There are different types of lenses available for different eye problems, but they generally fall into two categories of hard and soft lenses. Almost anyone can wear contact lenses although special care is needed for children and older people. Contact lenses can treat short sightedness and long sightedness. There are also lenses available for astigmatism and presbyopia.

Types of Contact Lenses

• Soft Contact Lenses
• Hard Contact Lenses
• Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) Contact Lenses
• Extended Wear Contact Lenses
• Disposable (Replacement Schedule) Contact Lenses
• Specialized Uses of Contact Lenses
• Orthokeratology (Ortho-K)
• Decorative (Plano) Contact Lenses

After an eye examination, which includes checking your eyes are suitable for contact lenses as well as eye problems and the early signs of eye disease, your optician will fit the lenses. They will check that your tears are a good quality to ensure that the lenses are kept lubricated. They will also measure the size of your cornea, the pupil and the position of your eyelids to ensure the correct size lenses are fitted.

Contact lenses are held in place by the tears in the eye between the lens and the front of the eye. Most contact lenses are worn on a daily basis and they should not be worn overnight. In some cases your optician may advise you that it is safe to wear your lenses when sleeping but check if you are not sure.

Soft Contact Lenses

Soft lenses are made from oxygen permeable plastics which become pliable during manufacturing. They contain between 30 and 40 per cent water and are very comfortable to wear, as well as being easy to fit.
Astigmatism, where the shape of the cornea causes distorted eyesight, can be treated with ‘toric’ contact lenses. Bifocal contact lenses are used to treat presbyopia, when a person has difficulty seeing close up particularly when reading. This condition was traditionally treated by wearing reading glasses for close up tasks but now bifocals ensure the person can see objects in the distance and as well as for reading.

Hard Contact Lenses

When contact lenses were first developed they were hard lenses. These lenses didn’t allow for oxygen to pass through the lens to the cornea. As they needed to be very small to leave the cornea uncovered as much as possible, they could easily fall out especially when blinking. Although these are still available for certain specialist needs they have largely been replaced by rigid gas permeable lenses.

Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP)

These lenses combine the functions of both hard and soft lenses. These are firmer than soft lenses but are made of oxygen permeable plastic. RGP lenses usually last longer than soft lenses and are very hard-wearing. Some prefer to wear these lenses as they are easier to handle than soft lenses. People with a high level of astigmatism are often prescribed RGP lenses. Once a person has got used to the lenses they are generally just as comfortable to wear as soft lenses.

Extended Wear Contact Lenses

Extended wear contact lenses are available for overnight or continuous wear ranging from one to six nights or up to 30 days. Extended wear contact lenses are usually soft contact lenses. They are made of flexible plastics that allow oxygen to pass through to the cornea. There are also a very few rigid gas permeable lenses that are designed and approved for overnight wear. Length of continuous wear depends on lens type and your eye care professional’s evaluation of your tolerance for overnight wear. It’s important for the eyes to have a rest without lenses for at least one night following each scheduled removal.

Disposable (Replacement Schedule) Contact Lenses

The majority of soft contact lens wearers are prescribed some type of frequent replacement schedule. “Disposable,” as defined by the FDA, means used once and discarded. With a true daily wear disposable schedule, a brand new pair of lenses is used each day.
Some soft contact lenses are referred to as “disposable” by contact lens sellers, but actually, they are for frequent/planned replacement. With extended wear lenses, the lenses may be worn continuously for the prescribed wearing period (for example, 7 days to 30 days) and then thrown away. When you remove your lenses, make sure to clean and disinfect them properly before reinserting.

Specialized Uses of Contact lenses

Conventional contact lenses correct vision in the same way that glasses do, only they are in contact with the eye. Two types of lenses that serve a different purpose are orthokeratology lenses and decorative (plano) lenses.

Orthokeratology (Ortho-K)

Orthokeratology, or Ortho-K, is a lens fitting procedure that uses specially designed rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses to change the curvature of the cornea to temporarily improve the eye’s ability to focus on objects. This procedure is primarily used for the correction of myopia (nearsightedness).
Overnight Ortho-K lenses are the most common type of Ortho-K. There are some Ortho-K lenses that are prescribed only for daytime wear. Overnight Ortho-K lenses are commonly prescribed to be worn while sleeping for at least eight hours each night. They are removed upon awakening and not worn during the day. Some people can go all day without their glasses or contact lenses. Others will find that their vision correction will wear off during the day.
The vision correction effect is temporary. If Ortho-K is discontinued, the corneas will return to their original curvature and the eye to its original amount of nearsightedness. Ortho-K lenses must continue to be worn every night or on some other prescribed maintenance schedule in order to maintain the treatment effect. Your eye care professional will determine the best maintenance schedule for you.

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