New Extended Wear Contacts Improve Eye Health
Extended wear contacts are described as "Extended Wear" due to the fact that these lenses can be worn around the clock without removing or cleaning them at night. This even applies to the color and toric lenses. Previously, overnight wear was to be avoided as much as possible, because the healthiest choice was to clean your lenses at night and to give your eyes a rest. Even though extended wear contacts were designed for overnight use, it has usually been best to only wear them overnight when absolutely necessary. An example would be when you are traveling and there is not a convenient place to safely remove or clean your contacts. Also, some cataract patients are required to wear lenses 24 hours a day following surgery. Often, extended wear contacts are designed to last about a week, or two weeks if you take them out and clean them each night.
Recent studies of patients having problems with soft lenses has revealed that there is a 2 to 4 times greater risk of serious complications with extended wear contacts, compared to patients wearing regular daily wear lenses that are removed and cleaned at night. Such complications include serious corneal abrasion, growth of blood vessels onto the cornea, corneal ulcers and severe corneal scarring.
However, a new extended wear soft contact lens material called "silicone hydrogel" has been invented which can reduce the chance of serious complications so that extended wear contacts are safer than just about any other contact lens on the market, if used properly. This added safety is due to the fact that silicone hydrogel lets in 6 or 7 times as much oxygen to the eye compared to traditional extended wear contacts. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has approved the marketing of 30-day extended wear soft contact lenses made with the new silicone hydrogel.
There are a variety of contact brands and types (like color lenses and toric lenses) made with this new, safer material. For example, Ciba Vision makes an extended wear lens under the trade name "Focus", which is one of the more popular contact brands, and which are called Focus "Night & Day" lenses. Using silicone hydrogel, the company indicates that these lenses allow 6 times more oxygen to reach the eye, which is healthier, especially at night when tears don't circulate over the eye and oxygen levels are at a minimum. They also feel less dry than other types of soft lenses. These lenses are approved for up to 30 days of continuous wear, without having to remove, clean or insert them daily; you can have clear vision around the clock. This makes extended wear contacts an excellent choice for anyone wanting round-the-clock clear vision, but who may want to avoid laser surgery. The new silicone hydrogel is also available in soft lenses other than extended wear, such as color lenses, toric lenses, and regular daily wear lenses like Focus daily lenses, which also use the new lens technology to provide added health and safety.
In light of these recent developments, you no longer have to worry about running a higher risk of serious complications by using extended wear contacts. Now you can have peace of mind when you take advantage of the special benefits provided by extended wear lenses, such as round-the-clock clear vision, avoiding laser surgery, and not having to waste time removing, cleaning and inserting contacts every single day. You can take full advantage of extended wear convenience, and enjoy the same level of health and safety as you have with traditional contact lenses.
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