The FINANCIAL — The popularity of optic lenses worldwide is growing day by day. Frequent celebrity wearers of contact lenses in the USA include: Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Naomi Campbell, Rihanna, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, even Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to Ketevan Shalamberidze, Medical Consultant Ophthalmologist of Roniko and Kenari, the leader stores of the Georgian optical market, contact lenses have become popular in Georgia as well.
“In Georgia cosmetic lenses are far more popular than optical ones. Although the culture of usage of this product is not refined in the country and Georgian ophthalmologists must take care in that respect. In many cases lenses prove to be more comfortable than conventional glasses. However contact lenses are not replacing glasses entirely,” Ketevan Shalamberidze, Medical Consultant Ophthalmologist of Roniko and Kenari, the leader stores of the Georgian optical market declared to The FINANCIAL.
A contact lens is a corrective, cosmetic, or therapeutic lens usually placed on the cornea of the eye. Contact lenses usually serve the same corrective purpose as conventional glasses, but are lightweight and virtually invisible – many commercial lenses are tinted a faint blue to make them more visible when immersed in cleaning and storage solutions.
According to the lens producers, it has been estimated that 125 million people use contact lenses worldwide (2%), including 28 to 38 million in the United States and 13 million in Japan. The types of lenses used and prescribed vary markedly between countries, with rigid lenses accounting for over 20% of currently-prescribed lenses in Japan, the Netherlands and Germany but less than 5% in Scandinavia.
“Cosmetic lenses are far more popular in Eastern countries and in Asia, because of the more common dark colour of the eye. Usually cosmetic lenses are deliberately coloured with light colours for the purpose of altering the appearance of the eye. Most Georgian customers prefer the following colours: blue, green, grey and pure hazel,” Ketevan Shalamberidze said.
“People choose to wear contact lenses for various reasons. Many consider their appearance to be more attractive with contact lenses than with glasses. Contact lenses are less affected by wet weather, do not steam up, and provide a wider field of vision. They are more suitable for a number of sporting activities. Additionally, they can be prescribed due to ophthalmological conditions, which may not be as accurately corrected with traditional glasses,” Ketevan Shalamberidze added.
According to Mzia Pkhaladze, General Manager of Kenari, high quality lenses can be purchased by clients in specialized areas only.
“Lenses must be sold in optical centres, not in drugstores or ordinary shops. For many people, there is a mismatch between the eye and the lens. A well trained ophthalmologist has to give a detailed consultation to the customer to fit the lens without additional problems. A lack of highly professional doctor ophthalmologists still exists in Georgia. The leading Georgian stores send their doctors to be trained abroad and are well aware of lens usage,” Mzia Pkhaladze declared to The FINANCIAL.
According to Shalamberidze, conditions correctable with contact lenses include near (or short) sightedness (myopia), far (or long) sightedness (hypermetropia), astigmatism and presbyopia.
“Contact wearers usually have to take out their contact lenses every night or every few days, depending on the brand and style of the contact. A cosmetic contact lens is designed to change the appearance of the eye, but these lenses may also correct the vision,” Shalamberidze said.
Several leading lens producers exist in the world: Ciba Vision, Johnson & Johnson, and B & L. According to Shalamberidze, only Ciba Vision has official representation in Georgia and this company is the leader of the European market.
According to Ciba Vision’s global site, the company is a global leader in the research, development and manufacturing of contact lenses and lens care products. They provide solutions that fit the lifestyles, preferences and needs of people in more than 70 countries around the world.
“Products of Ciba Vision are represented in the Kenari stores net. The price of quality lenses are GEL 50, but now the store is offering a special discount meaning clients can purchase them for GEL 45,” Shalamberidze said.
“A daily-wear contact lens is of the highest quality, costing GEL 2. It is designed to be removed prior to sleeping. An extended-wear contact lens is designed for continuous overnight wear, typically for 6 or more consecutive nights. Newer materials, such as silicone hydrogels, allow for even longer wear periods of up to 30 consecutive nights; these longer-wear lenses are often referred to as continuous wear,” Shalamberidze declared.
“Generally, extended wear lenses are discarded after a specified length of time. These are increasing in popularity, due to their obvious convenience. Extended- and continuous-wear contact lenses can be worn for such long periods of time because of their high oxygen permeability (typically 5-6 times greater than conventional soft lenses), which allows the eye to remain healthy,” Shalamberidze added.
According to doctor ophthalmologist Shalamberidze, extended lens wearers may have an increased risk for corneal infections and corneal ulcers, primarily due to poor care and cleaning of the lenses, tear film instability, and bacterial stagnation.
“The Georgian population is badly aware of the lens usage technology. Before touching the contact lens or one’s eyes, it is important to thoroughly wash them with soap. Contact lenses are typically inserted into the eye by placing them on the index finger with the concave side upward and raising them to touch the cornea. The other hand may be employed to keep the eye open. The removal of soft lenses may be achieved by holding the eyelids open and grasping the lens with opposing digits.”
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