Contact Lens Accessories

Contact lens accessories come in many different forms and varieties. We will help you break down the pros and cons of different contact lens accessories.

The first contact lens accessory type is the rigid gas-permeable contact lens accessory. These contacts can provide excellent vision, a short period of adaptation when you’re first getting used to wearing them, comfortable to wear, correct most vision problems, and easy to put on and to care for. They are fairly durable, too, as they have a relatively long life and are available in tints and bifocals. The disadvantages to these contact lens accessories are that they require consistent wear to maintain adaptation, can slip off the center of your eye more easily than other types, debris can easily get under the lenses, and they require office visits for follow-up care.

Another type of contact lens accessories is the daily-wear soft lenses. These lenses are made of soft, flexible plastic that allows oxygen to pass through to your eyes. These lenses offer a very short adaptation period, are more comfortable and more difficult to dislodge than rigid-gas permeable contacts, and they are available in tints and bifocals. These contacts are great for active lifestyles. You should know, however, that these contacts do not correct all vision problems, and vision may not be as sharp with daily-wear soft contacts as it might be with rigid gas-permeable contacts. These contacts also require regular office visits for follow-up care, and they can soil easily and must be replaced.

Another of the contact lens accessories is the extended-wear contact. These are available for overnight wear in soft or RGP lenses. These lenses can usually be worn up to seven days without having to remove them. The don’t correct all vision problems. But they do require regular office visits for follow-up care. They have an increase of risk for complications and require regular monitoring and care.

Another of the contact lens accessories is the extended-wear disposable contact lens. These contact lenses are soft lenses worn for an extended period of time from anywhere from one to six days, then they are thrown away. These contacts don’t require much cleaning at all and there is minimal risk of eye infections, if you wear them like the directions indicate and use them only for one to six days. These contacts are available in tints and bifocals. These contacts are not as good for your vision as other types of lenses, and they do not correct all vision problems.