Summer is in full swing and the weather is perfect for outdoor activities. This week I have had a few patients that were interested in contact lenses. There reasons range from wedding to regular weekly hikes. I will be discussing in this first part about soft contact lenses and for Part 2, I will be discussing about specialty contact lenses. Here we go.
Before we get started, we usually need to know your lifestyle and wearing habits. That will be the key factor on what type of contact lenses we would like to fit you with.
1. Daily Disposables – These are the healthiest contact lenses because you wear them once and throw them away. All the proteins/allergens that accumulate on the lenses throughout the day will not cause any irritation the next day because you will be tossing them out. These contact lenses are also great for infrequent wearers who use them 1 to 3 times a week. They are now available in sphere, astigmatism and even multifocals.
2. Biweekly Disposables – The only brand that we carry that needs to be tossed out every 2 weeks are the Acuvue family. These are great with people who wear their contacts every day but can’t tolerate a monthly lens. One special feature about the Acuvue contacts is that they are UV protective. So if you enjoy spending time outdoors, they give you that added UV protection. However, sometimes our patients do extend them past 2 weeks which is not healthy. A great reminder would be replacing each pair when they receive their paychecks.
3. Monthly Disposables – These contact lenses have come a long way. Most of the ones we sell now are silicone hydrogel and are more oxygen permeable than previous generations. Of course, you’ll still need to clean and rub them everyday. These are the most economical and are the easiest to handle for beginners because the materials are usually a little bit thicker.
Your doctor will find the right one suited for your lifestyle and wearing habits. Look forward to next post and we will be touching on orthokeratology, RGP and scleral lenses. Stay tuned.
