How Many Times Can You Use Contact Lenses: A Safe Guide
It is now open knowledge that contact lenses are a popular choice for vision correction. They offer convenience and are a better alternative to traditional eyeglasses. Despite all the advantages, wrong usage and improper care can lead to serious eye infections. Therefore, you need a guide to wearing and maintaining your contact lens.
However, safely wearing contacts requires understanding the guidelines and recommendations of eye doctors. To ensure optimal eye health, follow the laid-out instructions for wearing lenses approved by your eye care professional. Several people ask how many times they can wear contacts before tossing them away. The answer to this question depends on the type of lenses you use. They can be daily disposable contact lenses or extended-wear lenses.
In this guide, we’ll share how many times you can use your contact lenses, the risks of wearing contact lenses for too long, and how to maintain your contact lens hygiene.
Contact Lens Modalities: Daily Disposable vs. Extended-Use
Do you want to reuse your daily contacts? It is vital to know the type of contact lens you use. There are two major types of contact lenses, and they are
- Daily Disposable lenses
Like the name, these are daily lenses worn just for one day. These daily disposable contacts are resistant to germs buildup and dirt that collects on the lens during daily wear. Daily disposable lenses are in packs. You’ll usually find them in about 30 -180 lenses per pack.
Note there are differences between daily disposable contact lenses and daily contact lenses. While both are not approved to sleep in, your daily wear lenses are disposable but not required daily like the daily disposable contacts. Your daily contacts have different disposable requirements. While some can be daily, others can be bi-weekly or monthly.
- Extended Wear Lenses
Another name for extended-use contact lenses is monthly lenses. These lenses are reusable for up to 30 days per contact lens. While they are for extended wear, you must clean them regularly with your contact lens solution and store them in a clean case.
Safe Wear and Replacement of Contact Lenses
Wearing contact lenses significantly increases your vision. But, you need replacement and safe wear to maintain your eye health. Whether you use daily contacts or daily wear contacts that are for extended periods, know when to replace them with a new pair.
How Long Can You Wear Contact Lenses Before Replacing Them?
The length of time you can wear contacts before replacing them is dependent on the type of contact lens your eye doctor prescribed. The majority of the soft contacts are daily contacts, bi-weekly, and monthly contacts. You can follow the manufacturer’s suggested wear time or follow your eye doctor’s recommended replacement schedule.
Daily, Biweekly, and Monthly Wear Contact Lenses
Daily Contacts: If you don’t want to depend on a contact lens, a daily disposable lens is for you. This daily wear is great for people with allergies and sensitive eyes. When you wear daily contacts, you don’t sleep with them. The daily wear lenses are to be removed that same day.
Bi-Weekly Contacts: If you want a longer wear time but still want the new lens feel, then go for bi-weekly contact lens wear.
Monthly Lenses: This lens is one of the most popular types of contact lenses. If you want to wear your lens longer without replacement or perhaps spend less on your contact fee, the monthly contacts are for you. An eye doctor-recommended replacement schedule will help you make the most of wearing contacts.
Risks of Wearing Contact Lenses Too Long
Several people keep asking – how long can you wear contacts? One thing most people forget is that wearing contacts for a long time has some adverse effects on your eye health. You need to safely wear contacts to protect your eyes from infections.
What Happens If You Wear Contact Lenses Past 30 Days?
Wearing your monthly lenses past 30 days will lead to contact lens build-up. This build-up can lead to blurred vision. When you wear it continuously, you give the lens no time to stay moist. This can irritate your eyes leading to an eye infection from your overwearing of these lenses.
Risks of Reusing Daily Contact Lenses
When you wear daily disposable contacts, avoid anything that will cause you to re-use it. Re-using your daily lenses poses a serious risk to your health such as:
- Irritation: Taking out your contact lenses and putting them back often irritates the eye. Unlike reusable lenses, disposable lenses don’t resist buildup.
- Bacterial infection: There are harmful bacteria that grow on your disposable lenses. These bacterial infections can lead to chronic inflammation and worse cases – corneal ulcers.
Wear Contact Lenses Safely
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You need to learn and know the stipulated time usage for each type of contact lens. Remember, some are for overnight wear, and others are not. You must be careful to wear contacts safely.
How Many Hours Per Day Can You Safely Wear Contacts?
You can spend about 14 to 16 hours a day on your contacts. However, before falling asleep, remove them. Removing them allows your eye to breathe. For those with chronic dry eyes, you can only wear contacts for a few hours per day.
Can You Wear Contact Lenses Every Day?
Yes, you can wear your contacts every day, or else you have an issue that frowns at everyday wear. Do not wear your contact lenses, if you
- have an allergic reaction to the lens material or contact lens product.
- suffer from an eye infection (pink eye)
- Take medications that are not compatible with your contact lens wear
- Note: Your eye doctor can also tell you to take a break from your contacts for varying reasons.
Can You Nap in Contacts? Why Is It Bad to Sleep in Contacts?
Don’t ever sleep in your lenses unless your contacts are for extended wear and approved for sleeping in. Sleeping in your lenses reduces the amount of oxygen going into your cornea. Sleeping in your contacts can lead to:
- Chronic inflammation of the cornea that damages your vision
- Viral and bacterial infections of the eye
Maintaining Contact Lens Hygiene
Whether you wear medical, decorative, or colored contacts, you must follow the same rules for maintenance.
How Often Should I Change My Contact Lens Solution?
Never allow your lens to stay in a solution for over a week. If your contacts have been in a solution for a few days, replace them with a fresh solution the night before you wear the contacts. You can also maintain a regular schedule of replacing your contact lens solution to avoid protein build-up.
Can You Clean Disposable Contact Lenses and Then Re-Wear Them?
Disposable lenses are thin, and cleaning can lead to lens falling when wearing. No matter how much desire you have to clean your disposable contacts and re-wear them, avoid doing such. It only puts you at a harmful risk for infection.
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ULTRA One Day
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Biotrue ONEday 30 pack
Biotrue ONEDAY 30 contact lenses Bausch & Lomb's Biotrue ONEDAY contact lenses are a state-of-the-art solution for everyday c...
Conclusion
Understanding how many times you can use your contact lenses is vital for maintaining good eye health. As your eye doctor recommends, start with a fresh pair of lenses. If you’re using daily contacts, use at least one pair each day. Your daily lenses shouldn’t be worn overnight else they are for extended wear. While wearing lenses, be mindful of the outer layer of your lenses that often deteriorates with time, leading to discomfort or contact lens intolerance. Finally, don’t wear your contacts past their expiration date.