A Beginners' Guide To Contact Lenses: Soft Lenses, Hard Lenses, Or Hybrid Lenses?

Contact lenses are a wonderful alternative to glasses. Not only may people who have been wearing glasses for ages prefer the way they look without glasses, they'll also be amazed to find they can see clearly even when they look up or down, and they won't have to battle condensation in winter or when cooking anymore. With more types of lenses on the market than ever before, deciding which lenses to get can be quite the task, however. We're here to help you out. 

Soft Contact Lenses

Soft lenses, the most popular type of lenses worldwide, are used to correct a variety of vision issues. They include myopia or nearsightedness, hyperopia or farsightedness, astigmatism (blurred vision), and even presbyopia, the age-related inability to see nearby items (the problem most people use reading glasses for). Soft lenses, you may be surprised to hear, come in a wide range of varieties. Let's look at them all. 

Daytime lenses are the most well-known and least expensive option, generally speaking. You wear these lenses during the day, but remove and store them at night. These lenses should be cleaned and disinfected on a daily basis. These lenses are used for various lengths of time: they can be monthly, bimonthly, and even yearly.

Extended-wear lenses can be worn while sleeping too, though your ophthalmologist may advise you to take them out daily anyway, because there is still an increased risk of infection. Users of extended-wear lenses may find it especially convenient that they are able to go to the bathroom at night without putting glasses on, or can nap on a plane or train without removing their lenses. Extended-wear lenses have to be removed and cleansed at least once a week. 

Disposable lenses are ideal for people who are new to wearing lenses, and are sometimes described as being an especially great option for teens. Daily disposable lenses don't have to be cleaned and disinfected at all. They are simply used and then thrown away. These lenses are, however, expensive compared to other types of lenses. 

Caring For Soft Lenses

Your ophthalmologist will give you detailed instructions on inserting, removing and caring for your new soft lenses the first time you get a prescription. You will usually practice these skills at your optician's and will only be able to take your lenses home once you can demonstrate that you have mastered them.

To prepare for inserting your lenses, wash your hands carefully and make sure they are dry. Use a paper towel to ensure your hands stay clean. Then, place the lens at the tip of the index finger of your dominant hand, and hold your eye open with the other hand. Gently place the lens on your eye, and slowly remove the index finger. Close your eye, open again, and you're done.

Removing lenses follows a similar routine: wash your hands and dry them. Slide the lens down to the lower part of your eye and, using your thumb and index finger, gently squeeze the lens. Remove it. 

See Also: Older People (And Maybe Younger People, Too) Don't See As Well At Home As At The Clinic

Any lens that isn't disposable will also need regular cleaning and disinfecting. Use a lens fluid recommended by your ophthalmologist, suitable for your lenses. Place at least three drops of the solution on your lens, and rub it gently for around 20 seconds to remove deposits. Then rinse the lens with a generous amount of lens fluid, on both sides. Place both your lenses in a clean contact lens container with fresh lens fluid. Soak for at least four hours. 

Hard Lenses And Hybrid Lenses: What You Need To Know

Hard Lenses

Gas permeable lenses, commonly referred to as "hard lenses", are an alternative to soft lenses many lens wearers should consider. Historically, they have a reputation for being rigid and uncomfortable. They were made of a hard material called PMMA, which didn't let oxygen through — though this is crucial to eye health. 

However, technology has now moved on almost beyond recognition and the new generation of hard lenses actually offers many advantages over soft lenses:

• Partly made of oxygen permeable silicone, modern hard lenses let more oxygen into the eye than most types of soft lenses.
• Rigid gas permeable lenses offer better clarity of vision than soft contact lenses. 
• They last for longer and have better deposit resistance because they don't contain water as soft lenses do. Though they may cost more upfront, the durability of hard lenses means they are often cheaper than soft lenses in the long run. (As long as you don't lose them, which does happen, or need a prescription change, which also happens.)

Yes, believe it or not, hard lenses can actually last you for years! So, what's the downside of hard lenses? For one, they require an adjustment period. While soft lenses are easy to get used to, making them a great option for people who are new to lenses, hard lenses take a while before they feel comfortable in your eyes. Not wearing them for a week or longer means the user has to go through the adjustment period all over again. What's more, hard lenses have a smaller diameter. They are designed to move around as the user blinks, but this also means they are more likely to come out during vigorous physical activities. It's also more likely you'll get debris (dust, insects, eyeliner, and so on) stuck between hard lenses and the surface of the eye. This can be very uncomfortable and lead to infections. 

Caring For Hard Lenses

Hard lenses have a similar care routine as soft lenses. After washing and drying your hands removing the lens, place a few drops of cleansing solution on the lens and start rubbing it gently. Rinse the lens, rub it again, and repeat rinsing one more time. Place the lens in a lens storage container with fresh lens fluid and never reuse the same solution. You may also use an enzymatic cleaner that helps remove protein build-up. You should always use lens fluid designed for hard lenses, and you can either choose an all-in-one fluid or separate cleansing and storage solutions. Again, do not use tap water to cleanse or store your lenses. Though people have done this with hard lenses in the past, it most certainly puts you at risk of very nasty infections. It's not worth it!

See Also: Modern Technology And Digital Eyestrain

Hybrid Lenses

Finally, hybrid lenses combine technology from both soft and hard lenses. They have a gas permeable optical zone in the middle for vision, but are surrounded by silicone hydrogel or regular hydrogel for greater comfort. These lenses can be seen as the best of both worlds, but they are not very popular yet and can be hard to come by.