6 things to consider while choosing contact lenses

Do you know that nearly 45% of the Indian population wears glasses? That means, that 45% of Indians actually go through the trouble of adjusting their bulky, heavy glasses all the time. However, this challenge can change into comfort soon with contact lenses. Switching to contact lenses is one of the best decisions you can make. Wondering how to switch? Here’s your perfect checklist to decide how to choose contact lenses?

Before we discuss the process of choosing contact lenses, let’s talk about the different types of contact lenses available in the market.

Contact lens buying guide: Types of contact lenses

If you think there might only be one type and genre of contact lenses, you are highly mistaken. Contact lenses come in a broad and flexible range to suit an individual’s choices, needs, and preferences.

Common types of contact lenses include:

Clear contact lenses - Clear contact lenses are soft and transparent lenses that are used to correct eye vision problems.

Color contact lenses - Color contact lenses are cosmetic lenses. They are pigmented to change the color of the eyes.

Toric contact lenses - Toric lenses are specially designed eye lenses for people who have astigmatism. They are spherical and cylindrical power lenses.

All the above types of contact lenses come in varying disposability of daily, monthly, and yearly.

What to consider when choosing contact lenses

Only knowing the types of contact lenses is not enough to understand which one to go for. There are several factors that play a role in choosing the right contact lens.

Here’s what you should consider on how to choose contact lenses:

Your eye condition

Contact lenses, traditionally, are medical devices meant to correct your vision. There are various eye health conditions that may impact your vision. Common eye health problems include:

Myopia - Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is a condition in which a person is able to see objects that are near clearly. While objects at a distance seem to be blurry. This condition may grow eventually or rapidly and can be treated with spherical lenses.

If you have myopia, you should go for clear contact lenses for your eye power.

Hyperopia - Hyperopia or farsightedness is an eye health condition that causes a person to see distant objects clearly while the vision of nearby objects is blurred. It is a common condition in adults that make people squint their eyes. Hyperopia can be successfully treated with vision correction lenses.

For hyperopia, you should consider buying clear contact lenses for your eye power.

Astigmatism - Astigmatism is yet another eye health problem in which the shape of the cornea is different. In astigmatism, the curvature of the eye is imperfect leading to blurred vision, headaches, eye tiredness, and straining.

If you have astigmatism, you require cylindrical lenses. Therefore, you should choose toric lenses.

Your lifestyle

One of the most important aspects of a contact lens buying guide is your style of living. Today, there is a range of options to help you choose the right lens that suits your lifestyle. Let us understand the different usability durations for contact lenses:

Daily lenses - Daily contact lenses are the ones that you can wear for only a single day. These lenses require to be thrown away after a day’s use.

Dailies are handy lenses that do not require any storage and care. If you do not want to go through the process of cleaning, disinfecting, and storing lenses, you should go for dailies.

You may also try daily lenses if you are wearing contact lenses for the first time or if you wear contact lenses only now and then.

Monthly lenses - As the name suggests, monthly contact lenses are ones that are can be used for up to a month. Now, do not confuse usability and wearability. Here’s the difference:

Usability measures the number of days you can use or reuse your contact lenses. While wearability is the period of time you can wear them for.

Monthly contact lenses have the usability of 1 month, i.e., 30 days. But their wearability differs. Some monthly lenses can be worn for up to 10-12 hours and some can be worn for up to 24 hours (that is, for all waking hours). You may wear monthly lenses if you can responsibly take care of them. Monthly contacts require taking care - cleaning, disinfecting, and storing. If you have an active lifestyle, monthly lenses are recommended for you. For example, if you are a sports enthusiast or a student who wants to switch from glasses, wearing monthly contact lenses can be your go-to choice.

Biannual lenses - Biannual contact lenses are the ones that can be reused and worn for up to 6 months. They are hard lenses that require regular care. If you are a frequent lens wearer, you can choose biannual contact lenses that last for as long as 6 months.

Yearly - Similar to the above ranges, yearly contact lenses are the ones that can be worn for up to a year and need routine maintenance.

Your purpose

Choosing contact lenses also depend on the purpose you are buying them for. One purpose is to correct your eye vision. The other purpose is to enhance your appearance.

Some people prefer wearing contact lenses to embrace their natural look which is often hidden behind glasses. Clear lenses are a perfect solution for this.

While others love transforming their appearance with different eye colors. Colored contact lenses are cosmetic lenses that fulfill this purpose.

Your convenience

If you have eye health problem, chances are that you are wearing spectacles. But spectacles have a lot of inconvenience attached to them. Spectacles can cause:

Discomfort - Heavy and bulky glasses can leave temple marks on your nose. These temple marks or spots can be rather painful. While contact lenses can fix this issue. Contact lenses simply stick on your eyes and do not act as an added burden on your face.

Blocked vision - Have you tried looking at your left or right while wearing glasses? Your frame affects your field of view. On the contrary, contact lenses give you a 360 degree view.

Foggy or blurred vision - Wearing glasses in a dirty soccer field can attract all the dirt over your eyes. Similarly, rough, polluted and even chilly weather can cause foggy vision. The most recent and common problem every spectacle wearer has faced is the fogging up of glasses because of masks.

Contact lenses give you clean and clear view at all times, irrespective of the environmental conditions.

Precautions and risks

Before buying contact lenses, it is important to also consider that they come with their portion of risks and issues.

Contact lenses require additional care and attention. You would need to remember the following points before wearing contact lenses:

• Always wash your hands before handling contact lenses
• Never clean your lenses with water
• Always carry a handy bottle of lens solution along with you
• Do not swin in your contact lenses
• Do not sleep in your contact lenses

Quality of lenses

Choosing contact lenses can be a task if you are not aware enough about the types of lenses. It is necessary to educate yourself about the quality of contact lenses. Here are some things to consider while choosing contact lenses:

Material - You should always choose the finest material of contact lenses. Select the ones that are made with Hydrogel or Silicone Hydrogel. As these lenses have high water content and retain moisture. For color lenses, you should choose lenses made with Polymacon material.

UV protection - Whether you are stepping outdoors or spending the day inside in front of your computer screens, UV protection is a must. Thereby, you should choose contact lenses that offer UV blocking.

High content - Contact lenses come in a variety of water content. You should the ones that have higher water content value as they keep your eyes moist for long hours.

Sustainable lenses - Keeping the environment in mind is a must under climate emergency. You should buy biocompatible contact lenses that reduce the impact on the environment.

Now that you know how to choose contact lenses. You can go ahead and buy your best choice. Choose the whole range of contact lenses from Aqualens.in.