{"id":570,"date":"2019-02-19T20:44:13","date_gmt":"2019-02-19T20:44:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lensdirect.com\/blog\/?p=570"},"modified":"2023-11-09T15:22:29","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T15:22:29","slug":"what-are-the-best-type-of-contact-lenses-to-wear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/blog\/contact-lenses\/what-are-the-best-type-of-contact-lenses-to-wear\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are The Best Type of Contact Lenses to Wear?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember when you were little and your mom told you to pick out just one toy among a vast selection of enticing toys? Well, buying eyeglasses is a lot like that experience \u2014 channeling Elton John or John Lennon \u2014 such a difficult decision, we know! Selecting contacts isn\u2019t about making a fashion statement because nobody is going to take a magnifying glass to your eyeball and say, wow, those contacts, what were you thinking! But that doesn\u2019t mean that buying contacts is easy if you\u2019re a first-time buyer. With so many state-of-the-art options available today, familiarizing yourself with the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">different <a href=\"\/blog\/contact-lenses\/the-complete-guide-to-contact-lenses-all-the-different-types-and-how-to-choose-the-right-pair\/\">types of contact lenses<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a necessary first step. Like eyeglasses, contact lenses are used to correct the following vision problems:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Myopia (nearsightedness)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hyperopia (farsightedness)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Astigmatism (blurry vision)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Presbyopia (age-related loss of close-up vision)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Corneal irregularities<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Contact Lens Terms<\/h2>\n<p><b>Toric: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Used to correct astigmatism, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lensdirect.com\/toric-contact-lenses\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">toric lenses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are shaped a little like a donut rather than a perfect sphere. While most toric contacts are soft lenses made from a conventional hydrogel or highly breathable silicone hydrogel, some are available in rigid gas permeable (RGP) materials.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Bifocal: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like eyeglasses, this has two prescriptions in the same lens to correct both near and distance vision. Bifocal lenses are alternatives to reading glasses if you have presbyopia or if you need near and far correction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Multifocal: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lensdirect.com\/contact-lenses?sort=low-to-high&amp;sortid=4&amp;type=Multifocal+Contact+Lenses&amp;typeid=142\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This type of lens<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is available in bifocal designs with two distinct lens powers \u2014 one for distance vision and the other for near. Other options include progressive lenses, with a gradual change in lens power that provides a natural visual transition from distance to close-up.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Hard Contact Lenses<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first hard lenses made from a type of plastic called polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) weren\u2019t comfortable and didn\u2019t allow oxygen to pass through to the cornea. In the late 1970s, improvements were made in the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutvision.com\/contacts\/rgps.htm\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">rigid materials<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> used to manufacture hard lenses. Contacts made from these materials are known as RGP lenses because the slightly flexible plastics allow oxygen to reach the cornea. RGP lenses correct most vision problems and are available in tints, bifocals, and multifocals. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Soft Contact Lenses<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since soft contacts were first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1971, great advancements have been made in the materials used. Soft contacts allow oxygen to reach the cornea, so the risk of infection is reduced with proper use. The most popular type of contacts worn today, soft lenses are available in tints, bifocals, multifocals, as well as disposables. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Soft Contact Subtypes<\/h3>\n<p><b>Daily wear:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Typically the least expensive option, these contacts are worn during the day, removed at night, and placed in their <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lensdirect.com\/blog\/contact-lenses\/how-to-care-for-your-contact-lens-cases\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contact lens case<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in clean solution overnight. Available in tints and bifocals, daily-wear contacts require a shorter adaption period, are more comfortable, and less prone to dislodging than hard lenses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Extended wear:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Many extended wear soft contact lenses can be worn <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lensdirect.com\/blog\/contact-lenses\/can-i-sleep-in-my-contact-lenses\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">while you sleep<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, for six consecutive nights or longer. Most eye experts don\u2019t condone this practice on a regular basis because it increases the risk of eye infections. These lenses should be removed for cleaning and disinfecting at least once a week. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Disposable:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Not to be confused with daily-wear contacts, daily disposables (also called one-day) come in individual packages and new ones are used each day. Daily disposable lenses are available for most basic prescriptions, astigmatism, and presbyopia correction. Although the cost is generally higher, daily disposables offer incredible convenience because you wear them once so you don\u2019t need a cleaning solution. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lensdirect.com\/weekly-contacts\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weekly<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lensdirect.com\/monthly-contacts\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">monthly<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> disposables are generally thicker than dailies, which means they are more durable and less prone to tearing. They do need to be stored in a clean case and solution every night.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Hard vs. Soft Contacts<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RGP lenses are made from a firm plastic material, so they typically require a slightly longer adjustment period. And if you don\u2019t wear them for a week, it takes a while to readjust. Due to their harder material, RGP lenses retain their shape when you blink, which tends to provide sharper vision than soft lenses. They are also more durable, so they can last for years with proper care, as long as you don\u2019t need a new prescription. Although they don\u2019t tear as easily, be careful not to step on them because they can break! Keratoconus (a progressive condition causing extreme visual distortion due to cone-shaped corneas) requires RGP lenses for correction, and this type of lens is also used after refractive surgery.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Soft lenses are great for active lifestyles but aren\u2019t suitable for all vision problems. Silicone hydrogel and other state-of-the-art materials used in soft lenses delivers ultimate moisture and oxygen permeability to the eyes. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lensdirect.com\/dailies\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daily disposables<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> offer unrivaled comfort and convenience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ultimately, the decision what contacts to wear is up to you and your eye doctor. Whatever type you choose, it\u2019s important you get a thorough eye exam and fitting, follow all directions and schedule regular exams as recommended.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Remember when you were little and your mom told you to pick out just one toy among a vast selection of enticing toys? Well, buying&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1151,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[27],"class_list":["post-570","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-contact-lenses"],"acf":[],"authors":[{"term_id":27,"user_id":2,"is_guest":0,"slug":"lensdirect","display_name":"LensDirect","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ebf8e13ae079af6256df77af8b1bf50ae9c21b25d4c5b703f7eac323824c0051?s=96&d=mm&r=g","author_category":"","first_name":"Lens","last_name":"Direct","user_url":"https:\/\/www.lensdirect.com","job_title":"","description":"Lensdirect.com"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/570","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=570"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/570\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1152,"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/570\/revisions\/1152"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1151"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=570"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=570"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=570"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=570"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}