Are you a contact lens wearer who does not like to have to remove your contacts, insert your contacts, clean them, store them, etc.? I got good news for you, there is a new type of contact lens, extended wear contacts, that you can wear for many days without having to deal with the problems above. Are they safe for you though?
Before even wondering if they were safe for me I would consider if they were more expensive than regular contact lenses. I was surprised when I found out that they are not that much more expensive. They are cheaper than daily disposable contacts and are not that much more expensive than weekly or monthly disposable contacts. In fact, in the long run extended contacts may even save you money because you will not have to buy contact solution.
Now that we know that they are not that much more expensive and you may actually save money in the long run, lets look at the safety of them.
Contact lenses that are worn daily are required to be taken out at night, but why? The reason you must take the lens out is because the lens blocks the flow of oxygen to your cornea so your eyes need a break from the lens. This is a problem that contact lens manufacturers have been trying to fix so that contact wearers do not have to have the problem of dealing with removing and inserting their contacts daily.
Thanks to modern technology contact lenses are now able to allow through about six times as much oxygen and the original contact lenses. Extended contact lenses are now made of extra-permeable silicone hydrogel materials which allows the contacts to let enough oxygen in that it is no longer a problem for you to wear the contacts for several days in a row.
What does that mean though? It means that these new extended contact lenses are safe to wear as long as you follow your doctor’s instructions. The only problem is because you do not clean them every day particles of dust can build up on them, so follow the following rules:
1. Avoid dusty rooms and cigarette smoke.
2. Keep water out of your eyes when you shower and wear goggles when swimming.
3. Wear the contact lenses only for the time they are meant to be worn. This means only wear extended contact lenses meant for a week only for one week and those meant for 30 days only for 30 days.
If you do not like to remove, clean, and insert your contact lenses every day and night then you should consider extended wear contact lenses which are safe to wear provided you listen to what your doctor says.