Which type of contact lens is right for you, dailies, bi-weeklies, or monthlies? I get asked a lot about the differences and benefits of different modalities of contact lenses.
Lets start with dailies. With dailies, you wear them for one day and then you throw them away. There is no messing with cleaning solutions or cases, which does help a bit with costs, up to $90 in savings per year. Dailies are in general more expensive than either bi-weeklies or monthlies. It will run you usually up to $200 extra per year. The bottom line with dailies is the health benefits. When you wear your lens, dirt and other debris can get trapped on your lens. Also, you are constantly shedding cells, oils, etc. that can also get stuck in the pores of the lens. Any contact with contaminated water, dirty fingers, etc. can also introduce microbes onto the lens. This is where things get dicey, and if the lens is improperly stored and sanitized, colonies can grow on the lens and can infect your eye with re-wear. Dailies can benefit as throwing them away at the end of the day does not allow any buildup.
When I prescribe contact lenses, I usually ask them what their work and hobbies are. If it includes many out door activities, l would strongly suggest dailies to them. When playing a sport, a lot of dust can be kicked up and fly into your eyes. Rubbing them and then soaking them overnight solution may kill germs but it does not do much to remove the dirt on your lens. If the solution also does not kill enough germs it can also grow in your eye and cause more issues. With the release of hydrogen peroxide cleaning solutions, I do feel more comfortable about the sanitization of the lenses, as hydrogen peroxided can kill most of the microbes.
If you are also a temporary contact lens wearer, it will be much cheaper and healthier to buy fewer dailies and use them say on the weekend only, or when you need them.
With Bi-weeklies, you throw the contact lenses away every two weeks. These lenses are good for the semi active people. If you participate in outdoor activities once or twice a week, then this lens may be good for you. If you have mostly a desk job and are at the computer most of the time, you will probably not accumulate as much dust or microbes on your lens as compared to someone more active. These lenses will run you a little cheaper but you are going to have to pay about $90 more a year for contact lens solution. I would definitely recommend the hydrogen peroxide solution for disinfection as it is much better for sanitizing the lens.
This brings us to our last modality, monthlies. I usually recommend monthlies if cost is an issue or you have a rather sedentary life style. If going outside isn't really your thing and you would rather spend your free time watching tv or playing video game. Then these lenses should be fine for you. It is important to know that you can still infect your lenses from the natural bacterial flora on your eyes or from rubbing your eyes after touching a contaminated surface. You still have to be careful with disinfection and I would recommend the Hydrogen Peroxide here as well.
So whats the trade off with dailies vs bi-weeklies and monthlies?
There is still one thing I do have to mention here and that is oxygen content. You will see me revisit this issue every time I talk about contact lenses. With dailies, most of the cheaper dailies still use hydrogel technology. As much as I have touted the benefits of all dailies, they still do not provide as much oxygen to the eye as silicone hydrogel. This is fine for those with low prescriptions. But for those with higher prescriptions, greater than +/-4.00 to +/-5.00, the lens becomes thicker and the eye receives even less oxygen. This is where I would recommend a silicone hydrogel lens. Most daily silicone hydrogel lenses are premium and very expensive, these lenses are the best contact lenses you can get as they are the healthiest for your eyes. But where cost is a concern, it may be better to go for a biweekly lens if you have an active lifestyle.
