Modern contact lenses like silicone hydrogel ones allow more oxygen to pass through and reach the cornea, keeping your eyes comfortable and moist. They are widely acknowledged to be far superior to conventional "soft" gel lenses, which are really merely hydrogel lenses. However, silicone hydrogel lenses are known to allow more than five times the oxygen that conventional hydrogel contact lenses do, despite the fact that they both generally have identical properties. Both become brittle and rigid when dried out, yet they keep their soft qualities when submerged in contact lens solution. Why should you think about purchasing silicone hydrogel lenses and what exactly are they?
The most important benefit of silicone hydrogel lenses is, as we have already indicated, that they allow in significantly more oxygen than any other kind of contact lens. People generally avoid wearing contact lenses because they make their eyes feel "contained," and silicone hydrogel lenses specifically target these issues. Insufficient oxygen causes a condition known as hypoxia, which can lead to eye infections, corneal swellings, and poor eyesight.
Simply put, a substantial portion of contact lens wearers don't adhere to a suitable maintenance or replacement plan, which leads to a lot of eye-related issues. Long-term use of dirty contact lenses can cause a variety of issues, thus silicone hydrogel lenses were created to address these issues. The majority of the difficulties, which were mostly caused by hypoxia, were considerably decreased as a result of their increased permeability.
How Are Silicone Hydrogel Contacts Made?
Different silicone hydrogel contact lens companies use various materials. Every single one of them contains silicone hydrogel and oxygen, but some of them also contain special components, such as Balafilcon A in PureVision, Lotrafilcon A in Night & Day, Lotrafilcon B in O2-OPTIX, and Senofilcon A in Acuvue Oasys. The surface energy of silicone-based lens materials is typically low, which results in less surface wetting.
There are three different varieties of silicone hydrogel lenses.
Spherical ,Toric, and Bifocal.
Who May Wear Hydrogel Silicone Contacts?
Due to the health benefits, most people should wear silicone hydrogel lenses rather than traditional soft lenses, although these lenses are especially beneficial for the following patients:
- Those with high prescription rates
- Those whose eyes need additional oxygen
- Patients who have standard soft lenses but endure discomfort, dryness, or redness at the end of the day
- Patients who spend a lot of time under air conditioning with low humidity
- Patients who use their contact lenses more than twelve to fourteen hours per day, including overnight,
Daily Maintenance Guidelines
If the patient decides to wear their contacts for a prolonged period of time, there is a 1 in 2,500 chance of getting an infection. To lessen these odds, patients are advised to remove their lenses each night. It's also crucial to wash your hands before inserting or removing lenses. For easy instructions on how to take care of your lenses every day, read on:
1. When cleaning your lenses, rub them; soaking does not remove particles.
2. Use hot water every day to wash your lens case. Allow it to dry naturally, rinse with all-purpose cleaner, and put fresh supplies in the case. Never add fresh solution on top of an old one.
3. Every month, change your case.
4. Do not dry out your eyes. Use artificial tears or rewetting drops multiple times per day.
However, in general, silicone hydrogel contact lenses have the following advantages:
1.Increased comfort as a result of the increased oxygen permeability
2.Enables prolonged wear and ongoing use
Even while silicone hydrogel lenses are generally known to lessen redness, dryness, and itching due to their silicone composition, a very tiny percentage of people still have these issues after using them. This is also brought on by lipid buildup, therefore as we already indicated, getting checked out before switching contact lens kinds or materials is always justified.
Cost is the last consideration. Price-conscious customers may want to think twice before purchasing a pair of silicone hydrogel contact lenses because they are slightly more expensive than ordinary hydrogel lenses. Otherwise, silicone hydrogel contact lenses are the best option—as long as you don't have any allergic reactions and can afford them.