Buy Daily Disposable Contact Lenses
Wearing contacts has been made more convenient with the development of disposable contact lenses in recent years. Previously, rigid gas permeable ("RGP") lenses came on the scene, which were easier on the eyes, and healthier since they allow more oxygen to flow to the eye. With the addition of disposable contact lenses as an option for optometric patients, contacts are not only easier on the eyes, but also more convenient since lenses can simply be thrown away, thereby reducing cleaning time. Now that disposable lenses have been around for awhile, manufacturers have broadened the choices in lenses that are available. Disposable contacts can now be purchased with different lengths of wear time, and can be combined with other features like colored lenses and toric lenses for astigmatism. All of this may seem confusing when you are trying to choose the disposable contacts which are best for you; but there are some basic concepts which will help you understand the options you have to choose from, and which will make your decision much simpler.
Daily Disposable Lenses - These disposable contact lenses are just what the name implies. They are designed to be discarded after they are worn for one day. They are not like rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses which are designed to resist bacteria growth and can be worn for longer periods with proper cleaning. Instead, daily disposable lenses are not designed to be cleaned and to resist bacteria for extended periods. They must be discarded after being worn for one day, and should not be worn any longer or you can risk infection. A benefit of daily disposable lenses is that they tend to be less expensive than other lenses.
One to Two-Week Disposable Lenses - Although these lenses can be worn for up to two weeks, that time period does not have to be consecutive days. In other words, if you wear your two-week disposable contact lenses part-time, you can wear them for more than two weeks as long as the total days of wearing time adds up to two weeks. Actually, you can wear these lenses up to four weeks of total wear time, but no longer than that or you may risk bacteria growth and eye infection.
Monthly Disposable Contact Lenses - As the name implies, these contact lenses are designed to be worn up to a month before they need to be discarded. This assumes that they are removed and cleaned properly each night. Because these lenses have added features to resist bacteria and are made to last longer, they tend to be a little more expensive than other disposables.
Extended Wear Contacts - "Extended Wear" refers to the fact that these lenses can be worn around the clock without removing or cleaning them at night. Actually, overnight wear should be avoided as much as possible, because the healthiest choice is to clean your lenses at night and to give your eyes a rest. Even though extended wear contacts are designed for overnight use, it is best to only wear them overnight when absolutely necessary. An example might be when you are traveling and there is not a convenient place to safely remove or clean your contacts. Often, extended wear contacts are designed to last about a week, or two weeks if you take them out and clean them each night.
Other Options for Disposable Contact Lenses - In addition to the variety of wear times available, there are other options to choose from in selecting your disposable lenses. Colored lenses are available as an option. Colored contacts come in colors like blue, green, hazel, violet and lavender. You can choose either "enhancertints" which simply add some slight color to light-colored eyes. However, opaque colored lenses are more popular because they can color darker eyes also. Colored lenses still require a prescription, even if you don't need vision correction, because they need to be properly fitted to your eye. Therefore, you never want to buy lenses from a shop that is selling them without a proper prescription, or you can risk severe eye damage or infection. Furthermore, you could encounter fitting problems that could actually be dangerous. For example, opaque colored lenses must be fitted to allow enough room for your pupils to dilate. Otherwise, fitting problems can result in part of your vision being blocked when your pupils dilate in low lighting situations, like driving at night. In addition to a choice of colored contacts, disposable lenses also include options like the availability of disposable toric contacts, so patients with astigmatism can have their vision corrected with a toric lens, and still benefit from the convenience of a disposable lens.
As you can see, disposable contact lenses offer a lot of flexibility in choosing not only wearing times, but other desirable features like colors and astigmatism correction. If you keep in mind the main benefits and drawbacks of these various features, you will be prepared to intelligently discuss your lens options with your doctor, and to make an educated selection of the best contacts for your personal needs.
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