Do your contact lenses sometimes feel uncomfortable at the end of the day?? Or, maybe they feel less comfortable than they used to? There may be a straight forward answer. Are you replacing your lenses according to the prescribed schedule by your eye doctor? If you answered yes to this, you actually would be in the minority. Studies show that about 67% of contact lens wearers wear their lenses longer than their eye doctor recommends! We know, we know... life happens, and why is it so darn important to change your lenses on schedule, anyway!? I mean surely stretching them out longer than intended isn't THAT bad, especially if everyone's doing it... right?! No way, man.
Contact lenses contain small pores that allow oxygen and nutrients to reach your cornea. Over time, these small pores collect protein and other debris. A lot of this can be washed off at night, but over time these start to build up, resulting in less oxygen to your cornea AND the perfect breeding grounds for bacterial infections and corneal ulcers to develop. Also, significant research shows using contact lenses past their scheduled replacement date results in poor comfort and vision. On the flip side, staying on replacement schedule can increase comfort and vision! Another option that your eye doctor will likely present to you is daily disposable contact lenses. You get to throw these lenses away at the end of each day, meaning you are always getting a fresh pair in your eyes. These have become a great and healthy option to help eliminate this all-together.
Both contact lens manufacturers and eye doctors have worked together in extensive trials, developing ways to keep your contact lenses comfortable. Together, their clincial research has revealed that patients who purchase an annual supply of contact lenses have a higher compliance rate. This means less trips and less hassle for you to the eye doctor to purchase lenses during the year, and means a healthier ocular surface = happy patients and happy eye doctors! It's a win-win combination. You want your contact lenses to be comfortable and your eye doctor wants you to be healthy and happy! You and your eye doctor are on the same team. One of the easiest ways to achieve this is to keep up with your annual eye exams, replace your lenses on schedule, or even better ask about switching to daily disposable lenses!
