Contact lens

A tiny plastic lens which fits over the eyeball and is worn instead of spectacles to improve eyesight.

A correcting lens that rests directly upon the eye, in contact with the cornea or the sclera or both.

Small, curved, glass or plastic lens placed on the eye to correct vision or deliver medication. The lens is fitted to the individual’s eye and made to float on a tear film. Contact lenses must be inserted carefully and periodically removed and cleaned. Soft contact lenses, made of a hydrophilic plastic, are more comfortable and can be worn for longer periods than the earlier glass contact lenses.

A device made of various materials, either rigid or flexible, that fits over the cornea or part of the cornea to supplement or alter the refractive ability of the cornea or the lens of the eye. Contact lenses of any type require special care with respect to storage when they are not being worn, directions for insertion and removal, and the length of time they can be worn. The manufacturer’s or dispensing health care worker’s instructions should be read and followed. Failure to do this could result in serious eye diseases. Wearing contact lenses while swimming is inadvisable.