By: Sonja P. Biddle, O.D.

For those of us who hate wearing glasses, contact lenses are an attractive option. But not everyone can successfully wear soft contact lenses. After experiencing poor vision, eye health compromise, or soft lens failures, many soft contact lens wearers switch to gas permeable lenses. Patients with critical vision needs, astigmatism, previous eye injury, surgery, or irregular corneas such as keratoconus, should consider these lenses.

Gas permeable lenses (RGP) have various benefits affecting the overall health of the eye. The name reflects their ability to allow more oxygen to pass through the lens to the eye, thereby allowing more oxygen to reach the eye than the average soft contact lens. This composition also allows for better tear ex-change and debris removal, and their wettability resists the formation of deposits. The chance of an eye infection from wearing contact lenses is much less for the RGP lenses than soft contacts.

These lenses are also durable. Gas permeable lenses do not need to be replaced as often as soft contact lenses, thereby decreasing a patient’s long-term expenses. They are also easier to insert into your eye, because they retain their shape. They do not turn inside out like soft contact lenses. Gas permeable lenses are even available in bifocal designs for those who need help with both distance and reading vision.

A gas permeable lens does, however, have a longer adaptation time than a soft contact lens due to its stiffer (more rigid) material. If a soft lens wearer removes her lenses for a week, she can still be fairly comfortable when resuming wear. A gas permeable wearer would probably need some time to get comfortable again.

These lenses are a sound consideration for patients looking for the best vision with their contact lenses. Be sure to ask your eye doctor about all of your contact lens options when deciding what is right for your unique eyes.

Dr. Biddle is a part of the multi-specialty thirteen-physician team at Delaware Ophthalmology Consultants. For more information about this article or to schedule an appointment, call 302-479-EYES (3937) or visit us at www.delawareeyes.com. Delaware Ophthalmology Consultants has two convenient offices in Wilmington, and a third now open in Middletown. Each location offers full-service optical centers featuring affordable, fashionable frame designs and the latest in lens technology.