Online shopping is becoming more and more common. So the obvious question arises: Is it safe to buy contacts online?
There are many reasons not to buy online, and to instead get your contact lenses from an eyecare professional.
Quality issues: Contacts ordered online are far more likely to have some sort of quality issue, such as the wrong power, than those purchased directly from an eye care professional.
Lack of professional assistance: Optometrists are trained specifically to fit contact lenses properly and to assist you in choosing what is right for you. The fitting process in particular is extremely important in making sure your contact lenses fit properly and remain comfortable for you to wear. Even more problematic, improperly fit contacts can lead to discomfort and even infection. Lenses purchased online cannot be as precisely fit to your eyes as lenses bought in a physical location can be.
False Promises: There may be times when you think you are ordering one thing but actually receive something completely different. Suppose that you ordered a lens made out of a certain material and received something entirely different.
Zero Education: When buying contacts from an optometrist, you'll receive proper eyewear education, such as how to put them on and take them off properly. Without proper education, online buyers are vulnerable to health issues like poor hygiene and improper storage.
Ultimately, the most important thing for patients to understand is that online activities are generally not controlled or supervised by regulations or laws. In the absence of professional eye care, you simply cannot guarantee the quality of the contact lenses you'll receive. This puts your vision at risk.
Major online contact lens company fined $3.5 million: The Department of Justice ordered an online contact lens company, Hubble contacts, to pay $3.5 million for selling contact lenses online without verifying the subscriber’s prescription, improperly substituting Hubble’s own brand of contact lenses for those prescribed by consumers’ eye care practitioners, and procuring what was falsely portrayed as independent consumer reviews. When buying contact lenses it is important to know that the person selling to you is first and foremost concerned about your health and vision and only second profit.
The prescription for your lenses is the most important thing to have to make sure you get safe lenses that provide the vision correction you need. Even the most advanced systems for online prescriptions cannot provide for you what a visit to an eye care professional can, and they cannot be relied upon.
Improperly fit contact lenses are not just a problem with vision, they also can lead to infections and in extreme cases more serious harm to your eyes and vision. It is critical that you have a contact lens evaluation with an eye doctor to receive your prescription for contact lenses
We do much of our shopping online nowadays, and, for many, this applies to contact lenses as well. While you can find quality lenses online, you need to make sure that the vendor is properly certified, and ensure that you have received a proper contact lens prescription (following both an eye exam and a contact lens fitting) from an eye care professional beforehand.
Contact lenses are first and foremost a medical device that is regulated by the FDA, it is always important to visit your eye doctor to get a prescription and ensure that the best contact lenses are what you receive. Furthermore, getting contact lenses from your eye doctor ensures that you receive education and fitting, as well as quality control.
If you have any additional questions, or if you would like to schedule an appointment for an eye exam or a contact lens fitting, you can contact Amplify EyeCare Santa Clarita at (661) 775-1860.
My eight year old daughter was terrified to go to the eye doctor for fear of her eyes being dilated. The doctor was SO KID friendly! He immediately made her comfortable by engaging her in conversation. It was a geat experience.
Dr. Garbus spent an amazing amount of time to solve my very complicated visual problems. Over the years he has continually achieved results beyond what others felt possible. He is always up to date on the latest science. He is great!
Family Vision Care Valencia makes it so easy. Staff is knows what they are doing and Dr. Garbus is thorough and kept me well informed during the exam.
I have been coming to Family Vision Center for almost 20 years. Dr. Garbus has been able to help my vision when other doctors could not. Now my kids see him as well. I highly recommend this office!
The Doctor is very good. I felt on this visit he seemed rushed. I had questions to ask him but he was already with another patient. I still do not know if my eyes are the same , worse, or better.
All the staff is friendly, helpful and knowledgeable, and has been for all the years I have been going there.
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