Extended and Continuous Wear Contact Lenses (2024)

FAQs

How long can you wear extended wear contact lenses? ›

Extended-wear lenses: Extended-wear lenses are worn continuously for one to four weeks before the lenses are removed and replaced.

Daily-wear contact lenses are designed to be removed each day for cleaning, and should be taken out before you sleep or nap. Extended-wear lenses can be worn continuously for up to seven days before they are removed for cleaning, depending on how oxygen-permeable the lens material is.

With these types of lenses, it's important to never leave them in overnight, as this can result in pain, blurred vision, red eyes, watery eyes, light sensitivity, and other more serious complications like infections.

Extended wear contact lenses (or continuous wear contact lenses) are usually either 2 weekly or monthly contact lenses that you can wear between a week to a month without needing to take them out. This means you can wear them while you sleep.

Certain patients tend to deposit proteins and lipids on the lens surface with daily wear and at a greater frequency during prolonged wear. A build-up of these deposits can be associated with decreased vision, conjunctival irritation, and giant papillary conjunctivitis.

Extended Wear Contacts: These lenses are designed to be worn overnight for up to a week or even a month. The prices generally fall around $45 to $65 per box for six lenses.

Not only does wearing contacts during naps provide more chances for corneal irritation, but it also increases the risk of infection. Your poor injured cornea is struggling for the necessary oxygen to repair itself, and suddenly, bacteria come and take up residence.

All types of contact lenses, including extended-wear contacts, should be removed from your eyes before showering to prevent complications. Even though extended-wear contacts can be worn for multiple days at a time, you're still putting your eyes at risk for infection or irritation if the contacts become wet.

Pro: High Oxygen Permeability

Another advantage of continuous wear contact lenses is that they are thinner than daily contact lenses and have high oxygen permeability. This means that oxygen is better able to reach the cornea through the contact lens.

How many years is it safe to wear contact lenses? ›

A new lens will last about three years before it expires. You should never wear a lens that has expired. Provided that you care for them properly, contacts you've opened should last a day, two weeks, or a month, depending on the manufacturer's suggested wear time.

With the advent of silicone hydrogel lenses, which are better at letting oxygen through the lens to your eyes, there are now also continuous wear contacts that can be worn up to 30 days straight. The main criterion for an extended wear contact lens is oxygen permeability.

In the past, extended wear lenses were made exclusively for people with uncomplicated vision issues. Now, they're made for all sorts of eyes. If you have astigmatism, there are extended wear contacts made just for you. Convenience drives many people to choose extended wear contacts.

Bacteria and other potentially dangerous things can build up in your eye and end up causing severe damage. If you accidentally fall asleep with your contacts still in it is important to not take them out directly after waking up. Taking them out immediately could result in exposure to more bacteria.

The maximum time that any lens has been approved to wear continuously is 30 days. You should never wear a lens longer than that. If you must sleep in your lenses, most eye doctors will encourage you to take them out as often as possible, or at least once per week.

You can typically wear monthly contacts during the day for up to 30 days (hence the name), but after that, throwing the lenses away and replacing them with a new pair is essential.

Air Optix Night & Day contact lenses are the first lenses available in the United States with wearing indication for up to 30 nights of continuous wear. Night & Day also allows six times more oxygen to reach the cornea than ordinary disposable or reusable lenses- even when eyes are closed during sleep.

Contacts meant for daily or one-time use can generally be worn up to 14 to 16 hours with no problem, but your doctor may recommend a contact-free hour or two before bedtime in order to rest your eyes. Contacts designed for continual use can be worn overnight, but, again, be sure to follow your doctor's instructions.