You have a world of choice when it comes to your contacts. Daily contacts, weekly contacts, monthly contacts and more are available to improve your vision without the inconvenience of glasses. If you're interested in daily contacts, there are a few things you should know that could influence whether or not they fit into your lifestyle and budget.
What are Daily Contacts?
The first question you might ask is "what does daily contacts mean?" This phrase refers to disposable contacts that you throw away after one use. You can wear them for the day and then you switch to a fresh pair in the morning. Sometimes daily disposable contacts get confused with daily wear contacts, due to the similarity in their names. They are not the same thing, however. Daily wear contacts are not disposable. You wear the same pair of contacts every day and clean them in between.
The Benefits of Daily Contacts
• Never worry about cleaning contacts again: Cleaning contacts can be frustrating, and forgetting to do so can be harmful to your eyes. You don't have to worry about that with daily disposable pairs.
• Easy replacement schedule: You don't have to track whether you've gone past the two-week or one-month mark. Just throw the contacts in the trash as part of your bedtime routine.
• Protect against allergies: Since you swap out your lenses every day, you don't have old pollen and other allergens clinging to the contact.
• Speed up your morning routine: Just throw on a fresh pair of contacts and you're ready to see the world for the day. You don't have to mess around with contact lens solution or trying to figure out where you left your lens.
• Keep spare pairs around: Lose a contact? It's a non-issue with daily disposables. You always have extras around, so leave some at the office, school and other places that you need them.
• More comfortable on the eyes: The daily contacts don't need to stand up to long-term wear and tear. Some people feel that they're more comfortable to wear due to the material used.
The Drawbacks of Daily Contacts
Expense: You go through 365 sets of contacts or more in a year when you use this type of lens. The cost can be significant when you compare them to contact options that are replaced less frequently.
Environmental impact: If you're trying to live an eco-friendly life, then you may have some objections to the amount of waste that's associated with daily disposables. You have the contacts themselves, then all the packging that it comes in. If you get them delivered to your home, then you also need to think about the carbon footprint involved in getting them shipped to you.
May not be available in complex prescriptions: Daily contacts cover single vision, astigmatism and multifocal styles. If you have an unconventional prescription or eye conditions that require specialized contacts, then this type may not be a good fit for you.
Could cause harm to your eyes if you misuse them: The expense of daily disposable contacts lead some people to try and increase the time that they use them by cleaning them. However, these disposable lenses are not designed for cleaning and the solution can cause damage to the contact. If they are used beyond their functional lifespan or used inappropriately, they could tear or break apart while being worn.
How to Choose Between Daily Contacts and Other Types of Contacts
There are a few situations where daily disposable contacts perform better than other types.
• Teenagers: Your children may get self-conscious about their glasses as they reach the tween and teenage years. Even the most responsible kid can end up losing their contacts, forgetting to clean them or failing to take them out at night. Daily disposable contacts minimize the risk of these issues.
• Occasional use: If you're only putting contacts in when you really need them, then a pair that you throw out at the end of the day is perfect.
• Forgetful people: If you have a hard time sticking to a long-term replacement schedule or you can never remember to clean your daily wear lenses, then daily disposables fit perfectly into your lifestyle. Plus you don't have to shell out a lot of money if you forget them somewhere.
• Tight schedules: You barely have time to breathe during the day. You certainly don't have the opportunity to clean your contacts or hunt them down every morning. Get daily disposables instead to gain a few minutes.
• Travelers: You don't want to end up on vacation without being able to see. You can bring extra daily contacts so you have a pair even if you have some mishaps on your adventures. You don't have to worry about getting contact solution through airport security or trying to find it abroad.
Daily contacts are a convenient and comfortable option for your clear vision goals. Talk to your eye doctor and they will help you evaluate the different contact options so you get the ones that are best for you.