Daily disposable lenses, or daily wear contacts, have only been on the market since 1995. Although they are still a relatively new product, they’re gaining popularity all over the world.
Contacts are a great alternative to eyeglasses, but there are more considerations to make when deciding on your contact lenses. Your contacts need to be the proper fit, lens size, and right material for your eyes. Another decision you need to make is how often you want to replace your lenses; some can range from daily to monthly.
Daily contact lenses are soft contacts that you replace every day. They are sometimes called daily disposable lenses.
Soft contacts are one of the most commonly prescribed lenses today and can help several vision problems, including:
- Astigmatism
- Myopia
- Hyperopia
- Presbyopia
These lenses are more comfortable and adaptable compared to other types of lenses. Soft contacts can be daily disposable or extended wear lenses, such as 2-week and monthly disposable lenses.
There are several benefits to daily contact lenses, including:
Convenience
Daily contact lenses are more convenient than other options. All you need to do is put on a new pair of lenses every morning.
Dailies may seem more flimsy than monthlies, but they come with their own set of benefits. Because they are a lot thinner, daily disposables provide a higher level of comfort for the wearer. This thin construction also allows the lenses to maintain a high water content, meaning they usually remain moist throughout the day.
A contact lens fitting with your optometrist will determine if daily wear contact lenses are right for you. Your eye doctor can use trial lenses to see how dailies fit and feel on your eyes. Quality is usually dependent on the brand and cost. You can’t go wrong with a more expensive pair of daily disposables if they feel good.
Safer for Your Eyes
Daily contact lenses don’t require any additional care such as disinfection or storage when not in use. Protein, calcium, lipids, and other substances can build up on your lens, making your contacts less comfortable and more prone to infection. There is no accumulation of these elements when using daily contact lenses.
Daily wear contacts are healthier for your eyes. Each morning, you put in a new, sterile pair of contacts, lowering the risk of eye infection. This means you don’t need to worry about whether or not you cleaned them properly the night before. Just remember to thoroughly wash your hands before handling your lenses.
Our eyes receive the needed oxygen straight from the air around us. Due to their thin construction, daily disposables permit more airflow to the eye than other types of contacts do. This translates to less dryness and irritation. People with sensitive eyes or allergies should also opt for daily disposables. In fact, around 30% of lens wearers choose daily wear contacts.
Easy to Use
Most people choose daily disposable contacts because they are hassle-free. You open a new pack in the morning, pop them in and off you go. They are sterile and low maintenance.
With daily wear contacts, there’s no need for reminders. The only time you need to think about them is when it’s time to remove them at night. Also, wearing them past their end date is practically impossible unless you sleep in them, which is a big no-no.
Say goodbye to cleaning solutions, new contact cases and all the other extra costs associated with monthly contacts. This also makes daily disposable contacts more convenient when traveling. While you might be paying a bit more for the lenses upfront, you’ll save time and resources on cleaning and maintenance in the long run.
Daily contacts can be helpful for people with less experience using contact lenses. Without the need to maintain your lenses, you only need to replace them daily.
Your entire family can wear daily disposable contacts. Think of your teenagers struggling with their daily routines. Will they be responsible enough to clean their monthly contacts each night? While they might be able to do this sometimes, it’s important to form a routine to avoid ocular issues. Daily wear contacts take the maintenance part right out of the equation.
Many people don’t consider disposable contact lenses because of the cost factor but the reality is that reusable lenses are not necessarily more cost-effective. There are many benefits to disposable contact lenses and this option is ultimately better both for your health as well as your bank account.
The health of your eyes should be your number one priority when it comes to eye care and disposable lenses are a lot better in this regard when compared to reusable ones. It’s inevitable for reusable contacts to become contaminated because the lenses will come into contact with airborne allergens and bacteria, and this will happen even if the lenses are cleaned regularly. Reusable contacts will become uncomfortable over time and no matter how long it takes, whether it’s a few months or a year, reusable lenses are bound to become contaminated. Once this happens, your contacts can cause eye infections and other unhealthy situations, which is why disposable lenses are definitely the healthier choice.
When you compare costs, take every aspect into consideration. If you wear contact lenses every single day, disposable ones will be a little more expensive; however, if you only wear contact lenses on some days, you will see that the cost of disposables is actually quite comparable to the reusable ones. You also have to factor in the additional expenses that are required with reusable contacts, including storage solution and eye drops for red-eye or dry eyes, and once you calculate everything, you will see that disposable contact lenses do not actually cost significantly more in the long run.
Many disposable lenses are made from silicone hydrogel which allows more oxygen to pass through the lens and offer protection against dryness, which is another one of the benefits of this option. You will also never have to worry about losing one, which is a natural concern associated with reusable lenses, which may fall down the sink or on the floor. Whenever that inevitably occurs, your only choice is to buy a new pair, but with daily disposables, you will always have a backup and losing your contacts will not have to be something you worry about.
In short, disposable contact lenses are convenient and completely sterile, so the health of your eyes will always be in good condition. Losing your contacts will never be an issue because you’ll have extra pairs available to you, so you can keep one in your bag in case you need it.
Regular checkups with an optometrist are very important because a professional eye exam will determine what type of care your eyes need and whether or not your vision is healthy. If you’re looking for an optometrist in the Toronto area, contact Tonic Eye Care today for all of your vision needs!
