As contact lenses have developed over the years, their
design has gone from hard to soft, allowing more comfort
and ease of use for contact lens wearers. Most recently, soft
lenses are the rage, since they are easy on the eye, and can
even be purchased in the disposable variety so you can
throw them away and not even have to clean them. Prior to
the development of today's soft lenses, most people used to
wear Rigid Gas Permeable Lenses, sometime referred to as
"RGP" lenses.
As contact lenses have developed over the years, their
design has gone from hard to soft, allowing more comfort
and ease of use for contact lens wearers. Most recently, soft
lenses are the rage, since they are easy on the eye, and can
even be purchased in the disposable variety so you can
throw them away and not even have to clean them. Prior to
the development of today's soft lenses, most people used to
wear Rigid Gas Permeable Lenses, sometime referred to as
"RGP" lenses. Interestingly enough, you may have noticed
that RGP lenses are still around, and are very popular. Not
everybody has left Rigid Gas Permeable lenses to switch to
soft contacts. The best way to understand why this is, and
why you might want to consider RGP lenses, is to take a
look at the upside and downside of RGP contacts.
DOWNSIDE:
Comfort - RGP lenses aren't quite as comfortable as soft
lenses for obvious reasons. Soft lenses are soft.
Adjustment Time - Because RGP lenses are rigid, your eye
must adjust to their shape when you first start wearing
them. It takes a little longer to adjust to them, as opposed to
soft lenses which immediately mold to the shape of your
eye. Also, if you quit wearing your RGPs for awhile, you
will need time to re-adjust when you start again.
Convenience - RGP lenses will last longer. Although this is
good news, it could be seen as a downside for people who
like the convenience of throwing away a disposable lens
and not having to remove and clean it each night.
UPSIDE:
Less Expensive/Longer Lasting - Because Rigid Gas
Permeable lenses are sturdier and last longer, the cost per
day of wear time is less expensive than with soft contacts,
which are not as durable, and will break or wear out faster.
Better Visual Acuity - RGP lenses, being rigid, will hold
their shape better than soft contacts which are more
flexible. This usually means that you will have better visual
acuity with RGP lenses, and you won't experience slight
vision fluctuations in your vision throughout the day like
you might with soft lenses. This can be extremely
important if you are in a profession or activity that requires
extremely good vision.
Better Bifocal Choices - Another advantage of Rigid Gas
Permeable lenses is that their firmness allows for a wider
variety of bifocal features to be designed into RGP lenses,
so they offer more choices for people who need a bifocal
lens.
Eye Health - Rigid Gas Permeable lenses are generally
healthier for your eyes. Their design makes them more
resistant to bacteria than standard soft contacts. They allow
more oxygen to reach the eye, and they are more resistant
to absorbing foreign elements like soaps and perfumes that
can be harmful or irritating to your eyes.
Patients With Misshapen Corneas - For people who have a
condition called "keratoconus" (a cone-shaped cornea),
RGP lenses are a necessity. Their rigid structure allows
them to be custom-made to fit an unusually shaped cornea,
which can't be done with a soft lens.
By understanding the upside and downside of Rigid Gas
Permeable Lenses, you can quickly see that there are lots of
reasons some people stick with RGP lenses and haven't
made the switch to soft. As a matter of fact, the pros of
RGP tend to outweigh the cons. If you're trying to decide
which type of lens is best for you, you will definitely want
to consider RGPs when you talk to your doctor. If you
decide to go with them, they may take a little "getting used
to", but you'll have the satisfaction of seeing better, paying
less, and knowing that you've chosen the much healthier
option for your eyes.
http://www.aa-contact-lenses.com
