Soft Contact Lenses

Soft Contact Lenses

Soft contact lenses are the most common and most popular type of lenses used for vision correction. These lenses are made with water-absorbing hydrogels or silicon hydrogels. These materials are thin enough to allow oxygen to pass through to the eye and flexible to conform to the shape of the eye.

Types of Soft Lenses

Daily Disposables: These lenses are made of the thinnest material available. They are worn for a single day and thrown away before bed. A good choice for allergy or dry eye suffers.

Weekly/Bi-Weekly Replaceable: These lenses are made of a thicker material. They are worn daily and they must be removed, cleaned, and stored nightly. They must be replaced after 7 or 14 days to reduce risk of infection.

Monthly Replaceable: The material of these lenses are thicker than the other replacement modalities. They are still worn daily and they must be removed, cleaned, and stored nightly. A cleansing solution is recommended to use with these lenses to deep clean and disinfect the lenses.

Colored Contacts: These contact lenses are usually used for cosmetic purposes, either as costume props or to alter someone’s daily appearance. Often you can find colored contacts sold through retail costume shops. We strongly advise against purchasing colored contact lenses from these places as the lenses may not be safe for the eyes.

Contact Lens Care

Wearing contact lenses increases the risk of eye infections, inflammation, and in some cases, permanent vision loss, especially when lenses are over-worn or improperly cared for. If you experience any of the following symptoms, remove your lenses immediately and contact our clinic:

– Foreign Body Sensation – Eye pain or redness     -Cloudy or foggy vision

– Watering or discharge     -Decreased vision     -Sensitivity to light

–Always wash your hands before touching your eyes or contacts –Never use tap water to rinse, clean, rewet, or store your lenses. Only use the solution appropriate for your lenses. –Never reuse used solution. Always store your contacts in fresh solution and dump the old solution after use.
– Replace contact lens case every 90 days.
– Use lubricating drops before removal to reduce the risk of tearing the lens.

To reduce the risk of complications, NEVER do the following with your contact lenses:

1. Sleep in your contact lenses (unless specifically approved by your doctor).
2. Shower while wearing contact lenses.
3. Swim while wearing contact lenses. 4. Share your contact lenses with anyone else.