Tips For Choosing The Right Contacts For You

If you're new to contact lenses, you may be overwhelmed with all your choices. There are several varieties on the market, and you may have to switch styles and brands until you find lenses that fit well and feel good on your eyes. To start, you should look for contacts with features that match your lifestyle and eye condition. Here are some tips to help you decide which type to try.

For Occasional Wear

If you plan to wear your contact lenses on special occasions only, then disposable contacts would be a good choice. These cost a little more than the contacts you have to clean, but if you don't wear them very often, the cost evens out since you won't have to buy cleaning solutions. The advantage to disposable lenses is they reduce the risk of eye infections. You simply throw them away after each use and then put in a fresh pair when you're ready to wear them again.

If You Play Sports

Contacts have many advantages over glasses when you play sports. You don't have to worry about frames blocking your vision or slipping down your nose. They don't get foggy, and it is easy to wear them under protective goggles and other sports equipment. Soft contacts are your best choice when you play sports because soft contacts stay in place better than hard lenses, and they tend to be more comfortable. Soft lenses are the most popular for that reason, and they come in disposable and extended wear varieties.

For Avoiding Eye Infections

If you try soft lenses and find you're prone to eye infections, you may want to switch to hard contacts. Hard contacts allow more air circulation through the lens and this helps reduce the risk of infections. You could also try disposable soft contact lenses, so you can throw the lenses out after each wear. Also, make sure you're cleaning your lenses properly. Your hands should always be clean when you handle the lenses. The cleaning solution is to be fresh each time and not used repeatedly. Don't use expired cleaning solution. The solution itself could cause problems if you are sensitive or allergic to it. If that's the case, then disposable contacts are the way to go, so you can eliminate cleaning your contacts altogether.

Low Maintenance Options

One drawback of daily wear lenses is they need a lot of maintenance. You have to take them out every night and clean them, so your eyes stay healthy and the lenses stay clean. The way around that problem is to buy disposable extended wear lenses. You can leave these in overnight while you sleep. Depending on the brand you choose, you can leave the extended wear lenses in for a week or month at a time. The lenses are made to be more permeable than traditional lenses, which allows for more airflow. However, this doesn't completely eliminate the risk of getting an eye infection or eye irritation. You may not be able to tolerate leaving your lenses in that long, but if you can, you will eliminate having to handle the lenses repeatedly each day.

In addition to your lifestyle preferences, there are other options to consider based on your eye condition. For instance, you may need tinted lenses or bifocal lenses to improve your vision. Finding the best contacts may take some trial and error, you may find it worthwhile to be rid of your glasses. Talk to an optometrist such as Jeffrey C. Fogt, OD for more guidance about the right lenses for you.