Are all contact lenses the same?

The short answer to this question is no. Contact lenses are available in different forms including gas permeable, soft, and hybrid. The most common type of contact lenses are soft. This is what most people wear, unless they have a specific ocular condition that benefits from a more specialized option.

Within the soft contact lens realm, there are single use or extended wear options. What makes each lens unique is the lens material, oxygen permeability, thickness, curvature, and diameter. Practitioners take each of these parameters into careful consideration when you are initially fit.

Oxygen permeability is arguably the most important parameter. The cornea is the outermost structure of the eye. It relies entirely on the oxygen from the environment to function properly. Anytime a contact lens is placed onto the cornea, whether that be a single use, extended wear, or specialty, the amount of oxygen getting to the cornea decreases. Inadequate oxygen supply to the cornea can result in irritation, dryness, blurry vision, ulcers, and other complications. There are required limits that contact lenses must have based on their modality. These are regulated so contacts can be safely worn by patients. The higher the oxygen permeability of the lens, the more natural the state of the cornea, the more comfortable you will feel in your contacts.