Daily Contact Lens

In recent years, disposable contact lenses have become the most common type of lens for contact users. Disposable contacts are designed for use over a prescribed period, and then thrown away and replaced by new ones. Disposable contact lenses are made from soft contact materials that have more flexibility than the older gas permeable lenses. They are more comfortable and easier to adapt to. Soft contact lenses remain in place better and are more appropriate for wearers who participate in sports and vigorous activities. There are three major types of disposable soft contact lenses.

Traditional soft contacts which are designed to be replaced about every six months. These contacts are often prescribed to be worn day and night for up to 7 days, then taken out and cleaned thoroughly. Some people's eyes don't easily tolerate the contacts being in place 24 hours per day.

Frequent replacement soft contacts are designed for weekly, monthly or quarterly replacement. These contacts are removed at night and need to be cleaned daily.

Daily disposable (Single use) contacts are designed to be worn one day only, then discarded. The daily disposables are the most user friendly, and present the fewest problems to the user.

 

 

All but the daily disposable contacts require some degree of maintenance. Contacts worn for more than one day will buildup protein, calcium and lipids from naturally occurring elements in tears. Even with careful cleaning, these substances will eventually accumulate and make the contacts less comfortable to wear, and potentially cause eye infections. Daily or weekly cleaning is a tedious, time-consuming task, and needs to be performed with extreme care.

Daily disposable contacts offer users the most in terms of convenience, comfort, and safety. They require no cleaning, as the buildup that naturally occurs on the lens is discarded with the lens at the end of each day. This makes the daily disposables a healthier option by eliminating the hygienic threat. It also bypasses problems often encountered when using soft contacts that are worn day and night for an extended period.

 

 

Frequent contact replacement is the easiest method of preventing eye problems. Before the development of soft, disposable contacts, frequent replacement was a very expensive option. Various cleaning devices and solutions were developed to extend the useful life of the lenses, but none were completely satisfactory.

In recent years, manufacturers have developed new methods for making high quality daily disposable contacts at reasonable prices. The newest daily disposable are made from materials especially developed for disposability and have dramatically reduced productions costs. Today, daily disposable contacts are available that cost the user as little as a dollar a day—that's a very affordable option for lots of people. The extra expense is largely offset by the savings the wearer realizes on lens cleaning products.