Soft Contact Lenses

Experience Unmatched Comfort and Healthy Vision with Water-Based Soft Contact Lenses | Crescent Heights Optometry

Soft contacts are made of a type of plastic combined with water. Water lets oxygen pass through the contact lens to your cornea, which increases comfort, reduces dry eyes, and helps keep your cornea healthy. If your cornea doesn’t get enough oxygen, it may swell, get cloudy, and lead to blurred vision or problems that are more serious.

Soft Contact Lenses Benefits

Many soft lenses are disposable, so you can throw them away after using them for a short time. Having a fresh pair of soft contacts means less chance of infection, less cleaning, and more comfort.

Some soft lenses are not disposable. You wear the same pair for about a year, cleaning them each night. These are typically more “custom” designed contact lenses.

Compared to rigid gas-permeables, the other main type of contacts, soft lenses are typically more comfortable when you first insert them into your eyes.

As a bonus, many soft lenses provide UV protection.

Soft Contact Lenses Disadvantages

Soft contacts more easily absorb pollutants than both hard and rigid gas-permeable lenses. They soak up all kinds of things that can irritate your eyes -- smoke and sprays in the air and lotion or soap on your hands.

Soft contact lenses are also more fragile and rip or tear more easily than hard or gas-permeable lenses.

Varieties

Daily Disposables

Daily disposables are soft contacts that you wear only for one day and then throw away, which means you don’t have to clean them regularly or risk dry eye and irritation from contact solutions. If you have allergies, daily disposables may be the right choice for you.

Nothing feels as good as the first time you put a fresh pair of contacts in so why not do it everyday.

Silicone-Based Materials

Using silicone-based contacts creates an extremely breathable contact lens, meaning that oxygen can pass through your lens to your cornea. This material also keeps deposits from building up, so these lenses cause less irritation from dry eyes. Some silicone contacts are FDA-approved for extended wear, so they can be worn for up to 30 days. But many eye doctors advise patients to remove any type of contact lens at bedtime. Since your cornea gets less oxygen when you sleep in your contacts, the risk of very serious complications is higher. Make sure you balance convenience with safety when deciding on contact lenses. To prevent problems, follow directions on the lenses, and see your eye doctor for regular checkups. Silicone lenses are not for everyone so talk with your eye care professional if you’re interested in them.

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