Contact lenses are a dream solution for people who need assistance with their vision but don’t want to wear spectacles all the time. Moreover, people who have a habit of experimenting with their looks or wishing to have different-colored eyes prefer using lenses.
Regardless of what your reason might be, the following are some essential facts to know about contact lenses.
Types of Contact Lenses
These three most common lenses materials are used to make contact lenses:
- Soft lenses are water-containing plastics that have a gel-like substance. They have a very thin dimension are worn on the front of the eye.
- Gas permeable are also known as GP or RGP lenses — these are fixed contact lenses that feel and look like PMMA lenses, which came out when contact lenses were first introduced. However; unlike PMMA, GP is porous and allows oxygen to easily pass through them. Since they can fix closer to the eye, they became successful in replacing PMMA contact lenses in a short period of time.
- Hybrid contact lenses are a combination of soft lenses and gas permeable. They are made to provide the comfort of soft lenses, and the clarity of vision that permeable lenses provide. Despite the useful feature, they are a bit harder to settle in the eyes and are comparatively more expensive than the conventional set.
Wearing Duration and Life
The type of contacts that you choose has a direct impact on the duration of time you can wear them, and their lifespan as well.
Party wear or disposable lenses have a life of a few hours, or a day at max. They are prescribed to throw away after a single wear.
Daily wear has a life span of 6 months to a year and you can wear them for about 12 hours. Moreover, they are prescribed to be taken off before sleeping.
Extended wear lenses have a life span of about 1-2 years and you can wear them continuously for 24 hours and 7 days. Essentially, these were developed to solve the trouble people used to face from wearing daily wear i.e. to take them off before even taking a short nap. Hence came the concept of ‘continuous lenses’ that are approved by the FDA to be worn for 30 days consecutively.
Types of Designs
Contact lenses have numerous features to cater to diverse needs of users. For instance, they are available in a wide range of colors for individuals who wish to wear them for the sake of fashion or to be trendy when exchanging spectacles for lenses. Moreover, bifocal lenses are specifically designed to cater to individuals with presbyopia and astigmatism. They are suitable for people above the age of 40.
For individuals who can’t wear conventionally available lenses, having their own lenses designed is an option. Their custom lenses will be made to cater to their individual needs and eye size.
An appointment with your eye doctor can help to know which type of lenses will be right for you. Also, take notes on the different ways that you should take care of your lenses.
