Help - Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q's)

Ans: 0044 208349 0002..(0800 458 2090)

Ans: Daily disposable lenses represent over 50% of all lens wearers in the UK. They offer a convenient and hygienic way of contact lens wear. In general, the risks of contact lens related infections are greatly reduced. The costs and time of solutions is also another factor. Those with sensitive eyes ( especially to solutions) also have a great advantage using daily disposables. For the infrequent wearer this is also a great choice as lenses can be worn when required and the lenses do have a long shelf life ( please do remember to have an examination on a yearly basis). Great for the " lazy cleaner".

Ans: 0845 653 0506…(0800 458 2090)

Ans: In general, daily disposables contact lenses do not require cleaning as they are to be discarded at the end of each day. However, we do advise that a bottle of sailine is kept at hand. (eg the lens may drop and need rinsing before inserting into the eye or you may need to take the lens out if it is irritating due to a foreign body on the lens). With monthly disposables/ extended wear we recommend an "All-In One" solution that will simply clean and disinfect the lenses overnight (or usually after 4-5 hrs). Bausch Lomb solution is recommended for a powerful clean. The most powerful systems in the solution market tend to be based on "hydrogen peroxide". These can be expensive and also more care has to be taken as to also neutralise the peroxide solution before lens insertion. All In One solutions are generally safer!

Ans: Our team at Feel Good Contacts all agree that the lenses should be removed with clean hands. Then the lenses must be rubbed both sides for about 30 seconds. This agitates the debris on the lenses and causes them to loosen their bonds from the lens surface.(compare to simply putting soap on your face and rinsing rather than rubbing with soap which is better). Then rinse the lenses with the same solution before storing them also in the same solution. Always rub your lenses with a cleaner or solution before inserting into your lens case.

Ans: We buy direct with leading contact lens suppliers and purchase in bulk. The discounts that are given to us allow us to offer low pricing levels to our clients.

Ans: Cosmetic Tips Being a contact lens wearer does not mean giving up wearing eye make-up. Make-up should be applied after lens insertion. Lenses should be removed before removing make-up A fast-drying, fiber free mascara is recommended Eye shadow in cream form or as a compact powder has been shown to be the best type for lens wearers Liquid eye-liner can lead to some tinting of soft contact lenses Eye-color pencil should not be applied directly on edge of lower eyelid – better to apply on edge of lower eyelash For removal of eye make-up, it is best to use a rich eye make-up remover or water-soluble cleaning emulsions Hand creams, sunscreens and nail polish remover should not be allowed to come into direct contact with the lenses; they can penetrate the lens Care should be used when applying deodorant spray, hair spray, perfume, etc. Aerosols should be avoided when lens case or lens care bottles are standing open. Eyes should be closed when spraying! In an incident: Contamination from cosmetics should be treated with contact lens cleaning solutions only

Ans: A contact lens prescription will provide details of the brand, lens parameters and the power. It will be signed and dated by your practitioner. A contact lens prescription is different from a sight test prescription. A contact lens prescription is normally recommended to be valid for a year, unless otherwise stated by your practioner. It is advised that a contact lens examination must be conducted at least once a year unless otherwise directed by your practitioner.

Ans: In general, it is recommended that annual checks up are made by your practitioner. The practitioner may alter this.

Ans: After an eye examination the optician must provide you with the eye examination results. The optician may charge you seperately for a contact lens examination before providing you with the details of the lenses you have been prescribed.

Ans: We do not require you to send your prescription in. By reading the terms and conditions you have accepted that your contact lens prescription complies to UK Guidelines and Regulations. By then placing an order with us you also further verify the same. We, however, reserve the rights to verify the details you have entered before making a judgement as to whether or not to supply.

Ans: Feel good Contacts will not accept this unless it is backed up by the practitioner who prescribed them.

Ans: Yes, depending on the complexity of the astigmatism. Astigmatism is caused by an irregular shaped cornea ( this is the front transparent surface of the eye). There have been great developments in lenses designed for astigmatism called Toric lenses. Toric lenses are availlable in Daily, Monthly and Yearly types. Your practitioner will guide you as to the type of lens you should wear. Toric lenses, in general, are slightly more expensive than normal standard lenses.

Ans: We have a dedicated and experienced team to guide you through the prescription details. We can call or email you.

