Extended Wear Contact Lenses -
Are They For You?
It was just recently that extended wear contact lenses flooded the market. When they first came to be known they made an unsteady entrance. Doctors and patient's alike were leery about the health problems that stemmed from extending the wear of contacts. And then with brilliant breakthroughs occurring they came back in full force.
Unfortunately the eye is a very simple place to contract germs and infections. With that said it is not so much the dilemma of contact lenses to perform well as extended wear as it is the extended wear to perform as safe contact lenses.
The first contacts were worn daily then left to soak in a solution overnight and used the next day. This was a wonderful treat for eyeglass wearers. But soon contact wearers all over the universe were eager for something less complicated.
Consequently the first attempts at extended wear contact lenses were contacts that you wore for a week then cleaned and used again. No matter how great a cleaning solution was thought to be there was never a way to remove all the proteins, lipids, and other deposits on the lenses. Infections were commonplace.
The largest recent breakthrough for extended wear came with the arrival of disposable contacts. And also the material used to make these contacts because they allowed a maximum amount of oxygen to reach the eye. These contacts were also worn a week but then thrown away.
Flexible wear adds another dimension of convenience to extended wear contact lenses. Flexible wear contact lenses can be removed at night if you wish not to sleep in them. But they can also be left in for extended wear if you are not in the position to remove and store them overnight. A perfect example would be if you were on a weekend camping trip.
Many strides and improvements have been made where contact lenses are concerned. However there are still risks involved in extended wear. All contact wearers should be aware of those risks. Taking precautionary measures toward preventing infections to the eye is always a better ideal than treating an irritating infection after the fact.
Extended wear contact lenses might not be for everyone. In most cases the ease, comfort, and convenience far outweighs any problems that might occur. So as a person that wears contact lenses, extended wear might just be what you are looking for as the next level of contact comfort.
Unfortunately the eye is a very simple place to contract germs and infections. With that said it is not so much the dilemma of contact lenses to perform well as extended wear as it is the extended wear to perform as safe contact lenses.
The first contacts were worn daily then left to soak in a solution overnight and used the next day. This was a wonderful treat for eyeglass wearers. But soon contact wearers all over the universe were eager for something less complicated.
Consequently the first attempts at extended wear contact lenses were contacts that you wore for a week then cleaned and used again. No matter how great a cleaning solution was thought to be there was never a way to remove all the proteins, lipids, and other deposits on the lenses. Infections were commonplace.
The largest recent breakthrough for extended wear came with the arrival of disposable contacts. And also the material used to make these contacts because they allowed a maximum amount of oxygen to reach the eye. These contacts were also worn a week but then thrown away.
Flexible wear adds another dimension of convenience to extended wear contact lenses. Flexible wear contact lenses can be removed at night if you wish not to sleep in them. But they can also be left in for extended wear if you are not in the position to remove and store them overnight. A perfect example would be if you were on a weekend camping trip.
Many strides and improvements have been made where contact lenses are concerned. However there are still risks involved in extended wear. All contact wearers should be aware of those risks. Taking precautionary measures toward preventing infections to the eye is always a better ideal than treating an irritating infection after the fact.
Extended wear contact lenses might not be for everyone. In most cases the ease, comfort, and convenience far outweighs any problems that might occur. So as a person that wears contact lenses, extended wear might just be what you are looking for as the next level of contact comfort.