Daily Wear Lenses: Are You Wearing Them Too Long?

What Are Daily Wear Lenses?

Contact lenses are becoming very popular and the numbers don’t lie. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are over 45 million contact lens users in America alone.

As a result, there are now dozens of contact lens terms that confuse people. For example, do you know the difference between daily wear lenses and daily disposable ones?

These days, different terms are being used that refer to one thing. In contrast, there are also types of lenses that sound the same but have major differences.

In this article, you’re going to find out everything you need to know about daily wear lenses. For example, let’s find out if you’re using your daily wear lens for too long.

Different Types of Contact Lenses

Today, there are many types of contact lenses available in the market that have their unique traits. Some of these lenses require special lens-care products while others are easier to take care of. Despite the variety of lenses available, all of them have one thing in common—you can only wear them for a limited number of hours.

Whether you’re getting cosmetic or corrective lenses, you need to know how long you can safely wear your lenses. These are the three types of lenses that you should be aware of:

Daily Disposable Lenses – As its name suggests, daily disposable lenses can only be used for one full day. Afterward, you need to throw them right away as reusing them could result in eye irritations. You can generally buy disposable lenses in large bulks which means that you won’t have to worry about running out of stock.
Daily Wear Lenses – Unlike disposable lenses, daily wear lenses are specifically designed to be reused. Depending on the type and brand that you buy, daily wear lenses can be reused for weeks or months.

The key thing about this type of lens is that you have to remove and wash them evernight. This practice ensures that you let your eyes rest as well as disinfect your lenses for safe continuous use.
Extended Wear Lenses – Extended wear lenses are specialized contacts that are designed for straight continuous use.

This means that you can wear them overnight and even a couple of days without removal. This type of lens is especially useful if you work in work extensive and time restrictive environments.

Are you wearing your daily wear lenses too long?

Daily wear lenses are perfectly safe to wear as long as you wash them properly overnight. However, this doesn’t always guarantee that you can wear your lenses all day without issues. There are a lot of factors that can affect the comfort level of your contact lenses.

You can generally wear your lenses for around 14 to 16 hours daily. As long as they feel comfortable and don’t dry out, keeping them on should be perfectly fine.

However, the real danger occurs when you start to notice mild discomfort. Remember, how long you wear your lenses should depend on how comfortable they are for your eyes.

Here’s a list of common side effects when you’re wearing your contact lenses for too long.

1. Dry Eyes

Your contact lenses can tend to reduce the oxygen flow to your eyes. If you wear your lenses for too long, your eyes can get over fatigued and start to dry up. When this happens, the lack of moisture can cause your lenses to scratch your cornea and harm your vision.

2. Mild Discomfort

Contact lenses are medical accessories that sit directly on your eyes. The tendency for your lenses to irritate your eyes is always imminent. Though not directly threatening, mild discomforts in your eyes are subtle indications that you need to take a break from your lenses.

This is very similar to your feet hurting from wearing high heels all day—the longer you wear them the more damage you take.

3. Itchiness

Having itchy eyes is a sign that your lenses aren’t working well for your eyes. It can even indicate that you’re allergic to either your lenses or your contact lens solution.

Never wipe your itchy eyes when you’re still wearing your lenses. Instead, remove your lenses immediately and observe how your eyes feel afterward.

4. Burning Sensation

Another sign of allergies or chemical reactions is a burning sensation. There may be instances when your solution or eye drops do not work well with your eyes. When this happens, try to refrain from using your lens products and have your eyes checked by a doctor.

5. Red Eyes

Even without contact lenses, red eyes are a sign that your eyes are overworked and tired. The reddening of your eyes shouldn’t be alarming as long as you feel no pain or discomfort.

When this happens, simply remove your contact lenses and let your eyes rest for a few minutes. Afterward, refrain from using your lenses until your eyes look and feel better.

6. Pain and Irritation

Intense pain and irritation are the worst signs of wearing your lenses too long. This normally occurs when you continue to wear your lenses despite experiencing subtle discomforts.

When this happens, you should remove your lenses immediately and seek medical attention immediately.

Safety Tips for Using Daily Wear Lenses

Contact lenses wouldn’t be very popular if they weren’t safe to use. However, it is still important to follow good contact lenses practices to keep your eyes safe from harm.

For example, you should always have a proper contact lens prescription when buying lenses. Check out some of our top lens-care tips to help you keep your eyes safe while you enjoy your lenses!

1. Remove them before going to bed

Daily wear lenses need to be washed and disinfected overnight so you should remove them before going to bed.

Disinfecting your lenses is a typical night routine that most contact lens users get accustomed to. After all, you need to practice this daily if you want to avoid eye infections that come from dirty lenses.

Additionally, sleeping with your lenses on is a very bad habit that you should avoid. That’s why practicing a nightly routine of disinfecting your lenses is number one on our list.

2. Disinfect your lenses overnight

A lot of dirt and bacteria can build up on your lenses after a full day of use. As a result, soaking them overnight with a disinfecting solution is very important. To do this, you need to get a disinfecting solution that’s specifically designed for your daily wear lenses.

All you have to do is remove your lenses and rinse them with your solution. Next, make sure to throw away the old solution in your contact lens case before filling it up with a new batch.

Finally, soak your lenses in the case and leave it closed for the whole night—they should be perfectly ready to use in the morning!

6. Clean your contact lens case

Your contact lenses aren’t the only ones that need some cleaning. You also need to clean your contact lens case at least once every week. This will ensure that your case is free from bacterial build up that could contaminate and ruin your lenses.

7. Never use expired contact lenses

Using expired lenses is worse than wearing them for too long! All contact lenses expire for a reason and that’s because they wear out over time. They even accumulate so much dirt that cleaning them wouldn’t save them from expiring.

In fact, a study shows that 90 percent of eye doctors consider disposable lenses to be very safe. This is because disposable lenses aren’t reusable and are always more fresh and clean for your eyes.

9. Let your eyes rest

Finally, the best thing to practice is to take a rest from continuously using contact lenses. Your lenses are like shoes for your eyes; they help your eyes function better.

However, wearing shoes for too long can hurt your feet and that’s the same with constantly wearing contacts.

If you really need lenses during your daily routines, try resting your eyes on weekends. You can practice wearing eyeglasses when you’re not very busy or just chilling at home.

This way, you can give your eyes some time to rest and fully recover.

Final Thoughts

With all things considered, daily wear lenses are perfectly safe to use for at least 14 -16 hours a day. They are also reusable for weeks to months depending on the type that you buy.

Just remember to watch out for signs of contact lens irritation as you wear them daily. After all, using irritating lenses can do more harm than good!

Remember, the comfort of your lenses should dictate how long you can wear them. If they start to feel uncomfortable within a couple of hours, then maybe you should take them off for a bit.

Put simply, the safety of your eyes release heavily on how careful you are with them. Luckily, following good contact lens habits can stray you away from harm and enhance your contact lens experience!

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