Ans: This means that your prescription is within 12 months from the date of purchase and that the prescription has been dispensed by a professional and qualified optometrist or contact lens fitter. We reserve the right to verify such details with your optician. The above stated also applies to those customers re-ordering lenses. Where you have been given a contra indication to wear lenses by a registered practitioner we reserve the rights to revoke any sales unless otherwise redirected by the same or another registered practitioner. When purchasing from us you confirm and verify that you have been prescribed the contact lenses you have ordered by a qualified practitioner, therefore we do not take responsibility if you order lenses that have not been prescribed for you and/or the difference between the prescription and purchase date exceeds 12 months.

Ans: The lenses must be removed immediately. You may need to seek the advice of your practitioner. Ignoring such signs may lead to severe corneal and conjunctival iritation. We recommend that you have a pair of spectacles as a back up.

Ans: There are certain lenses that your practitioner may prescribe for wearing on an extended basis. Sleeping with lenses may increase the risk of infection and other eye problems. Certain lenses such as Purevision ( Bausch & Lomb) and Air Optix Night & Day ( Ciba Vision) are suitable lenses for extended wear. Your practitioner will recommend the appropriate lenses.

Ans: TIPS TO KEEP YOU ON SCHEDULE Always replace your lenses on the same day of the week. Many people discard their old lenses on Sunday night and start with a fresh pair on Monday morning. Others prefer Friday as the discard day, so they have fresh lenses for the weekend. Choose whatever day works best with your schedule. Use your calendar – paper or electronic – to remind yourself to replace your lenses. When you open up a new box of lenses, write your "fresh lens" day or date on the individual lens packages. Write “Reorder” on your last box of lenses, along with the website of order.

Ans: There may be several reasons but the main reasons could be that there may be a tiny lens tear (on the edge or on the lens itself), the lens may have a build up of deposit (protein and lipid clumps tend to be the culprits) or the lens is inside out. The eye itself could be irritated in the first place. The above list is by no means an extensive list of lens irritability causes and guidance should be sought from a practitioner.

Ans: This is not a problem as long as make-up is applied after inserting your lenses. Occassionally, mascara or other eye make ups can get lodged underneath the lids and then adhere to the lens surface. This can result in eye irritations and conjunctivitis.

Ans: Firstly, you must NEVER use water to clean lenses. Invisible microbes in the water acanthamoeba. Acanthamoeba are naturally occurring amoeba (tiny, one-celled animals) commonly found in many water sources, such as tap water, well water and hot tubs, as well as in soil and sewage systems. If these parasites infect the eye, an unusual but sight-threatening condition called Acanthamoeba keratitis results. Please use an "all in one " cleaning system such as Bausch & Lomb to clean and disinfect lenses.

Ans: Your practitioner will recommend the lenses which are suitable for your eyes. Our favourites are "Acuvue Moist One Day", "Ciba Aqua Comfort Plus" , "Purevision" and "Acuvue Oasys".

Ans: We recommend at least once a month. Try not to make solution last longer than a month once opened. You are only saving a few pennies by not purchasing a fresh bottle. If not from us you can simply buy solutions from any optician.

Ans: Do’s: • Replace lenses if they are scratched /damaged or if they have any deposits. • Replace your contact lens case each month to prevent a build up contaminants. • Strictly follow the wearing and care instructions of your lenses that have been provided by your practitioner. • Keep your hands clean while inserting and removing contact lenses. • Attend your routine follow up examinations with your practitioner – this is essential in monitoring your eye health. Don’ts: • Never sleep in your lenses. • Do not re-use your contact lens solution. Always discard and replace the solution each time you store your lenses. • Never use tap water for cleaning contact lenses. • Do not use your lenses while swimming or water sports. • Do not ignore any irritation or redness of the eyes. If in doubt take them out! • Do not wear your lenses while you are on eye medication or using eye drops unless advised by your practitioner.

