I have a very bad eyesight and I don't look good in glasses. I want to switch to contact lenses, but there is a lot of talk about contact lenses causing eye infection. Are soft contact lenses safe? This is a very common question. Many people would like to switch to contact lenses, but they are afraid that this can cause diseases such as keratitis (inflammation of
cornea) Lets look at dangers wearing contact lenses might present and how you can avoid them.
There are two main lens types - RGP (rigid gas permeable lenses) and soft contact lenses. Here we will talk about soft contact lenses, since they are most popular type.
Contact lenses features that can put you at risk of keratitis
The quality of your contact lenses, how much oxygen they let through to your eyes and how high is percentage of water in lens should all be considered. It is important to select lenses made from high quality polymer with a high (more than 50%) water content. Also lenses should "breathe" - in other words, they should let enough oxygen through. A good choice would be Acuvue Advance lenses or any of Focus contacts. Also see more suggestions on healthy contact lenses.
Another consideration is thickness of lens. The more corrective power your eyes require, thicker lens is. A thick lens presents a higher risk of infection. If your eyesight is very bad, RGP lenses might be a better choice for you, instead of soft contact lenses.
Third, having your lens properly fitted is especially important. The lens shouldn't be too tight across surface of your eye. There should be space for tears between lens and your eye. Only an experienced eye doctor can fit your lenses properly. You should never buy contact lenses without a prescription, on assumption that they will fit you. Most likely they won't, and you can do irreparable damage to your eyes.
