Disposable Contact Lenses - How Many Types Are There?

Although disposable contact lenses have been around for more than 20 years many people are still a little unsure about what these products actually are, and how they should be used.

Disposable contact lenses are soft contacts meant for wearing according to a certain replacement schedule, after which they are to be "disposed of", or tossed away.

These kinds of eyewear are not intended to be worn any longer than prescribed.

Types Of Disposable Lenses

• Daily disposable - are made to be worn for a single day and then disposed of.

• 1-2 Week disposable - can be worn up to two weeks.

• Monthly disposable - must be replaced every month or every three months. They are also called frequent replacement contact lenses.

• Conventional (traditional) lenses - need replacement every six months or once a year. They are also called vial lenses as they are usually shipped in individual sealed vials.

• Extended wear disposable lenses - can be worn for days, or even weeks at a time before being tossed into the garbage.

Are Disposable Contacts Right For You?

You should always discuss your options with your doctor and eye care specialist. Then you can have a complete and thorough eye exam which will help determine whether or not disposable contacts are the right option for your vision needs.

Should you and your optometrist, or other vision care specialist, decide that you are a good candidate for these contacts you will be fitted with a trial pair of disposable contact lenses.

Then after you have tried them for a short time period a final decision will be made.

You will judge the comfort and function; and your eye doctor will make sure that your eyes are healthy and the prescription is the correct one for you to use.

If everything seems to be in order then you will be given a regular prescription for this style of contact lenses.

Once you have your prescription you can even buy your contacts online saving a lot of money and time.

Advantages Of Disposable Contact Lenses

• Convenient and easy to use.

• Extremely comfortable.

• Less chance of eye infections, irritation and allergic reactions when using disposable lens products.

• People with sensitivities and allergies to eye cleaning and disinfectant solutions can benefit from daily disposable contacts.

• Some disposable contacts are excellent options for people with astigmatism or presbyopia.

• You can even find these "toss-away" single use lenses in styles that include tinted colors and some which offer additional UV protection.

Disadvantages Of Disposable Lenses

• Some prescriptions are not available in soft, disposable lenses.

• Occasionally some patients become lax about safe use of these contacts, and may even skip routine appointments with their eye doctors.

• The comfort of these products might convince patients to leave the lenses in longer than prescribed which can cause irritation, infections and even some more severe eye problems.

• The expense of disposable contact lenses often causes some individuals to try to reuse these products; and this is a major "No-No".

Tips To Remember About Disposable Contact Lenses

• Make sure you understand how to insert and remove the contacts properly before leaving your eye doctor's office the very first day.

• Do not miss your eye care appointments because even though your eyes may not feel irritated you could still have a problem with the lenses that only your eye specialist will notice.

• Do not try to save money by wearing your contacts longer than you are supposed to because this will create problems for your eyes eventually.

• Should your eyes develop redness, irritation, blurred vision or light sensitivity you need to remove the contacts and call your doctor.

• Always err on the side of safety when it involves disposable contact lenses, your vision is vision and should be cared for properly.

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