Disposable Contact Lenses - Do the Benefits Outweigh the Cost

Disposable Contact Lenses - Do the Benefits Outweigh the Cost

If you hate fussing over your contacts every morning there are two solutions - extended 30-day wear contact lenses and daily disposable lenses. But which is best?

Using lenses that you can wear for 30 days straight is very convenient. Unfortunately it is not safe. Accumulated dust particles and a month's worth of protein deposits on the lenses put you at risk of infection, even if you wear highest quality extended wear lenses. Daily disposable contacts, on the other hand, are not only convenient but a healthy option.

Advantages of daily disposable lenses

To make your eyes feel comfortable and to reduce the risk of eye infection, you should replace your contacts often. And from this point of view daily disposable contacts give you the most benefits:

• Dailies present the lowest risk of infection - a lens fresh from its package is sterile


• There is not enough time for protein and calcium to build up on your contacts (which happens with other types of lenses, in spite of cleaning solutions). As a result, people wearing daily disposable lenses report clearer vision and more comfort.


• There is no fuss with cleaning - just open the pack and put your contacts in. If you feel that rubbing your lenses before and after wear is too much work, daily disposables are definitely for you. Also, there is no need for cleaning and storage products


• Daily disposables are ideal for people who suffer from allergies, especially during peak allergy seasons


• They are great for people who wear contacts only a few days a week. Lenses left in their case collect bacteria. Also, if you only wear contact lenses 2-3 days a week, daily disposables are a cheaper option.


• And, of course, if you rip or lose your lens, it's no big deal - just throw it away and open another pack. Disposables are also ideal for traveling.

See reviews of best daily disposable contacts

Disadvantages of daily disposable lenses

There are no health disadvantages to daily disposable contact lenses. Their only draw-back is the cost - especially if you have an astigmatism and need toric disposable contact lenses. And, of course, you will have to put them in every morning and take them out at night.

How expensive are daily disposable contacts?

You probably know that a monthly supply of daily disposable lenses will cost you more that than a pair of monthly disposables. However, contact lens manufacturers constantly work to decrease the production costs of lenses, so the prices gradually go down.

If you compare the cost of Acuvue 1 Day and Acuvue 2 (popular daily and 2-week disposable contact lenses), dailies would cost you about twice as much, from most retailers. However, bear in mind that while wearing daily disposable contact lenses, you don't need to buy storing and cleaning solutions. Also, if you wear contact lenses only 3 or 4 times a week, the cost would be even less.

To save on your contacts, buy them online. And for even greater savings, order a full year's supply of lenses. Many Internet shops give you additional discounts for a full year supply or a substantial rebate off your next purchase.

If you are currently prescribed annual replacement or monthly disposable lenses, ask your doctor if he or she can switch you to daily disposables. The health of your eyes is very important, and you will appreciate the difference disposable lenses can make.

About the Author

Tanya Turner invites you to Contact Lenses Consume Guide to see reviews and consumer information about disposable contact lenses . There you can also find pictures and advice about best color contacts and comparison of online contact lens retailers.
-

Soft contact lenses are unquestionably the most commonly prescribed contact lens available. Made of soft, flexible plastic, it is estimated that about 87% of contact lens wearers in the U.S. wear soft lenses.

Brief History

In 1971, Bausch & Lomb introduced the first commercially available soft contact lens. For years, this conventional soft daily wear lens was the only type of soft contact lens available. This lens ideally was meant to last between 6 and 12 months and required daily cleaning and weekly enzymatic treatment.

In 1981 the FDA approved the first contact lenses approved for extended or overnight wear.

It wasn�t until 1991 that the first frequent-replacement contact lenses were sold. Frequent-replacement contacts are typically replaced every 1 to 3 months. The next year, 1992, disposable contacts (disposed every 2 weeks or less) were introduced.

In less than a decade, frequent-replacement and disposable lenses became the lenses of choice for the vast majority of eye care providers. Today approximately 75% of soft contact lens patients are wearing some sort of frequent-replacement or disposable lens. Frequent-replacement and disposable contacts are available as both daily and extended wear.

Soft Contact Lens Options

As implied, daily wear contacts are removed and cleaned daily, while extended wear lenses can typically be worn continuously for up to 7 days (or more as CibaVision�s Focus� Night & Day� contacts have been approved for up to 30 days continuous wear).

Disposable contacts are, as the name implies, disposed on a regular period, while the non-disposable contacts are cleaned and disinfected before reinserting the contacts.

Patients who choose extended wear should be aware of the added risk of eye infections and complications that come with sleeping in contacts. I typically discourage extended wear, but will fit contacts as extended wear only after the patient understands the added risk and agrees to be seen for more frequent follow-ups. I also will use a silicone hydrogel lens material for these patients.

Types of Soft Contact Lenses Available

Soft contact lenses are available for a variety of visual corrections.

For patients with significant astigmatism, I will often use a soft toric contact lens. Toric contacts have improved greatly over the last few years. Indeed, many patients who have never been able to wear contacts due to their astigmatic prescription are now able to successfully wear contact lenses.

Soft bifocal contacts are a relatively recent option for patients requiring a reading prescription or bifocal. Along these same lines, monovision continues to be a good option for these same patients. Monovision correction does not use a bifocal contact, but rather uses one contact for the distance vision (usually the dominant eye) and one contact for the near vision.

Soft contact lenses come as either clear or with a visibility (handling) tint. The visibility generally has no effect on eye color, but is there to help you see the lens while you�re handling it. These lenses are not the same as cosmetic soft contacts.

Cosmetic soft contacts have been popular sellers since their introduction. Now patients with or without a prescription can change the color of their eyes with colored or tinted contacts.

CibaVision�s Wild Eyes� contact lenses and CooperVision�s Crazy Lenses are novelty lenses that are fun to fit around Halloween.

Concluding Thoughts

Part of the reason for the success of soft contact lenses is the comfort these lenses offer over rigid gas permeable (RGP) contacts. As a result, they have a much shorter adaptation period. However, in some cases with soft contacts, vision may not be as sharp as with RGP contacts.

When prescribing a soft contact, my first lens of choice is CibaVision�s O2Optix�. This lens can be worn for up to one week extended wear or two weeks daily wear. For patients who may not want a disposable lens (this is very rare), I will recommend CibaVision�s Cibasoft� Visitint� standard daily wear.

For patients who experience drying with their contacts, I will often recommend contacts with newer, moisture-retaining materials. Such contact lenses include Proclear� Compatibles by CooperVision and Acuvue� Advance� with Hydraclear by Vistakon (Johnson & Johnson). Indeed, Vistakon has recently launched the Acuvue� Oasys� with Hydraclear, which is primarily targeted for patients who experience contact lens dryness.

Regardless of your own situation, chances are good that you will end up wearing a soft lens if you decide to try contacts Be sure to discuss with your eye care provider all the options you may have, given your prescription, age, needs, and expectations.

About The Author

Dr. Dan Irwin is a practicing optometrist in southeastern Michigan with over 16 years experience fitting contact lenses. For more insightful information on contact lens related topics such as discount contact lenses and buying contact lenses online, please go to http://www.Contact-Lens-Online-Guide.com.