Ans: We will issue a full refund or replacement of goods if: 1. The products have experienced an unexpected delay. 2. The wrong prescription was delivered. 3. The lenses arrived damaged. If the goods are returned because they could not be delivered by any of our postal services we will attempt to contact you, and if unsuccessful within a period of one month, a refund will be made. If we have despatched lenses to you before you had a chance to cancel them (see “cut off times” you can still revoke your agreement and be eligible for a full refund. For returning the goods you must long-in into your account and select the option of return items, and follow the process. It will generate an RMA (return merchandise authorization) number. Please put this number on the Return Label for to track your shipment once we receive it. The goods are to be returned in original condition within 30 working days from the date of purchase to request for cancellation & refund. The returned goods should be undamaged, unopened and in original boxed condition to avail the refund. Any box that is opened will not be refunded. Any coloured lenses that are not suitable in colour will not be exchanged. Refunds will be made on the product cost only and not on the shipping charges. We will refund you in the same way in which payment was made to us. We will not pay for handling and shipping charges for returned products. We will decide whether to proceed with future orders if we feel there is an inappropriate history of undelivered or missing goods. Return Address: (Distribution Centre) FeelGood Contact Lenses P O BOX 65773 London NW2 9ND

Ans: Please call us on 0800 458 2090 or email us at customerservices@feelgoodcontacts.com. As long as the lenses are not opened the product is safe to use. A torn outer box will not affect your lenses. The colouring and lot numbers of some boxes may differ as we cannot these variations. The lenses may have been provided from different batch numbers but this should have absolutely no bearing on the quality of the lenses.

Ans: 0800 458 2090 or email us at customerservices@feelgoodcontacts.com. Please quote your order number.

Ans: Shipping Charges Uk Mainland Standard - FREE (2-3 working days) Uk Mainland Express Service - £6.50 (next working day) Goods will sent subject to availability and on clear of funds. For addresses outside UK please contact us.

Ans: Most lenses are in stock. If lenses are not in stock there can be an additional 7-10 days delay time. If there is any further unexpected delay we will inform you. If an order is placed before 3pm and in stock they will leave the same day. Goods will sent subject to availability and on clear of funds.

Ans: The cut off time is 3pm. Any orders placed after 3pm will be rolled on to the next following working day. ( ie Friday after 3pm will roll onto Monday).

Ans: Myopia is whaen you are short sight sighted. ( ie you can see at near but not far). Hyperopia is when you are long-sighted. (ie you can see far but not at near).

Ans: There can be no problems as long as enough time has elapsed between your cataract operation. This is usually about two months. Ideally, your ophthalmologist at the hospital should recommend this.

Ans: The history of the contact lens includes some remarkable people, Leonardo da Vinci among them. It is an amazing history, beginning in 1508 and still continuing with advances today. Explore this amazing timeline. 1500’s Leonardo da Vinci first explores the concept of contact lenses. He explained how immersing the eye in a bowl of water could change the power of the cornea. Leonardo sketches several forms of contact lenses. Mid 1600’s Rene Descartes suggests that corneal contact lens can be used to correct eyesight. His idea describes using a glass tube filled with liquid, with an end made of clear glass. The tube was to be placed directly over the cornea. The idea worked in theory, but not practicality. The tube prevented blinking. 1801 Thomas Young expands on Descartes’ idea. He designs a quarter inch glass tube filled with water fitted with a microscope at the outer end. Young uses this device to correct his own vision. Young’s invention did not correct the problems of light refraction. mid-1800’s Sir John Herschel suggests two important ideas. The first is a sphere of glass filled with animal jelly. The second involves making a mold of the eye to fit the sphere exactly on the eye surface. 1887-1888 Adolph Fick explains how afocal scleral contact “shells” can be placed on the less sensitive part of the eye. These workable lenses are made of heavy blown glass and cover the entire eye. The space between the glass and the cornea is filled with a sugar solution. In this same time period Muller develops a more comfortable glass blown scleral lens. 1929 Dr. Dallos uses Herschel’s idea of taking a mold of the eye. 1936 William Feinbloom uses Plexiglas ( polymethyl methacrylate) to make a plastic scleral lens. The center is made out of glass and the outer band is made of plastic. 1945 The American Optometric Association recognizes contact lenses as an important part of the field of optometry. 1948 Kevin Touhy begins making contact lenses entirely of plastic. These still cover the entire cornea. This same year, Dr George Butterfield designs a lens that sits better on the eye. 1960 Otto Wichterle experiments with a soft water absorbing plastic to make contact lenses. These soft contact lenses are much more comfortable. 1971 Soft contact lenses are approved by the US FDA and become commercially available through Bausch and Lomb. 1978 The first toric contact lenses are approved for distribution. 1979 The first rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses are made and silicone- acrylate lenses are sold. 1980’s-1990’s Oxygen permeable materials or polymers are developed through out this time period. Tinted daily wear soft lenses, extended wear soft lenses, bifocal daily wear soft lenses, tinted RGP, extended wear RGP, disposable soft contact lenses, multi-purpose lenses, planned replacement lenses, daily wear two-week extended replacement lenses, all became available during this time period. 1999 Silicone hydrogels become commercially available, offering extreme comfort.

