The Pros & Cons Of Disposable Contact Lenses

If you opt to use contact lenses instead of glasses, your optometrist may ask whether you prefer long-term or daily disposable contact lens options. 

Each has pros and cons, and your optometrist can help you make the best decision.

Long-Term Or Daily Disposable Contact Lenses: Which Is Best?

While there are exceptions, most people with reduced visual acuity have the option to wear contact lenses. While we do still offer hard (or gas-permeable) lenses, these are less popular than soft contacts. 

Soft contact options, which are more comfortable, come in two options: daily disposable or monthly, long-term lenses. Both are used to treat nearsightedness, far-sightedness, and astigmatism. 

While monthly lenses are also disposable, the term is more often used for contact lenses that are worn once and thrown away at the end of the day.

Benefits Of Disposable (Daily) Lenses.

Here are some of the benefits of disposable daily contact lenses.

Time-saving

Monthly lenses must be cleaned and properly stored every day, or anytime they’re removed for any length of time. While this process isn’t complex, it’s still one more step, so many people prefer disposable lenses because of their convenience and time-saving benefits. 

Each lens comes in an individually sealed pack floating inside a saline solution. We order these for our patients in bulk, so depending on your choice, you can purchase them in bulk and have them shipped right to your home. All you have to do is insert the lens as per the directions and then throw the lenses away (or recycle them) when you take them out.

Less risk of infection

Because you throw them away after each use, there’s far less risk of developing an eye infection from improper cleaning or storage. That said, to minimize the risk of infection, you also need to honor proper contact lens and eye care tips, like:

• Not sharing eye makeup products with others.
• Be diligent about washing your hands and not touching your eyes if you can help it (especially if anyone in your household has pink eye or symptoms of an eye infection). 
• Not wearing contacts when swimming in a lake or untreated body of water, working outside, or any situation that puts you at risk of getting something trapped underneath your lens.
• Never reinsert a disposable contact after removing it unless you clean it thoroughly using a proper soft contact lens cleaning solution.
• Removing contact lenses while you sleep (despite what you’ve heard or read), also minimizes the risk of protein build-up or microparticles becoming trapped between your eye and the lens.
• Give your eyes a break if you notice any contact lens discomfort, unusual eye drainage (goop), or if you experience symptoms of dry eye.

Less risk of lens-related irritation or discomfort

Most of the time, contact lens-related discomfort or irritation has to do with the cleanliness of the lens or the length of time you’ve worn it. Because you’re only wearing the contacts one day at a time, they don’t have the time to develop any protein build-up or foggy films that can irritate your eyes.

Also, because they aren’t meant for long-term use, daily contacts are thinner than monthly versions, making them a more comfortable option for patients with sensitive eyes.

You have plenty of back-ups with disposable contact lenses

Most patients purchase their contacts in bulk (i.e.30- or 90-day supplies). So, if you tear one, drop one, have to take them out for an activity, and want a fresh pair, there are plenty of extras for you to use in its place.

Risks Or Concerns About Disposable Contact Lenses

There are some cases where daily contacts aren’t the best choice for our patients. 

Contact lenses aren’t always best for children 14 and under

The good news for children who are nearsighted, farsighted, or who have astigmatism is that glasses have never been more trendy. There are plenty of stylish options out there. Therefore, when it comes to children and contacts, we typically recommend avoiding contact lens use - even disposable options - until children are in high school (14+).

When we talk to parents about whether contacts are right for their child, we look at:

• The child’s age.
• Their hygiene habits at home (if they can’t shower or brush their teeth without prodding, they aren’t going to practice healthy contact care hygiene either).
• Do they suffer from chronic or seasonal allergies? Contacts can exacerbate that.
• How much time do they spend on screens? We’ll explain more about dry eye below, but if they spend lots of time on screens, glasses are the better option to prevent dry eye symptoms.

Pro Eye Care Tip: Teach your household the 20-20-20 rule when using screens to avoid eye strain and minimize the risk of dry eyes.

Elevated risk of eye infections

Yes, disposable daily lenses have “eye infections” in both pros and cons sections.

While having a brand new pair of contacts minimizes the risk of contact-related infections when compared with longer-use options, wearing contact lenses of any kind (even the daily ones) automatically increases your risk of eye infections because they can harbor and trap bacteria or viruses that would have been flushed out of your eyes otherwise.

You suffer from dry eye

Dry eye is increasingly common due to screen use. When we use screens, we blink less, which causes the eyes to dehydrate. If you’re prone to dry eye, we recommend wearing glasses when working on screens or reading for long periods of time and saving your contact lenses for outings and social occasions.

You’ve already been diagnosed with scratched corneas (or abrasions, ulcers, etc.)

One of the reasons we tell patients not to rub their eyes is that chronic eye rubbing can lead to scratched corneas, which can cause permanent damage if not treated properly. Contact lenses elevate the risk of corneal scratches, especially if they aren’t removed and cleaned/appropriately replaced after something is trapped in the eye. 

Risk of corneal neovascularization (rare)

Corneal neovascularization is a rare risk. It only occurs when the eye is deprived of oxygen because someone leaves their contacts in repeatedly for too long. This is why you should never sleep in contacts and why you should remove and refresh them as per the manufacturer’s instructions.

Once deprived of oxygen, the eye begins to grow extra blood vessels in the cornea in an attempt to oxygenate it. Unfortunately, this condition is not easy to correct and can cause significant infections, chronic inflammation, and other permanent eye issues.

For the most part, daily disposable contact lens wearers appreciate their eyeglass-free lifestyle and rarely - if ever- suffer from recommended use.

Visit Eye To Eye Family Vision Care For A Contact Lens Appointment

Would you like to try wearing disposable contact lenses as an optional alternative to eyeglasses? You’re not alone. The CDC reports that roughly 45 million Americans wear contact lenses. 

Schedule your contact lens appointment with Eye to Eye Vision Care. We’ll discuss which types of lenses make the most sense for you, ensure you’re fitted with the right-sized lens, and then walk you through all of the contact lens care tips that will keep your eyes healthy, comfortable, and glasses-free.