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- Hard contact lenses can make your vision crisper than soft lenses, and they’re less likely to tear. But they may take longer to get used to, and they can be harder to clean and take care of than soft lenses.
www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/healthy-vision/contact-lenses
People also ask
What is the difference between hard and soft contact lenses?
What is a hard contact lens?
Should you wear soft or hard contact lenses?
Are hard lenses better than soft lenses?
Apr 22, 2024 · Unlike soft contact lenses, which can tear or rip easily, hard lenses are more resistant to wear and tear. This makes them a great option for individuals who lead an active lifestyle or participate in sports. Another benefit of hard contact lenses is their ability to provide sharper vision.
- Overview
- What are hard contact lenses?
- What types of vision issues can be corrected by hard contact lenses?
- What are the advantages of hard contact lenses?
- What are the disadvantages of hard contact lenses?
- Safety tips
- The bottom line
If you’d prefer to wear contact lenses instead of glasses for improved vision, there are several types to choose from.
Both hard and soft contact lenses have their benefits and drawbacks. Which one is right for you may depend on your vision needs, lifestyle, and personal preferences.
The most commonly prescribed type of hard contact lenses are rigid gas-permeable (RGP) lenses. They’re more comfortable and safer to wear than earlier types of hard lenses, such as conventional polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) lenses. PMMA lenses are seldom prescribed today.
RGP lenses are made from a flexible plastic material that typically includes silicone. This lightweight material allows oxygen to pass directly through the lens to reach your eye’s cornea.
Your cornea is the transparent, outermost layer of your eye. Your cornea refracts light and serves as your eye’s outermost lens. When your cornea doesn’t get enough oxygen, it can swell. This causes hazy or blurred vision, and other eye problems.
PMMA lenses did not allow oxygen to pass through the lens. The only way oxygen could reach the cornea was for tears to wash under the lens each time you blinked.
To allow tears to move under the lens, PMMA lenses were fairly small in size. Plus, there had to be a gap between the lens and the cornea. This made PMMA lenses uncomfortable to wear and made it easier for the lenses to pop out, especially when playing sports.
Because RGP lenses let oxygen pass through them, these lenses are larger than PMMA lenses, and cover more of your eye.
Hard contact lenses are used to correct common vision issues known as refractive errors.
Refractive errors occur when the shape of your eye prevents incoming light from focusing correctly on the retina. The retina is a layer of light-sensitive tissue in the back of your eye.
There are several types of refractive errors that can be corrected by wearing RGP hard contact lenses, including:
•nearsightedness (myopia)
•farsightedness (hyperopia)
•astigmatism
Pros
•Sharp vision. One of the main differences between hard and soft contact lenses is crispness of vision. RGP hard contact lenses typically provide sharper, clearer vision than soft lenses. •Deposit resistance. The tear film in your eyes contains proteins and lipids, which can get deposited onto contact lenses. Because RGP hard lenses aren’t made of materials that contain water (like soft contact lenses), these lenses are more resistant to protein and lipid buildup. •Durability. If you don’t have a vision change and you take good care of your lenses, you may be able to keep one pair of hard contact lenses for 2 to 3 years. •Less expensive. Because they last longer than soft lenses, hard contact lenses tend to be less expensive in the long run. •Better option for astigmatism. People with astigmatism may benefit from RGP hard lenses called scleral lenses. Was this helpful?
Cons
•Period of adaptation. Hard contact lenses can take longer to get used to wearing than soft lenses. If you can’t tolerate wearing them consistently while you adapt to how they feel, they may not be a good choice for you. •Regular use is key for comfort. If you don’t wear your hard contact lenses for several days, they may not feel comfortable right away when you put them in again. Your eyes usually need some time to adjust to them again in order for them to feel comfortable. This isn’t the case with soft contact lenses. •They move more easily. Since hard lenses don’t mold to the shape of the eye like soft contact lenses do, they may dislodge and slip off the center of your eye more easily. •Need good daily cleaning. Dust and debris can collect underneath hard contact lenses more easily than soft lenses. This can cause discomfort and raise the risk of corneal abrasion. Was this helpful?
If you want your hard contact lenses to last as long as they should, it’s important to take good care of them. Taking care of your lenses will also lower the risk of an eye infection or scratches on your cornea.
•Daily cleaning. Daily cleaning of hard contact lenses is essential. It’s important to clean your contact lens case every day, too
•Don’t use tap water. The germs in tap water can stick to contact lenses. Instead, use cleaning solutions that are specially formulated for hard contact lenses.
•Use precautions when swimming or bathing. Because tap water can increase the risk of an eye infection, try to avoid wearing your contact lenses while swimming or bathing. Or, you can wear swimming goggles that keep the water from coming into contact with your lenses.
•Replace contact lens case regularly. Even though your hard contact lenses may last for several years, your lens case should be replaced every few months to avoid contamination with germs that can cause eye infections.
•Avoid saliva. Never clean your contact lenses with saliva. Your saliva contains bacteria that may harm your eyes.
Rigid gas-permeable (RGP) lenses are the most common type of hard contact lenses prescribed today. They typically provide sharper, clearer vision than soft contact lenses. They also last longer and are often less expensive in the long run than soft lenses.
In addition, certain conditions, including astigmatism, may be corrected more efficiently by hard contact lenses.
- Corey Whelan
Hard contacts are made of rigid gas-permeable plastic that ensures stiffness, while soft contacts are most often made of silicone hydrogel. This allows for more flexibility and comfort. Both soft and hard contact lenses will correct your vision if you struggle seeing due to farsightedness or nearsightedness.
Nov 6, 2023 · Soft Contact Lenses vs. Hard Contact Lenses: Which is Right for You? When it comes to eyewear, glasses have some stiff competition (pun totally intended) from contact lenses. If you’re thinking about ditching those frames for a change, you might be torn between soft and hard contact lenses.
Pros. According to the CDC, most contact lens wearers opt for soft lenses. Soft lenses are comfortable and work for astigmatism and many other common eye conditions. Cons. Soft lenses require more frequent replacements than hard lenses. While hard lenses can last a couple of years, you’ll buy soft lenses at least monthly.
May 23, 2022 · Hard contact lenses on the other hand are rigid and heavier than the soft version. They are made from rigid materials and are designed to allow oxygen to flow through the eye. Hard lenses stay in place but don't change shape to fit the eye as soft lenses do.
The main difference between hard and soft contact lenses lies in their materials and flexibility. Hard contact lenses are rigid and maintain their shape on the eye, offering sharper vision for some users, especially those with specific vision issues.
