Choosing the Contact Lens For You

Glasses, while commonly available and posing little to no health risk, may become cumbersome to wear due to being easily broken, scratched lenses, and being stuck with frames that don't look good on your face. Laser correction is another option, but not everyone is a good candidate for this treatment; plus the upfront costs can be high. Contact lenses are often chosen to allow the wearer the opportunity to have a larger field of vision than eyeglasses, for cosmetic appeal, and can be worn in situations where eyeglasses are rendered less useful like storms and humid weather.

When considering contact lenses, there are a few things to keep in mind. Types of contact lenses available, proper care of contact lenses, and the price of contacts versus eyeglasses. Knowing what to expect will be helpful when making decisions that affect your vision, health, and comfort.

Contact lenses come in two different main types, "soft" and "hard or rigid". Hard/rigid contacts used to be the only type available, but soft lenses have gained popularity for their convenience, comfort, eye health, and cost relative to the normal wearer. Soft lenses can be chosen based on the length of time they can be worn before being removed from the eye; daily wear lenses are generally worn during the day and removed before going to bed, extended wear contacts can be worn to sleep but are removed every couple of days, and continuous wear contacts that are designed to be worn for weeks at a time and are replaced after being worn a specific length of time. Another choice is replacement schedule for soft lenses; daily disposables are useful for people with very sensitive eyes or who only wear lenses for specific activities, while two week or monthly wear lenses are the most popular. Hard/rigid lenses are not replaced for multiple years, so they can be very expensive if you lose a lens. Contact lenses can be chosen based on specific needs - bifocal lenses exist as well as lenses that can be fitted onto people with astigmatism (when the surface of the eye is not traditionally spherical).

One of the most important things to consider about contact lenses is proper care and handling. Never wear contacts for longer than prescribed. Always wash your hands before handling your contacts, and never store your contacts anywhere but your personal lens case with proper contact lens solution covering the lens. Not heeding these warnings could lead to an eye infection like conjunctivitis, or worse, to a corneal ulcer or other serious eye damage. A torn contact, even a tiny tear, should be replaced due to danger of scratching the cornea. Your eyes are very sensitive and contact lens care needs to be a priority to keep your eyes healthy.

Contact lenses, due to the wide range of choices available, vary greatly in price. Make sure to get a copy of your prescription from your optician, so you can check prices online and at wholesale clubs before purchasing from the eye doctor's office. If your eyes need no special lens, a common brand of monthly lenses can be found for around $20 a box for 6 lenses, making these lenses cost a very reasonable $7 per month, or $80 per year. Prices generally go up from there; two week wear contact lenses can be purchased for $20-$25 per box costing around $17 per month and $200 per year. Daily disposable lenses cost closer to $44 per month and $525 per year.