A contact lens made of
hydrogel polymers (soft, water-containing plastics). The
plastic itself is not oxygen permeable. The water content
carries the oxygen through the contact lens to the eye.
Available in replacement schedules yearly, one month, two week
and one day.
Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses:
Silicone hydrogel lenses use both their water and polymer
content to transmit oxygen to the eye. Silicone is oxygen
permeable and contains less water than traditional hydrogel
lenses. Silicone hydrogel contacts have a replacement schedule
that can vary from one day, two week and one month.
Toric Contact Lenses:
Toric contact lenses are made in Soft and Rigid Gas
Permeable materials. Soft contact lens materials can be
hydrogel or silicone hydrogel. Toric lenses have two powers in
them created with curvatures at different angles (one for
astigmatism, the other for either myopia or hyperopia).
Properly fitting a toric lens takes more of your eye care
practitioner’s time and requires more expertise than regular
contacts. Consequently you can expect that a fitting for
torics will be more expensive than a regular contact lens
fitting. The lenses themselves also cost more than spherical
lenses. Toric lenses are available as frequent replacement,
two week and even one-day disposable.
