Articles

It’s easy, especially when we’re young, to take our eyes for granted. If you’ve never had any trouble with them you’d be forgiven for getting professional advice.

However, perhaps you’re reading this because you’re managing something new with your eye health - from the signs and symptoms that you may need an eye test, to getting your first prescription, to deciding on contact lenses or glasses, and ways to maintain eye health.

Top 3 signs you may need to visit an eye care professional

As you know, your eyes are an incredibly complex organ and their health will change as you age.

While there are a number of common eye disorders - such as cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration - many people will experience less serious eye complaints over their lifetime.

1. Blurred or fuzzy vision

Here’s a simple test if you think your eyesight is becoming blurred or fuzzy. Place a magazine or newspaper about 3 metres away and see if you can read the headline. If the lettering becomes fuzzy or you have to squint really hard, you may be developing nearsightedness. It’s also common for other people’s faces or objects to look blurred at distance.

Sometimes blurred vision doesn’t require any further action, but if rest and hydration don’t alleviate your symptoms then schedule an eye test.

2. Difficulty on computer or phone

One of the most common issues we face in the digital world is the time we spend looking at electronic screens. You may be experiencing watery eyes, headaches or tension around the eyes and temple, or possibly even double vision with what’s on the screen.

Try resting your eyes for at least 30 seconds every 15-20 minutes by setting a timer on your computer or phone. If these symptoms continue for longer than a few days, a thorough eye examination could be in order.

3. Seeing floaters in your vision

Another very common symptom people experience, which can be quite stressful at first, are the appearance of floaters in your vision. These floaters are benign flecks of the protein collagen.

As we age, these protein fibres begin to shred and clump together, causing shadows to be cast on your retina. You may have noticed this sensation when looking at certain objects, such as a blue sky or white screen.

These floaters could appear as black or grey dots, squiggly lines or even cobweb shaped.

While the chances are it’s nothing serious, more serious eye disorders associated with floaters are:

• Bleeding in your vitreous
• A detached or torn retina
• Inflamed vitreous or retina caused by infections
• Eye tumours

It always pays to get your eyes tested if these floaters don’t go away or become more frequent.

Finding a professional you trust and understands your eye history

Just like your trusted GP, finding an eye specialist - like buycontactsonline very own Optometrist Peter Merrett - who can undertake a full examination and understand your unique needs is very important.

It's advisable to get a recommendation for a trusted optometrist from someone who has had firsthand experience.

It's also a good idea to continue seeing the same optometrist to build a relationship with and to provide a complete history and understanding of your eyes over time.

The benefits of getting a thorough eye test from a trusted professional include:

• Accurate vision examination and correction
• Early detection of eye disease
• Eyewear advice for your lifestyle, including sunglasses
• Trialling the right prescription contact lenses for your lifestyle needs
• Gain insight into your full history, including family
• Monitor changes to your prescription and eyes as you age

Just like any other part of your body, your eye health with change over time. Having someone who has a complete history and understanding of your eyes is a great approach.

Advice on how to manage any eye conditions or simply just maintaining good eye health through diet and lifestyle choices are all part of an experienced optometrist’s job.

As you know, prescription contact lenses can be a great alternative to wearing glasses every day. You could always be on the go, play sport or just like the look and feel of contacts.

Buy Contacts Online is the fastest, easiest and most reliable way to order your prescription contact lenses in Melbourne.

We're unique when it comes to ordering contact lenses because you can pick-up your orders in our Melbourne store on the same business day. So if you've just run out of lenses and it's urgent, we've got you covered. This includes all your popular disposable contact lenses, such as Dailies Total 1 90 pack and Acuvue Trueye 90 pack.

You can also call us (03 9510 2045) to discuss your current prescription needs and alternative options for any lenses that are currently out of stock. 

Your eyecare needs are important, so why not visit our in-store optometrist?

On top of your prescription contact lenses, all your eyecare needs are taken care of when you visit our Melbourne store.

Peter Merrett Optometrist can complete a thorough test of your eye health in less than 30 minutes, while offering an extensive range of eyewear for every age, taste and budget. You can book an appointment here.

"The friendly personal service & the attention Peter gives to his customers is second to none. He is friendly, thorough, and thoughtful. He does what is best for his clients and spends as much time with you as you need so you feel comfortable and confident with your glasses/contacts. The place to go for good old fashion service & advice."

