When Should You Wear Daily Contacts? Weighing the Pros and Cons
Are you trying to break away from the everyday task of dealing with your contacts? Tired of having to clean and store your lenses after a long day of work? There is an answer: daily contacts!..You will find that daily contacts can actually make your eyes feel better.
Still trying to decide if you want to talk to your doctor about them? If so, here are a few of those pros and cons to think about before you make up your mind.We know that you’ll discover that the pros outweigh the cons.
The Cons of Daily Contacts
Let’s first explore the possible drawbacks of wearing daily contacts:
They Can Be Expensive
Daily contacts can be more expensive than other lenses. You will probably need far more than 24 pairs of replacement lenses a year.
However, you should also consider the money saved from not buying cleaning supplies. Plus, there is the added convenience of not having time-consuming lens cleaning routines.
The decision is yours to make about daily contacts based on your budget and lifestyle.
You Can't Clean Them at All
When we say they are daily disposables, we mean daily…disposables. Some people may try to prolong the life of their daily contacts by a few weeks to a month. But this won't work.
You should only wear dailies for a single day. They won't fare as well in lens cleaning solution as other contacts do. Daily wear contacts use thinner materials, so they can disintegrate after just a few days.
This means that you run the risk of your contacts breaking down inside your eyes! You can imagine what this will do to your eyes. It's best to avoid all the complications and dispose of your lenses as recommended.
If you want to be able to wear your contacts for a longer period of time, then go with the weekly or monthly lenses instead. There are also extended wear contacts available to help you avoid a cleaning routine for a week at a time.
They Create Waste
Some environmentally conscious individuals may have issues with the amount of waste that daily disposables generate. Daily contacts create some extra waste because you discard a pair each day. This also means that you go through a lot of blister packs and cardboard boxes rather quickly.
There are ways that you can actually recycle the old lenses. You can also recycle the cardboard using the conventional methods.
So the environmental footprint of using daily contacts is pretty small.
The Pros of Daily Contacts
Daily Contacts Are Better for Eye Health
There are several substances found in your natural tears, like protein and lipids. These can build up and stick to your contacts after a few hours of wear.
This can make your contacts less comfortable than when you first started using them. Even if you keep up with cleaning your contacts every night, your lens solution won't get rid of all the buildup. Over time, these deposits can also make your eyes more vulnerable to nasty eye infections.
But with daily contacts, you discard your lenses every night, which means that there is less of a chance that harmful bacteria will end up in your eyes.
They Can Be Cheaper — in the Long Run
In the long run, daily contacts can be a lot cheaper than other lenses. You can choose to order in bulk, which may give you access to discounts and rebates. Think of daily contacts like groceries. You have to buy groceries every month to have food. Daily disposables are the same way, but with your vision.
You should remember that multiple-use contacts require all the cleaning and maintenance accessories. The cost of daily contacts is often offset by how much you'll save on these accessories.
They're More Comfortable
Daily contacts consist of a thinner, more breathable material. You'll most likely put them in and then forget that you're wearing them.
Your regular lenses will become uncomfortable due to the buildup of bacteria and deposits. But you’ll never have to worry about this with your daily contacts.
The only discomfort that you may experience is if you put them in wrong. This hurts no matter the type of contact lenses that you have. And we know that issue is easily corrected.
Daily Contacts Are Very Low Maintenance
Daily contacts are low maintenance.Their convenience comes from not having nightly cleaning and storage routines to worry about. You put them in, go about your day, and then toss them in the garbage before you go to bed each night. You then wake up and repeat the process with a fresh pair!
Pros and Cons of Daily Contacts
There are many pros and cons of using daily contacts. It's clear, though, that the pros outweigh the cons. But you need to make the best choice for your own budget and preferred lifestyle.
If you want to discover how daily contacts can protect your eyes or if you have questions about contact lenses in general, then speak to your eye care professional. They know you and your eyes so they can give advice to best suit your needs.