Other Types of Soft Lenses

Soft Lenses have been around for a long while.  There are soft lenses that are FDA approved for

• 2 Weeks,
• 1 month
• 3 months, also called “quarterly” lenses.

All of these are FDA approved and have been available for a long time.

The advantage these lenses have over Daily Disposables is they cost less.  The disadvantage is they must be cleaned and removed. We are not advocates of extended wear lenses that are worn for long periods (up to 30 days) because there is much more risk for infection and permanent vision loss.

The longer a lens is worn, the more build-up there is on the lenses. It then becomes more difficult to see clearly.  As there is more buildup from your tears, mucin, and protein, the less air (oxygen) gets though and therefore more prone to eye health problems.  These lenses still have the FDA seal of approval but have more complications.  Also, as someone works on the computer or reads for longer amounts of time, these lenses tend to dry out and cause the eyes to feel dry.

For many years, 2-week lenses had been popular, but the problem associated with them is it is hard to remember when they were last replaced. People tend to then over-wear their lenses beyond the lifespan they are FDA approval for, and this increases the possibility of complications. The benefit of 1-month lenses is that it is easier to keep track of when they were replaced.

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