Are you thinking about replacing your eyeglasses with contact lenses and being confused about different lens types in the market?
In this article, we will mainly guide you about three more common types – Daily Wear contact lenses, Extended Wear contact lenses and Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses.
Daily Wear Contact Lenses
Often people confuse Daily Wear contact lenses with Daily Disposable contact lenses. Both of them are different from each other.
- Daily Disposable contact lenses are single-use contact lenses that are applied once and discarded after the use. These cannot and should not be used once removed from the eyes.
- Daily Wear contact lenses should be removed before sleeping and can be reapplied the next day after proper disinfection and hydration. It is pertinent to note that you must remove these contact lenses before you go to sleep as it is not recommended to wear these contact lenses during sleep.
Depending upon the manufacturer, Daily Wear contact lenses can be disposed off weekly, fortnightly, monthly, or quarterly. You should consult the instructions manual and your eye care practitioner to find out which replacement schedule is best suited for your eyes.
Extended Wear Contact Lenses
The Extended Wear contact lenses are thinner, allowing better oxygen saturation than standard daily wear contact lenses. These contact lenses can be worn continuously for up to six nights and seven days. Some extended wear contact lenses are even approved for up to 30 days.
The extended wear contact lenses prevent the build-up of proteins and other lens deposits that can cause inflammatory issues or discomfort for your eyes. This type of lens is made using Silicone Hydrogel technology that allows more oxygen to pass through to your cornea and let your eyes breathe.
Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses
Silicone Hydrogel contact lenses are named after the material that is used to manufacture them. They are made of silicone, oxygen, and carbon and possess a gel-type consistency. Based on the technology, there are three major types of Silicone Hydrogel contact lenses: Galyfilcon, Senofilcon, Comfilcon, and Enfilcon.
The Silicone Hydrogel contact lenses come in a variety of wearing and replacement schedules and can be daily disposable, daily wear, or extended wear solution depending upon manufacturer.
