Eyeglasses are a great way to complete your look, no matter the style you are going for – from fashionable and trendy to professional and sophisticated, frames help say it all. However, as the summer heat ramps up and you kick your active summer lifestyle into gear, those ever so trendy frames can become more of a hassle than a fun accessory.

Anyone who has spent a summer in North Carolina is accustomed to the thick humidity this time of year.  If you wear glasses, you know this means foggy lenses when leaving the cool AC to go outside and frames that have a tendency to slide off your nose, seemingly encouraged by the slick sweat brought on by our climate. There is an alternative to this frustration.

Free yourself from frames and enjoy the benefits of contact lenses.

There are many different soft contact lens options available on the market to fit just about every need and lifestyle.

Daily Contacts: wear them once and dispose of them that night. No need for cleaning solution or cases!

Daily contacts are a great solution, especially for kids and teens just learning how to maintain their eye health. A new pair each day ensures contact lenses are clean and fresh with little to no risk of bacteria getting in your eyes. Just remember to wash your hands before putting contacts in and throw them out every night. Many types of daily lenses are available to correct a variety of refractive errors including multi-focals (correcting distance and near vision) and astigmatism. Some of the most common brands include:

• Ciba Dailies with Aqua Comfort Plus
• Clearsight Dailies
• Acuvue 1 Day Moist
• Proclear Dailies
• Ciba Dailies Multifocals with Aqua Comfort Plus
• Ciba Dailies for Astigmatism with Aqua Comfort Plus.

Monthly Lenses: wear daily and clean nightly with fresh solution.

Monthly Lenses are another great contact lens option, whether wearing them all-day or just for a few hours.  Nightly cleaning with a contact lens solution keeps the lenses clean and fresh. They should always be replaced at the end of the month and, like dailies, most brands should not be worn over night. There are a number of options when choosing monthly lenses.  Monthly lenses are made to correct most refractive errors (multi-focals and astigmatism) while providing ultimate comfort for the user all month long. Some of the most common brands include:

• Proclear
• Frequency 55
• Acuvue 2
• Purevision 2

Extended Wear Contact Lenses –FDA approved for overnight wear!

Extended wear contacts are the best option for “forgetful” wearers. These contact lenses are designed to be worn 24 hours a day for 7 days or with some lenses up to a full month! There is little to no cleaning required with the lenses. They are available in multifocals and astigmatism (except the monthly extended wear night lenses). Most common brands include:

• Air Optix Aqua
• Biofinity
• Acuvue Oasys
• Air Optix Night & Day
• Purevision

Regardless of which type of contact lens you choose or which brand, there is style and comfort to fit everyone.  While we always recommend having a back up pair of eyeglasses, enjoy a little freedom and take a break from your frames with contact lenses. Schedule an appointment with one of our family eye doctors to find out which contact lens is best for you!

Dr. Andrew May,
Family Eye Doctor Serving Fuquay-Varina and Garner
Johnson Optometric Associates