Wearing contact lenses give some people the much desired freedom to wear sunglasses or participate in sports without glasses obstructing their view. However, contact lens use requires care and periodic follow-up with an eye care professional. Contact lenses come in a variety of types, and knowing about these options may help determine which contacts work best for certain lifestyles.
Disposable Soft
Eye doctors frequently prescribe soft contact lenses due to the comfort of the lens, and also because contact lens wearers adjust to them easily, say the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. One type of soft lens is disposable, made for use on a single day and the wearer should throw out the lens at the end of the day. This type of lens does not require cleaning or special care, though this type of lens may cost more than other types of contacts.
Daily Wear Soft
Another type of soft lens has an intended use for one to four weeks. These require daily cleaning to remove build-up of protein and deposits on the lens. At the end of the day, the wearer should take out the lenses to prevent damage to the eye. Some people attempt to wear the lens longer than its intended term of use, and this may cause infections or other serious eye conditions.
Rigid Gas Permeable
Rigid gas permeable contact lenses allow good, clear vision and have a slight flexibility to the durable plastic, says the American Optometric Association. This type of lens allows oxygen to easily pass through the lens and reach the cornea, providing a healthy environment for the eye. Rigid gas permeables tend to be less expensive over time, though the eye's adjustment period to the lens takes much longer with rigid gas permeables than with soft contact lenses.
Extended Wear
Extended wear lenses allow contact lens users to keep the contacts in overnight. This type of lens is available in both soft and rigid gas permeable lenses, though most extended wear contacts are soft lenses. Depending on the type of lens, the contacts may remain in the eye from one full day and night, up to 30 days, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. However, the wearer should set aside certain nights to remove the lenses since the eye needs a period of time without the contacts inserted to ensure continued eye health.
