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As a contact lens wearer for over 8 years, I thought I had everything under control when it came to cleaning and caring for my monthly lenses. I wore soft lenses with about 3 diopters in both eyes and often neglected the recommended wear time of one month, as the lenses seemed to be in good condition. But this seemingly minor carelessness turned out to be a serious mistake that could have permanently damaged my eyes. In this article, I would like to discuss the proper care and wearing time of contact lenses and share my personal experiences to warn other wearers about similar mishaps.

Types of Contact Lenses

There are generally two types of contact lenses: Rigid gas permeable lenses and Soft contact lenses.

Rigid gas permeable lenses, also known as hard contact lenses, are made of a firm material that is able to maintain its shape. These lenses are typically more durable than soft lenses and can last several years with proper care. Oxygen permeability is generally higher in hard lenses than in soft lenses, making them attractive to some wearers.

Soft contact lenses, on the other hand, are more flexible and better adapt to the shape of the eye. They are made of a soft, flexible material that is able to absorb fluid and retain moisture. Soft lenses can be worn daily, weekly or monthly.

There are also other types of contact lenses that have been developed to meet specific needs, such as toric lenses for correcting astigmatism, multifocal lenses for addressing presbyopia, and colored lenses for changing eye color.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Hard Contact Lenses

One of the main advantages of hard lenses is that they have a longer lifespan than soft lenses and can typically last several years. They are also more resistant to protein and other substance deposits that can impair vision.

Hard lenses are also often a better choice for people with astigmatism than soft lenses, as they can allow for more precise correction of this visual impairment. Although they are initially more expensive than soft contact lenses, they prove to be cost-effective in the long run because they need to be replaced less frequently.

On the other hand, hard lenses may be uncomfortable for some people to wear and require a longer period of adjustment. As they are less flexible than soft lenses, they may be more noticeable when worn and cause more irritation to the eye. With hard lenses, there is also a higher risk of them falling out of the eye compared to soft lenses.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Soft Contact Lenses

One of the main advantages of soft contact lenses over hard lenses is that they are more comfortable to wear and can better adapt to the shape of the eye. They can also be worn during sports or physical activities, as they are less likely to fall out of the eye than hard lenses.

Soft contact lenses can also absorb more moisture and retain moisture better than hard contact lenses. This can help keep the eye hydrated for longer and cause less dryness.

However, there are also some disadvantages to using soft contact lenses. Soft lenses need to be cleaned and replaced regularly to ensure healthy wear. If the lenses are not properly cleaned and maintained, they can become a source of eye infections.

Soft monthly lenses have a limited lifespan and typically need to be replaced every 28 days. If wearers use the lenses longer than recommended, this can lead to a buildup of proteins on the surface of the lenses, increasing the risk of eye infections.

Personal experience with complications

I learned this lesson the hard way: I often wore my monthly contact lenses beyond the recommended one-month duration, as they still looked good and I thought they were still working well. However, one month ago, I woke up with severe eye pain and my vision was blurry. My wife took me to the hospital, where the diagnosis was massive endothelial deposits. I was given special eye drops and sent home.

The next day, the pain became unbearable, and I was brought to the hospital again, this time with my father by my side. Fortunately, the senior doctor was present and took ample time to examine me. He found that the corneal epithelium was strongly stippled, very loose, and movable. The drops I had received earlier were also wrong and had worsened the situation.

By using the right eye drops and a vitamin A eye ointment, along with a week of bed rest, I narrowly avoided a corneal injury.

The senior doctor explained to me how soft monthly contact lenses work: they can be thought of as a sponge that absorbs bacteria every day. Over time, micro-cracks form where bacteria collect, and the lenses become increasingly difficult to clean. For this reason, they should never be worn beyond the recommended duration or, better yet, kept below it. For the future, he recommended either glasses or hard contact lenses.

Closing Words

Contact lenses offer many conveniences, but as I painfully experienced, disregarding the recommended wearing time can have serious consequences. That's why I plan to use hard contact lenses in the future, as they provide a significantly longer wearing time, and occasionally switch to my glasses to better protect my eye health.