Guide to finding the most suitable contact lenses
Many people who have to deal with the problem of poor vision prefer contact lenses over glasses. They fit perfectly into the eye and do not limit your sight only to a frame, enabling you to work and play without the sort of inconveniences you might encounter with glasses.
But of course, there are lots of things to consider when purchasing contacts: there are different types available and many different options for purchase.
As there is a wide variety available, it becomes challenging to decide which option is best for you and the type of lifestyle you lead.
This guide will help you find the most suitable contact lenses. You will be able to see how different contact lenses can be beneficial to you, making it easier for you to make the best choice of contact lens for your personal requirements and preferences.
Once you have decided which type of lens to purchase, you then need to decide where to purchase. You might use your local optician or, alternatively, because of COVID-19 and pure convenience, you might prefer to purchase your contact lenses online. Many companies such as contactlenses4us.com have excellent contact lens collections and options for purchase and, conveniently, they can be delivered direct to your door.
Types of Contact Lenses
The very first way of differentiating contact lenses is by the material they are made of. The two options you can find here are:
- Rigid: These are tough contact lenses that maintain their shape in your eye and are highly durable. As they resist any dirt or buildup, you don’t have to worry about cleaning them often. However, you may need some extended time to get comfortable with them due to their rigid material.
Rigid gas permeable contact lenses allow more oxygen to the cornea. Because of this, although they may take longer to get used to initially, rigid lenses are often preferred by people who have a tendency to dry eye.
- Soft: Materials like silicone-hydrogels are used to make soft contact lenses. These are more comfortable as compared to rigid ones. You can easily adjust soft contact lenses in your eyes, and they allow oxygen to pass through them. You will not feel any discomfort with them. The only issue is that they are not as durable as rigid therefore they will require frequent replacement, which will raise the overall cost.
Once you have decided on the most suitable contact lens material, which is normally a matter of purely personal preference, the next step is to select their replacement time. Different contact lenses require to be replaced within different durations. The two alternatives you will get are:
- Disposable: These aren’t meant for long term usage. After wearing disposable lenses for the specified period, you will have to replace them with new ones. Most soft contact lenses fall under this category, as they are not much durable. Depending on the purpose, you can find options like ‘daily disposable’ or ‘weekly disposable’ in this.
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- Reusable: They go a long way with you! Different times may be specified but you can often use them for over six months. Most rigid contact lenses are included in the reusable category as they are incredibly durable. But, whatever the recommended period of use, if you start to encounter any ongoing discomfort you must replace them immediately as continued use could be harmful to your eyes.
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Besides these two variations, you can also find contact lenses based on their wearing time and shape. For example, some contacts need to be taken off at night, while others can be worn overnight. Similarly, you can pick forms like spherical, toric, and cosmetic according to your purpose.
Whatever type of contact lens you choose and wherever you purchase from, do not forget you also need to clean and use your contact lenses properly to keep your eyes healthy and free from infections. Check out this useful advice provided by the NHS.
And also consider how to keep your eyes healthy.
Conclusion
These were the various types of contact lenses you can find in the market. While buying contact lenses, you need to consider your purpose of buying them along with your comfort. When these two factors are appropriately analysed, you can easily pick any one of them.
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Image by Martin Slavoljubovski from Pixabay