Extended Wear Lenses

Extended Wear Contact Lenses

Advances in contact lens technology have made extended wear contact lenses a lot safer:

The introduction of disposable contact lenses reduced some worries about extended wear contact lenses. Previously, extended wear lenses were removed weekly, but they were then re-used week after week, for months. Although the contact lenses were cleaned with contact lens solution, it was impossible to remove all the proteins, lipids and other deposits that collected on the lens. These deposits formed a potential breeding ground for infection-causing bacteria and that could lead to inflammation and discomfort.

Today, extended wear lenses are typically disposable contacts. If you sleep in your lenses, not only do you remove them at least once a week, but you discard them every so often and start with a fresh pair. This avoids deposit buildup and helps maintain eye health.

The new generation of silicone hydrogel contact lenses provide more oxygen to the eye than traditional soft lenses. Not only do these materials make overnight wear safer than before but they also deliver so much oxygen to the cornea that some brands of silicone hydrogel contact lenses are approved for 30 days of continuous wear.

Many wearers have adopted "flexible wear." This means using extended wear contact lenses but removing them each night. However, when you want to sleep in them — during a weekend camping trip, for example, or even an afternoon nap — you can do so safely.