Soft Contact Lenses

Soft contact lenses are the most frequently prescribed type of contacts as they are the most comfortable. Often referred to as hydrogels, they have an extremely high water content and allow a great deal of oxygen to pass through to the eye - this is essential to optimum eye health. And despite the great amount of water, they hold their shape well as they "wrap" onto the surface of the eye. Most soft contact lenses can correct myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness).

Soft contacts are available in many designs as well as a variety of wearing and replacement schedules. Depending on your prescription, soft contacts are available in spherical, toric (for astigmatism), bifocal or multifocal, and specialty or novelty lenses. They are also available in traditional (vial), disposable, frequent replacement (monthly), daily disposable and extended wear form. Colored soft contact lens products are also very popular.

Advantages
Most wearers of soft contact lenses find them to be very comfortable and easily adaptable, as opposed to rigid gas permeable lenses (RGPs), which require an adjustment period before they are comfortable on the eye. This is very beneficial for patients who don't wear their contacts every day, like athletes who only wear them during a game. And because soft contacts don’t fall out of the eye as easily as RGPs, they are a great choice for patients involved in any type of activity, from contact sports like football to leisurely jogging.

Also, the availability of soft contacts in a variety of wearing and replacement schedules makes them the preferred contact of those patients who want to avoid the care involved in maintaining their lenses.

Disadvantages
When compared with RGPs, soft contacts are more expensive - they are less durable, thus requiring more replacements. Also, patients using soft contact lenses are more likely to develop eye infections - because of their high water content (water attracts protein and lipids) deposits are more likely to accumulate. And unless they are disposable lenses, soft contacts require more maintenance than RGP lenses, including cleaning, disinfecting and protein removal.

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