A contact lens as we know it is a restorative, decorative or remedial lens that is to be placed on the cornea of the eye. An easy and comfortable alternative to replace the traditional glasses by giving excellent ambient vision without the need to put on spectacles, contact lenses are a good choice for all those who need to correct their vision.
When you want to choose lenses, you need to take into account factors like the kind of vision problem, your occupation, etc. There are various types of lenses and they can be hard or soft. Soft ones are manufactured from a plastic colloidal gel chemical compound which comprises of 38 % to 70 % water. A soft plastic which soaks up water is an ideal characteristic for a soft lens which is then placed on the eye. In fact, a soft variety is more comfortable than a hard variety as it retains more moisture. And one more benefit of using soft ones is that they can be disposed off after a certain period of time, as mentioned in the prescription. Using this kind of eye product gives one an advantage of lesser chance of an infection as well as enhanced comfort.
Soft contact lenses allow oxygen to permeate through the lens and reach the cornea. However, a soft contact lens can also have some drawbacks like irritation in the eyes due to pollution or from touching with soap. And with a soft variety there is always the fear of the lens tearing or ripping apart accidentally. A hard contact lens is the other kind which is made from an inflexible material like acrylate resin which is mixed with other plastics to increase permeability.
Durability is a strong point of this kind of product however it prevents oxygen from reaching to the cornea directly. Rather oxygen finds its way by dissolving itself in the tear inside the eye and then passes on to the cornea due to nictation as a natural eye movement. But because this kind of contact lens is not very comfortable, it is not in demand and is used by only a few.
So no matter which kind you finally chose, you need to run your mind through a few thoughts like the time spent in cleaning and caring for the product. Finally, avoid sleeping while wearing the contact lens and do not share the product with someone else.