Types, Benefits and Drawbacks of Soft Contact Lenses

Are you considering wearing soft contact lenses? Maybe because you found out a refractive error or maybe you want to switch from eyeglasses to contacts, whatever the reason is, we will provide you with a complete guide including the types, benefits and drawbacks of soft eye contact lenses. 

We will also list down and briefly describe the type of refractive errors that can be corrected by using soft contacts.

Types of Contact Lenses

     

     1. Soft Contact Lens

This type of lens is made with flexible plastic material using new optical technology which enables such lenses to adjust according to your eye allowing you to have a comfortable vision and enables oxygen to pass through making it breathable. Due to its flexibility and adaptivity, it is prescribed the most by opticians.  

Soft contact lenses are further categorized as:

·        Daily-Wear (Daily Disposable) Contact Lens: Such lens, by its name, is designed in a way which only allows wearers to enjoy it for only a day after which it is thrown away.

·        Weekly and Monthly Disposables: These lens type offer same features as daily-wear with the exception that weekly and monthly disposable can be worn for a week or two and a month respectively.

·        Extended Wear: Extended wear contacts are made up of silicone hydrogel, an advanced lens material which allows the lens to transmit oxygen 5 times more than ordinary lens in reaching corneal tissues. More transmission of oxygen makes it much more breathable which is why they can be worn for a continuous period of time, for up to 30 days. Note that during showers and sleeping, you don’t have to take them off.

Benefits of Soft Contact Lens

     1.     Flexible

The adapting nature of this lens allows the wearers to have a comfortable vision as it adjust according to your eye shape, and such compatibility allows almost anyone to wear it without any hassle.

     2.     Cost Effective

Although buying contact lens might be expensive but it becomes even more expensive when spending has to be allocated towards maintenance and repair.

Soft contact lens also comes in daily wear, which do not request for any maintenance like solutions, containers, cleaning etc. because it is easily worn throughout a day without accumulating dirt and debris. 

Let’s say you require contact lens for only a day and then you might not need it for another 2 months, buying daily disposable contacts would save you daily maintenance cost.

     3.     Less Time Allocated Towards Care

Extended-wear contact lens as mentioned above can be worn for a month without taking them off, such as while sleeping, showering etc. therefore, a busy person may not need to spend a lot of time in caring and maintenance.

Drawbacks of Soft Contact Lens

     1.     Soft Lens Tear Easily

Being made up of soft plastic material, this lens is highly susceptible to scratches and tearing therefore, when cleaning a lot of attention has to be paid otherwise a slightly mistake may lead to eye infections and poor vision.

     2.     Absorbs Water From Eyes Leading to Dry Eyes

 

Soft contacts are not highly recommended for long time wearing as they absorb water from eyes which results in dry eyes, due to this reason it is to be removed after few hours of wearing or else blurred vision and irritation may be the consequence.

Soft Contact Lens Corrects the Following Eye Problem

·        Myopia: Refractive error that relates to a weak vision of distant objects, also referred to as nearsightedness.

·        Hyperopia: Vision problem also known as farsightedness which makes near objects to appear blurred.

·        Astigmatism: This is a vision problem which is common as it causes blurred vision due to the cornea being shaped asymmetrically, or sometimes due to the curvature of the lens inside the eyes.

·        Presbyopic: It is an age related problem especially found in people above age 40. At that age, the lens loses the ability to focus automatically on close objects because the eye focuses light behind, instead of focusing on the retina. This error can occur along with myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism.

Different Sunglass Lens Colors and Their Purpose

You have been shopping for sunglasses for men or women merely for the reason of getting a statement for yourself, enhancing your look, matching its different lens color as your outfit scheme, in short you look at it as fashion accessory and maybe few of you may perceive it as a protection for your eyes when being out in the open environment and being exposed to the sun rays.

Well not only sunglasses act as a protection from sun’s harmful UV rays but different lens color has different purpose lying behind. Still confused? 

Here we will talk how different color lens will help you in different environment and why are they used in that particular atmospheric condition.

What Are Different Colors for Sunglass Lens

There are many color lenses that will protect your eyes along with providing the right purpose for your different activities and in different whether conditions. Before starting let’s list down the different lens color:

·        Yellow

·        Green

·        Blue and Purple

·        Brown and Amber

·        Pink and Red

·        Gray and Black

Color Lens and Their Features

     1.     Yellow

This lens has the ability to stop glare to a high extent but not only that, it also helps in filtering out blue light. 

A yellow-tinted lens will prevent light to pass through to such a degree which causes chromatic aberration or in other words color distortion, due to this reason it works best in low-light conditionslike haze, snow, fog.

Another reason which makes it more suitable for whether conditions mentioned above is that it boosts up the sharpness of your eyes giving high level of clarity

     2.     Green

Green color lens is the most common and contains a distinctive feature of being worn in almost all the whether conditions without compromising the color perception.

A green-tinted lens will be the best prospect in transmitting all the colors evenly in almost all whether conditions, might it be a bright sunny day, rainy day or even a cloudy day. This lens will well reduce the glare while making shadows brighter.

     3.     Blue and Purple

One of the most high-toned and classy lens that are cosmetically captivating and worn the most.

These tints will considerably prevent glare to pass through and will allow the color perception and contours to be enhanced to a great level. Such lens, due to its feature of blocking glare from any white light, makes it quite an easy task to navigate through extremely unpleasant whether conditions like snow, fog and haze.

     4.     Brown and Amber

In whether conditions like sunny and partly cloudy, this lens can be worn. Due to having a red element in its color the lens cuts out blue light to quite an amount and allowing contrasts and stereopsis, also known as depth perception, to be enhanced.

Such lens has the propensity to work perfect in different light variations.

     5.     Pink and Red

These are great lenses that help your eyes to not be known to stress and fatigue and are most suitable if worn for longer durations. It provides a good vision clarity because it refines visual depths and renders contrasts to a high amount.

Pink and Red tints can be worn in almost all the whether conditions except of low-lightones such as fog or haze.

     6.     Gray and Black

One of the most important color type that allows protection of eyes from sun’s harmful UV rays because it is pretty dark making it easy to cut high amount of glare but most importantly the reflected glare.

This lens may well contain the true perception of color and can be worn in almost all the whether conditions apart from snow.

Color Lens and Which Outdoor Activities They Suit

Now that you have learned about the incredible features each color lens contains, let’s list down the activities that are supported by suitable color lens.

     1.     Computers and Other Digital Devices:

·        Yellow

     2.     Cycling:

·        Green

·        Grey and Black

·        Pink and Red

     3.     Driving:

·        Brown and Amber

·        Yellow

·        Grey and Black

·        Pink and Red

     4.     Water Sports Like Fishing:

·        Green

·        Brown and Amber

·        Blue and Purple

·        Grey and Black

     5.     Golf:

·        Green

·        Brown and Amber

·        Blue and Purple

·        Grey and Black

     6.     Shooting

·        Brown and Amber

·        Yellow

     7.     Soccer/Football

·        Green

·        Brown and Amber

·        Grey and Black

      8.     Tennis 

·        Green

·        Brown and Amber

·        Yellow

·        Grey and Black

      9.     Outdoor Leisure

·        Green

·        Blue and Purple

·        Grey and Black