Contemporary contact lenses are comfy, long-term (unless by purpose, as in disposables) and very safe. Yet, there are some perils and limitations in wearing them and knowing what those are can assist you select the type that’s best for you. Of course, any such conclusion should be made in consultation with your eye care pro.
Since 1986 many have preferred for Rigid Gas Permeable contact lenses. Popular designs provide for up to five times more oxygen diffusion through the plastic than those of the past. That feature is essential in minimise the odds of corneal infection. The less oxygen that makes it to the eye, the higher the odds of an infection.
On the downside, RGP lenses are a little less flexible than other types, making them less comfy for some. But, they may be best for adjusting astigmatism as a effect. They also can last up to 2-3 years, which is longer than typical soft contact lenses.
Some will want some type of soft lens, made from special hydrophilic plastic polymers that supply a lens that is flexible and therefore more comfortable. Current manufacturing proficiencies make viable a lens that doesn’t hurt from a high likelihood of tearing, as did those in early decades, but they do demand more frequent substitute. Soft lenses also stay in place extremely well and need a shorter adjustment period.
Yet, for many, a hard lens is still the only option. While often less comfy, and even though they raise the odds of marking or infection slightly, their inflexibleness is essential. The eyes of some patients plainly require the rigidity of this type and they prefer not to fall back on glasses. Those with particular types of astigmatism may not be able to wear soft lenses and demand these instead.
Beyond those classes there are still different options.
Daily wear contacts are intended to be worn during the day, then removed before bed. They’re used by about 80% of contact lens wearers. Here the pros and cons become more plain. It can be a minor bother to insert and remove contact lenses each day. Whenever they’re removed they have to be sterilised, ordinarily overnight, before re-inserting the next morning.
But daily wear contacts (currently) provide the easiest possible option for those searching to achieve the absolute minimum hazard of eye infection and scarring. Providing the eye to relax and get exposed to air keeps it in the best health. All contacts today cut oxygen exposure somewhat and commonly well below the level the eye would receive without them.
Removing them at night also cuts the odds to zero of getting the contact slide off the cornea during rest, where it could be a pain (literally and figuratively) to recover in the morning.
Still, touching the eye and/or the contact is also not wholly without jeopardy, and the action is a little inconvenient. Fewer changes can also be good. For those whose doctors say it’s safe, extended wear contacts are a easy choice. They’re fashioned to be worn anyplace from overnight (2 days) to a week or even up to a month at a time, depending on the design and the patient.
That convenience ingredient comes at a price, in dollars and risk.
They tend to be more costly though prices vary over time, of course, ordinarily falling from a high. They also cut the air-eye contact, which ups the odds of infection somewhat. Extended wear lenses also up the odds somewhat of something going wrong, since they sit in the eye longer.
Some models, particularly the 30-day type, are somewhat firmer and so slimly less comfy. In every case, the odds of troubles with latest contact lens models is still rather low for those people whose eyes tolerate long-term wearing.
Investigate the options in consultation with your eye care professional and you’ll soon find the right pair of contact lenses for you.