Soft Contact Lenses Vs. Hard Contact Lenses

Today there are two main types of contact lenses: soft contact lenses and gas-permeable, or rigid, contact lenses. Both can be used to correct nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism, but there are differences between the lenses. Understanding these differences may allow patients to select the appropriate lens.

Material

• Soft lenses are made from a flexible plastic that conforms to the shape of the eye, and the rigid lenses are made from a harder, oxygen-permeable plastic; the rigid lenses allow more oxygen to get to the cornea and may be better for the health of the cornea.

Vision Correction

• Both lenses can offer good vision correction; however, regular rigid lenses can correct astigmatism, and for many people, rigid lenses offer sharper vision than soft lenses.

Comfort

• Soft contact lenses are easier to adapt to than rigid lenses and can be worn intermittently; to wear rigid lenses, one must start with a fairly strict wearing schedule to build up to full time wear. If there is a break in contact lens wear, the schedule may need to be started again (although not for as long).

Durability

• Soft contact lenses can be ripped or torn by fingernails and can collect protein and deposits on the surface; rigid lenses are more difficult to scratch or destroy and do not collect as many deposits as soft lenses.

Sports Wear

• Rigid lenses can be knocked out of the eyes more easily than soft lenses, so rigid lenses are not appropriate for contact sports; soft contact lenses can be worn during these activities.