Sleep (unless specifically discussed with the optometrist) FUN FACT: Race horses are fitted with large contact lenses to protect their eyes from dust and debris.

Risks and Regular Eye Examinations Contact lenses require greater care than spectacles because they come into direct contact with the eye. Corneal ulcers can result from long-term abuse. Corneal ulcers can cause scarring to the cornea, leading to vision loss, including partial or complete blindness. Following cleaning instructions and removal at night, makes contact lenses a very viable and comfortable option. As a contact lens is a ‘foreign body’ which can cause irritation or infection, regular optometric examinations (at minimum, every 12 months) are essential to ensure optical health is maintained. Critically Important: At the slightest signs of any negative symptoms, contacts must be removed. Patients are urged to return at any time if difficulties are experienced.

Process for First-Time Contact Lens Wearers The optometrist will educate a patient on how to insert and remove their contact lenses as well as how to care for them. Lens Lubricant / Comfort drops is an optional preference for some wearers to aid insertion. A patient will be offered a free trial pair. Several follow-up consultations are recommended to ensure that the patient is managing. Types of Contact Lenses Hard and soft contact lenses are available and the type of lenses prescribed will depend on the patient’s prescription and comfort. • Soft Contact Lenses are available as: - Disposable Monthly Soft Contact Lenses - Disposable Daily Soft Contact Lenses • Hard Contact Lenses are seldom requested or recommended; sometimes used for pathology cases e.g. for keratoconus: - Corneal Hard Contact Lenses (Traditional) - Scleral Hard Contact Lenses

HARD Contact Lenses SOFT Contact Lenses Advantages of HARD Contact Lenses Advantages of SOFT Contact Lenses - Quicker to receive order because they are - Last longer due to durability of material manufactured in various diameters, powers and base - Easier to clean, handle and maintain curves i.e. spare lenses always available - Less prone to causing infection - Can correct corneal astigmatism - Easy to wear and more comfortable - Can correct and control keratoconus - Ideal for sporting activities because losing them is - Can correct extreme refractive errors - Can correct several optical errors that cannot be not as much of a financial loss - Easy adaption for occasional wear or accurately addressed with soft lenses or spectacles. sensitive eyes - Range of designs available including: tinted, progressive, coloured, and disposable - Daily disposables eliminate time spent cleaning and disinfecting Disadvantages of HARD Contact Lenses Disadvantages of SOFT Contact Lenses - Can be forgotten due to comfort - Must be custom-made - May tear with mishandling - Slightly more difficult to get used to - More care with cleaning is needed - Susceptible to extreme cold and dryness - Prone to protein build-up - Not ideal for vigorous sports - Not all astigmatism can be corrected - Prone to discomfort in dusty conditions - Are brittle and can break

Contact Lens Material HARD Contact Lenses SOFT Contact Lenses Most modern-day lenses are made of a gas Soft contact lenses are made of a plastic polymer, permeable material i.e. a plastic polymer, which moulded into ‘buttons’ of hard design which are then allows for some permeability of the material so that hydrated in a soaking solution of saline. The ‘button’ then oxygen and tear fluid flows to the cornea. becomes soft and flexible. The material of the soft lens is permeable enough to allow tear fluid to flow through to maintain a balanced eye metabolism.

Contact Lens Care and Cleaning Proper care of contact lenses as prescribed by the optometrist will help to prolong the life of lenses and keep patient’s eyes healthy and free of discomfort. For patients prone to protein build up, once a week a protein tablet solution can be used overnight with the disinfectant. Lenses must be rinsed with saline solution after being soaked in a protein remover. Cleaning solutions for hard and soft contact lenses are not interchangeable therefore patients must be especially careful not to mix the solutions. Daily contact lenses must be disposed of and not cleaned for re-use. Cleaning of ALL other contact lenses require the following: 1. All solutions to be used as prescribed 2. Handle with clean hands 3. Mechanical rubbing to clean surfaces (finger and thumb or palm and ring finger) 4. Regular eye check-ups are essential (minimum is annual)

Scleral versus Corneal Contact Scleral contact lenses fit on the conjunctiva, or white part of the eye, so they are very comfortable. Corneal contact lenses are smaller in diameter than the cornea and require a higher degree of precision in manufacture. Scleral lenses differ from corneal lenses in that they create a space between the cornea and the lens, called the tear reservoir. Scleral lens patients typically experience improved visual acuity and comfort verses corneal lens patients. 9mm Corneal Contact Lens Average of 9mm diameter. 18mm Scleral Contact Lens Average of 18mm diameter.

Upsell Opportunity Contact lens wearers will return often, not only for regular check-ups but also to purchase contact lens solution. Patients must be encouraged and reminded to purchase all their solutions from your store to ensure they are purchasing the correct solution and are kept up-to-date with new developments. Patients should be warned that incorrect and substandard solutions from other outlets could be damaging to their lenses and to their eyes. This is more than just a sales ploy as incorrect or infrequent care can cost your customer dearly in the long run with painful, costly and avoidable eye health problems and in the severest of cases, compromised eyesight or blindness.

Contact Lens Club The Contact Lens Club, launched in 2017, is an entirely online entity (https://www.contactlensclub.co.za/). Patients who have a valid and current prescription, may conveniently order all their contact lens replacements online. Delivery is free, and a price match is promised. Patients may opt to purchase on their Spec-Savers account. All patients who register online for the Contact Lens Club, are assigned to the last Spec-Savers Store they visited, and that store receives income from all orders processed by ‘their’ customers. Should the patient not be a Spec-Savers customer, the customer selects their closest store. Spec-Savers store staff can assist their patients to register and login to the Contact Lens Club, but cannot order on behalf of their patients.