Ans: A new generation of "super-permeable" contact lenses can transmit unprecedented amounts of oxygen to your cornea and, in some cases, enable 30 consecutive days of wear without removal Silicone hydrogel contact lenses represent a breakthrough over traditional hydrogel soft contact lenses, because silicone lets so much oxygen (essential for a healthy cornea) pass through the lens. "We're talking about lenses that breathe six to seven times more oxygen than previous lenses," says P. Douglas Becherer, OD, former chairman of the American Optometric Association's Contact Lens and Cornea Section. Silicone hydrogel contact lenses have caught on with both wearers and eye care practitioners. By 2009, silicone hydrogel lenses are expected to account for more than two-thirds of U.S. soft contact lens sales (in dollars), according to equity research firm Robert W. Baird & Co. How Silicone Hydrogel Lenses Work Traditional soft contact lenses are made from hydrogel polymers (soft, water-containing plastics). The plastic itself is not oxygen permeable, so the water performs the job of carrying oxygen through the lens to the eye. But water can carry only so much oxygen — and the more water a lens contains, the greater its tendency to dehydrate after long periods of wear. Silicone is oxygen permeable. So silicone hydrogel lenses use both their water and polymer content to transmit oxygen to the eye. The benefits to wearers include comfort and convenience: Silicone hydrogel contact lenses contain less water than traditional hydrogel lenses. As a result, they aren't as prone to dehydration while you're wearing them. For some people who wear their lenses for long days, this can mean better end-of-day comfort. Silicone hydrogels also have made 30-day contact lens wear — sometimes called "continuous wear" — available once again.

Ans: Presbyopia is a natural condition that occurs as the eyes age. Basically, the lens of the eye begins to become less flexible and so focusing on near objects becomes a problem. This has no bearing on your distance acuity. Its like comparing a camera with a zoom lens with the batteries running out! The zoom takes longer and harder to focus. However, presbyopic lenses are now available to offer some relief on this problem. They are termed as "presbyopic" or "bifocal" lenses.

Ans: Purevision by Bausch & Lomb and Air Optix Night & Day are examples of this type lens. Also see "Silicone Hydrogel Lenses". Extended wear (continuous wear) contact lenses are made to be worn over night for several days. This is possible due to the high oxygen flow, through the lens to the eye, allowed by the revolutionary material they are made from. What is this revolutionary material? Among other things - water. Actually, the high water content in other types of contact lenses inhibits oxygen flow, but in the specially designed extended wear lenses it increases oxygen flow. The types of extended wear lenses are defined by the amount of water in them. TYPES OF EXTENDED WEAR LENSES Low water content lenses. These have a water content of 38%-45%. These are thin and can be difficult to work with. Medium water content lenses. These have a water content of 48%-69%. These are the most popular choice among contact lens wearers. High water content. These have a water content of 70%-80%. They allow for the most oxygen flow, but can have increase deposits on the lenses. Extended wear contact lenses are very beneficial. They are more convenient. There is no worrying if you fall asleep at work or at school, when you didn’t expect to. They are particularly beneficial for those people whose eyesight is such that they have difficulty seeing in the morning when their contacts are not in. These patients have the wonderful experience of waking up and seeing well, right away. Something many people take for granted. Also given the increase oxygen flow there are fewer eye infections with extended wear lenses. There are some complications, however. Because they are worn continuously, they can lead to dry eyes causing discomfort. While it was previously stated that there area fewer infections there are some organisms that thrive in the environment. Also the occurrence of corneal ulcers is the same for extended wear users as the users of regular contact lenses. Extended wear contact lenses made from silicone hydrogel have been introduced to help combat some of the problems with extended wear lenses. They are certainly an improvement, but more advances are needed. With improved lens design, and better cleaners and disinfectants, problems for extended wear contact lens users will continue to decrease. The patient can improve their own chances for decrease complications by avoiding smoke and swimming with the lenses in. Obviously, if smoke or pool chemicals get between the lens and the eye problems will occur. Also strictly following doctor’s recommendations greatly improves your chances of successful extended wear contact lens use.