Ordering contact lenses with us takes just a few minutes

With Buy Contacts Online you can find your favourite product – from daily disposables to extended wear, plus coloured and multi-focal lenses – and place your order with us. 

Our online store has a fantastic selection of the best brands in the most popular prescriptions. From Dailies Total 1 90 packs to 1 Day Acuvue Trueye 90 packs , we have it all. 

What makes Buy Contacts Online different to other online stores? 

We’ve been selling contact lenses online for many years, so we know what customers want: low prices, quick delivery and great service. We offer all of these and that's why we have so many happy customers in and around Melbourne. 

“Easy to order, super prompt delivery and goods packed perfectly. Too good!!” Andrea

“The lenses are great, I’ve been ordering for years from this site. I’ve met Peter the optometrist and he is great too. Very thorough when checking your vision and they always try to help you when you need lenses in a hurry! Highly recommend.” Raffaela A. 

“I've been shopping with buy contacts online for years now, excellent service, quick delivery and unbeatable prices.” Shauna

“They're always at a great price and the delivery is always so fast! Great when you forget to place your order when you're running low!” Lauren C

On top of our speedy and reliable delivery service, you’ll find most of our contact lenses are the cheapest in Australia.

It only takes a few minutes to create your account and begin ordering your favourite contact lenses. And don’t forget to schedule a reminder at the checkout so we can let you know when your next refill is due.

How long will my order take if it’s not currently in stock?

We try to fill every order we receive as quickly as possible. However, if your contact lenses aren’t in stock it will generally take two business days for us to receive it from the manufacturer and then post it to you. If you urgently require contact lenses please contact us to find out the expected delivery time of your order or chat about an alternative to speed things up for you.

How do I make a Health Insurance claim for contact lenses purchased online?

If you’re shopping online for your new contact lenses and want to also claim with your health fund, here’s how we can help:  

• On completion of your order with us an email will be sent to you including all the necessary information to make a claim.

• A paper invoice is also sent with your order which some health providers may still request.

• If you complete your claim online with your health fund, this will generally only take a few minutes as most health funds now have very user-friendly customer tools.

• If your order includes lenses for more than one person and you need individual invoices to make claims, please provide us with details of individuals and their contact lenses and we’ll issue you separate invoices.

With Buy Contacts Online ‘Schedule Reminder’ feature you will never run out of contact lenses ever again

The Melbourne team have made it even easier for you to order your favourite prescription contact lenses with our new Reminder Alert feature.

When you buy online with us, you’ll see a ‘Schedule Reminder’ option appear just before you check out. Simply choose 3, 6 or 9 months between now and when you'll need your next order with us.

We’ll send you an email notification before your current contact lenses are finished and in just a few easy steps you can re-order your prescription

So rather than having to always monitor how many lenses you have left, we'll help you never run out of contact lenses ever again.

A quick guide to contact lenses for those wanting to know more

Maybe you already have an existing prescription for your glasses and you want to find out about wearing contact lenses. Your optometrist can provide more expert advice, as well as the prescription you’ll need. 

However, to help get you up to speed so you know what to expect, here’s an introduction.

Contact lenses are small pieces of manufactured plastic that you place directly over your cornea. They can help correct common eye issues such as myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia and astigmatism.

There are five main aspects to every contact lens:

1. Lens type
2. Material
3. Size
4. Curvature
5. Power

Once you have a prescription from your eyecare specialist you’ll have a better understanding of what these aspects mean for your eyes.

In recent years there have been a number of advancements with the technology behind contact lenses. Australians now have a vast choice of comfortable, easy to use contact lenses available to them, which include:

• Disposable soft lenses
• High oxygen (silicon hydrogel) disposable soft lenses
• Extended wear soft lenses
• Multifocal soft lenses
• Conventional soft lenses
• Hybrid lenses
• Cosmetic or coloured lenses
• Bandage contact lenses
• Special purpose lenses
• Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) lenses
• Ortho-k lenses
• Scleral or mini-scleral lenses

Be sure to ask your optometrist for professional advice on contact lens care and maintenance to keep your eyes clean and healthy.

If you have any questions about the health of your eyes or ordering with Buy Contacts Online, please get in touch with our Melbourne team.

Call: (03) 9510 2045 Mon - Fri 9.30am - 5pm, and Saturday 9.30am – 1pm.

Email: contacts@buycontactsonline.com.au

Visit: 12a Chapel Street, Windsor, Victoria 3181, Australia