Contact Lenses Care

Right from the start soft lenses are exceptionally comfortable, and continue to be so whether you eventually wear them all day or only part of the day. There is little or none of the rough, itchy feeling that can annoy and dampen the enthusiasm of even the most motivated hard-lens wearer. There are several reasons for this.

A soft lens has a gellike consistency, and this “forgiving” quality allows it to conform to the cornea almost perfectly. Its larger size and soft edges mean the eyelids glide smoothly over it—instead of bumping into it—during each blink. The tenacity with which it clings to the cornea prevents foreign particles such as dust in the air from slipping under the lens, a major cause of irritation for hard-lens wearers, especially in polluted areas or on windy days. Because of its clinging nature, it is also less likely to pop out.

Soft lenses are soft because they absorb water, which allows for the gas exchange that is so important to the health and comfort of the cornea. The cornea, which has no blood vessels of its own, gets its oxygen and releases its carbon dioxide directly through the air or through the tears. The soft-lens material itself is only slightly gas permeable; however, it is the tears contained in and around the plastic that allow air and carbon dioxide to pass through. Therefore more oxygen is supplied than with conventional hard lenses, which do not absorb water. A greater supply of oxygen also means that soft lenses can be commonly worn for fourteen hours or longer without harming the eye, since the overwear syndrome occurs less frequently. Though the gas exchange is better than with hard lenses, it is still below the normal rate that you find in the naked eye. Therefore it is possible for overwear to occur eventually.

Another difference between hard lenses and soft lenses is that soft lenses do not increase the eye’s sensitivity to light. This reduction in photosensitivity is due to a reduction in eye irritation.

Finally, the very term soft is a psychological plus, and puts many a leery lens wearer at ease.

Wearing Flexibility

Soft lenses are not only physically flexible—their wearing time is flexible too. With rigid lenses you must follow a strict wearing schedule as you gradually build up to your maximum tolerance; then you have to stick to that full-time schedule daily. You can’t casually skip a day or cut down a day or two without undergoing some readaptation. With soft lenses it’s an entirely different story. You don’t have to follow quite such a strict adaptation schedule. You’ll probably be able to wear your contacts all day a week after you’ve gotten them.

And you can wear your lenses intermittently and change back to glasses whenever you want. For instance, if you wish you can wear them a few hours each day; or wear them just during the weekend and then return to a full-day wearing schedule without any adverse effect on the eye. You can even wear them for special occasions such as for playing sports or for social events without any harm to the eye.

Another factor that makes soft contact lenses fully interchangeable with glasses is that there’s no corneal molding because of the plastic’s softness. That means there’s no annoying “spectacle blur” when you decide to wear glasses, and the oxygen deprivation and corneal edema that cause spectacle blur are less likely to occur.

Safety

Because of its large size, a soft contact lens acts as a “transparent bandage” that covers and protects the eye from hazards such as contact-sport injuries and foreign particles in the atmosphere.

It’s extremely rare for a soft lens to pop out of the eye. No matter how rugged your sport, you can relax, confident that your lenses are safely clinging to your cornea. You can even swim while wearing soft lenses, as long as you don’t dive or open your eyes too wide. The especially daring even may risk a quick dive below the surface, provided the eyes are shut tightly to prevent the lenses from floating off. I’ve heard of hard lenses being recovered from the bottom of a pool, but with a soft lens miracles such as this never happen. Wearing protective goggles is a good solution for those who want to see where they’re swimming, but these must fit very well in order to prevent chlorinated water from seeping in and being absorbed permanently by the lens plastic. Salt water is nothing more than a strong saline solution similar to the tears and special rinsing solution you use in cleaning soft lenses. Therefore it does no harm if you accidentally get some in your eyes while swimming in the ocean. The chlorine in pool water, however, does pose a problem because of the tendency for soft lenses to absorb such chemicals. Therefore I recommend that my patients remove their lenses before entering a pool. It is advisable to irrigate the eyes with fresh water or saline solution after leaving the pool and before inserting the lenses. Snorkeling and scuba diving are possible, too—but again, the fit of the mask must be carefully made to avoid water entering the eye, possibly causing the lenses to decenter or even float off.

You can even take a short nap while wearing soft lenses, which can be a lifesaver in some situations. Overnight sleeping is completely taboo; however, catnaps with soft lenses in places do no real harm, as long as you don’t make a habit of it. Your eyes might feel a bit dry and murky upon awakening, but instilling a few drops of saline solution will restore the lens and the eye to their previously compatible relationship.

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