Firstly introduced in 1987, disposable contacts are designed to be worn for a specific period of time, then thrown out and replaced with a fresh pair of lenses. Disposables are now the most used type of contact lenses. Many eye care doctors and wearers prefer disposable contacts because of their health and convenience advantages.
It's important to understand:
* Disposable lenses = replaced every two weeks, or sooner
* Frequent replacement lenses = replaced monthly or quarterly
* Traditional (reusable) lenses = replaced every six months or longer
Depending on your eye physiology and needs, an ophthalmologist can prescribe you disposable contacts either for daily wear or extended wear.
The more frequently you replace your contact lenses, the healthier and more comfortable your eyes can be. Substances like protein, calcium, and lipids — contained in your tears — can build up on your lenses. This makes your contacts less comfortable in comparison when they were new, and can also makes your eyes more inclined to infection.
Of course, you can always clean your lenses, but disposable lenses save your time from the trouble of doing this. All contact lenses must be cleaned and disinfected, except for daily disposables, which are thrown away after one use.
There are different types of disposable contacts.
• Daily disposable lenses are used for one day only and then thrown away. You put in a new pair of contact lenses every morning and discard them at night.
• Daily wear disposable contacts are worn each day, removed and disinfected each night, and discarded at the end of 1 or 2 weeks.
• Frequent replacement (also called planned replacement) lenses are worn each day, removed and cleaned each night, and thrown away every month or 3 months (depending on the brand).
• Disposable extended wear contacts can be worn twenty-four hours. Ask your eye doctor how long you can safely wear them. Even though these contact lenses are designed for longer wear, most ophthalmologists recommend removing and cleaning them every night to prevent infection. Usually you have to throw disposable extended wear contacts away after about 2 weeks.
| 
