As contact lenses have developed over the years, their design has gone from hard to soft, allowing more comfort and ease of use for contact lens wearers. Most recently, soft lenses are the rage, since they are easy on the eye, and can even be purchased in the disposable variety so you can throw them away and not even have to clean them. Prior to the development of today’s soft lenses, most people used to wear Rigid Gas Permeable Lenses, sometime referred to as “RGP” lenses. Interestingly enough, you may have noticed that RGP lenses are still around, and are very popular. Not everybody has left Rigid Gas Permeable lenses to switch to soft contacts. The best way to understand why this is, and why you might want to consider RGP lenses, is to take a look at the upside and downside of RGP contacts.
DOWNSIDE:
Comfort – RGP lenses aren’t quite as comfortable as soft lenses for obvious reasons. Soft lenses are soft.
Adjustment Time – Because RGP lenses are rigid, your eye must adjust to their shape when you first start wearing them. It takes a little longer to adjust to them, as opposed to soft lenses which immediately mold to the shape of your eye. Also, if you quit wearing your RGPs for awhile, you will need time to re-adjust when you start again.
Convenience – RGP lenses will last longer. Although this is good news, it could be seen as a downside for people who like the convenience of throwing away a disposable lens and not having to remove and clean it each night.
UPSIDE:
Less Expensive/Longer Lasting – Because Rigid Gas Permeable lenses are sturdier and last longer, the cost per day of wear time is less expensive than with soft contacts, which are not as durable, and will break or wear out faster.
Better Visual Acuity – RGP lenses, being rigid, will hold their shape better than soft contacts which are more flexible. This usually means that you will have better visual acuity with RGP lenses, and you won’t experience slight vision fluctuations in your vision throughout the day like you might with soft lenses. This can be extremely important if you are in a profession or activity that requires extremely good vision.
Better Bifocal Choices – Another advantage of Rigid Gas Permeable lenses is that their firmness allows for a wider variety of bifocal features to be designed into RGP lenses, so they offer more choices for people who need a bifocal lens.
Eye Health – Rigid Gas Permeable lenses are generally healthier for your eyes. Their design makes them more resistant to bacteria than standard soft contacts. They allow more oxygen to reach the eye, and they are more resistant to absorbing foreign elements like soaps and perfumes that can be harmful or irritating to your eyes.
Patients With Misshapen Corneas – For people who have a condition called “keratoconus” (a cone-shaped cornea), RGP lenses are a necessity. Their rigid structure allows them to be custom-made to fit an unusually shaped cornea, which can’t be done with a soft lens.
By understanding the upside and downside of Rigid Gas Permeable Lenses, you can quickly see that there are lots of reasons some people stick with RGP lenses and haven’t made the switch to soft. As a matter of fact, the pros of RGP tend to outweigh the cons. If you’re trying to decide which type of lens is best for you, you will definitely want to consider RGPs when you talk to your doctor. If you decide to go with them, they may take a little “getting used to”, but you’ll have the satisfaction of seeing better, paying less, and knowing that you’ve chosen the much healthier option for your eyes.