Do you wear glasses every day? You may wonder if you would be better off wearing contact lenses instead.
Contact lenses can be a great alternative to glasses for people who require vision correction. If you are tired of dealing with the many hassles of wearing glasses, you may consider asking your eye doctor about contact lenses.
There are many different brands and types of contact lenses available. Your eye doctor will be able to help determine which of these options may best suit your needs.
One of the decisions you may face is choosing whether to use daily or monthly contact lenses. Keep reading to learn more about contact lenses and the differences between daily and monthly contact lenses!
How Do Contact Lenses Work?
Contact lenses work similarly to glasses. They help refract the light about to enter your eye so it can land directly on your retina.
If you have a refractive error, like nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, the shape of your eye prevents the light from focusing on the retina. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of your eye.
It is responsible for gathering information from light to process into an image in the brain. For the brain to produce a crisp and clear image, the light must land directly on the retina, not behind or in front, as it does with refractive errors.
Since glasses sit further away from the eye, your prescription for glasses will differ from your contact prescription. For this reason, you will need a separate prescription for contact lenses.
You will not be able to use the same prescription your ophthalmologist gives you for glasses in contact lenses as it will not produce clear vision. If you are interested in getting a contact lens prescription, visit your eye doctor at Blaine Eye Clinic in Blaine, Minnesota.
What are Some Differences Between Daily Contact Lenses and Monthly Contact Lenses?
Although monthly and daily contact lenses can correct your vision to the same crisp, clear quality, some factors differ. When choosing which option is best for you, it is essential to consider various factors.
Daily Contact Lenses
Daily contact lenses are intended to be used for only one day. You wear them in the morning when you wake up until the evening when you take them out before going to bed. This means before you go to bed at night, you will throw away the contact lenses and open a new pair the next day.
Daily contact lenses are very thin and have high water content. For this reason, daily contact lenses may be a good option for those who experience frequent dry eye symptoms.
Opening a fresh, new pair each morning reduces the chances of irritation. Since you discard these lenses as soon as you take them out in the evening, you will not need to manage the upkeep and cleaning processes of the lenses, and you will not need to store them.
Many people choose daily contact lenses for their convenience and safety. Since you aren’t taking these lenses out and putting them back in, there is also less chance of developing an eye infection.
Monthly Contact Lenses
Monthly contact lenses are designed to be worn for about a month, although some types may require you to change them bi-weekly. If you choose monthly contacts, you will open a new pair of contact lenses once a month and discard them after one month.
Since you will wear these contact lenses every day for four weeks, proper contact lens hygiene, including regular cleaning and storage, is imperative. Although you will be wearing these contact lenses daily, you will need to take them out at night before you go to bed.
A huge part of keeping monthly contact lenses clean is not sleeping in them. Sleeping in your contact lenses can lead to serious eye infections and other complications with your vision.
You will also need to invest in an appropriate contact lens solution and a contact lens case. Your eye doctor at Blaine Eye Clinic can recommend the best kind of contact lens solution to use with your contacts.
Monthly contact lenses are much thicker than daily contact lenses, which protects them more against everyday wear and tear. Since you are putting these lenses in and taking them out daily, they must be durable.
Because they are thicker, monthly contact lenses are often less likely to dry out. Due to this, you will be able to wear them longer without the irritating feeling of contact lenses drying out.
How Do I Get Contact Lenses?
To get a prescription for contact lenses, you must first visit your eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam. During this examination, your eye doctor will test your vision, measure your eyes to get a prescription, and look closely at your eyes under a microscope.
After this examination, your eye doctor can determine whether or not you are a candidate for contact lenses. If it is your first time wearing contact lenses, your eye doctor or another eye care professional will teach you how to properly insert and remove your contact lenses.
They may send you home with a pair of trial lenses to determine which brand and size suits you best. For some specific prescriptions, you may only be able to order monthly contact lenses.
Your eye doctor will discuss your options, including whether they recommend monthly or daily contact lenses. If your eye doctor believes you would be a good candidate for either option, they will help you decide which lenses may fit your budget, lifestyle, and goals.
Do you want to learn more about the differences between daily and monthly contact lenses? Schedule an appointment at Blaine Eye Clinic in Blaine, MN, today!
