British Contact Lens Association

Contact lenses and lifestyle

Everyone has different visual requirements according to their lifestyle, occupation and leisure needs. To reflect this, there are different types of contact lenses with a variety of lens replacement and wearing schedules, each with their own advantages.

Daily disposable soft lenses (see ‘Daily disposable soft lenses’).

If you’re looking for a simple and convenient way of correcting your eyesight, daily disposable contact lenses offer many benefits. These soft lenses are worn for a day and then thrown away – there is no need for solutions to clean and store them. Only wearing the lenses for a day reduces the exposure of the eyes to deposits that can build up on the lens with time and avoids any sensitivity to contact lens solutions. In fact these lenses are one of the safest and most trouble-free contact lens options provided they are worn only for single use and daily wear.

Daily disposable lenses are usually more expensive than other lens types of lenses if worn every day, although you’ll save on solutions. They’re especially convenient and cost-effective if you want to wear contact lenses part time – in fact they’re ideal for sport, going out and occasional wear, or for use when travelling. They are now available in silicone hydrogel materials, to correct astigmatism and to correct presbyopia.

Two-weekly/monthly replacement soft daily wear lenses

These soft contact lenses are worn daily for up to a month and must be removed each night and cleaned and stored using the solutions recommended by your contact lens practitioner. They’re the most common type of soft lenses fitted in the UK and have many advantages. Re-usable lenses offer all the benefits of soft lenses and are more cost-effective than daily disposables for those who wear their lenses every day or almost every day. They’re also available in a wide range of materials, fittings, powers and designs.

To get the best from your lenses and wear them as comfortably and safely as possible, two-weekly and monthly lenses must be replaced strictly to the schedule recommended and should only be used as directed by your contact lens practitioner.

Other replacement schedules for soft lenses

Longer replacement intervals for soft contact lenses are much less common although some speciality and custom-made lenses are only available for three-monthly, six-monthly or annual replacement. The lenses must be removed each night and cleaned with the solutions recommended by your contact lens practitioner, who will also advise you on the correct replacement and wearing schedule.

Extended/continuous wear soft lenses

Contact lenses that can be left in the eye for up to a month without removal, and with minimal lens handling and cleaning, are another simple and convenient way of correcting your eyesight. There have been several attempts to develop these lenses in both soft and rigid gas-permeable materials. The advent of highly permeable silicone hydrogels (see ‘Silicone hydrogel lenses’) designed for up to 30 nights of extended or continuous wear has led to renewed interest in this type of lens wear.

Gas-permeable lenses

Rigid gas-permeable (RGP) contact lenses are generally used for daily wear and require daily cleaning and storage with the solutions recommended by your contact lens practitioners. Some practitioners believe gas-permeable lenses provide a healthier option for long-term full-time wear than soft contact lenses. They are better at correcting irregularly shaped eyes than soft lenses and are also more durable so are usually replaced every six or 12 months. Gas-permeable lenses are easy to handle and are suitable for most lifestyles although soft lenses are usually preferred for sport.

For more information on contact lenses to suit your lifestyle, visit your local BCLA contact lens practitioner