Contemporary contact lenses are comfortable, long-lasting (unless by design, as in disposables) and very safe. However, there are some risks and limitations in wearing them and knowing what those are can help you - in consultation with your eye care professional, of course - choose the best type for you.

Since they became available in approximately 1986, many contact lens wearers have opted for Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) contact lenses. Modern designs allow for up to five times more oxygen diffusion through the contact lens material than those of the past. That feature is important in minimizing the odds of corneal infection. The less oxygen that makes it to the eye, the higher the odds of an infection. On the downside, RGP lenses are less flexible than other types of contact lenses, making them less comfortable for some wearers. For users with severe astigmatism, however, they are generally considered to give better sight correction because of their rigidity. They also can last up to two to three years, which is longer than typical soft contact lenses.

Many contact lens wearers would prefer some type of soft lens, made from special hydrophilic (water-loving) plastic polymers. These provide a lens that is flexible and therefore more comfortable. Current manufacturing techniques make possible a lens that doesn't suffer from a high likelihood of tearing, as did those in previous decades, but they do require more frequent replacement. Soft lenses also stay in place extremely well and require a shorter adjustment period.

Unfortunately, for many, a hard lens is still the only option. While often less comfortable, and even though there is a slightly increased risk of scarring or infection, their inflexibility is important. The eyes of some patients simply require the rigidity of this type and the choice they have is either to continue wearing glasses or use rigid contact lenses. Those with certain types of astigmatism may not be able to wear soft lenses and require these instead.

Beyond those categories there are still several options.

Daily wear contacts are intended to be worn during the day, then removed before bed. They're used by about 80% of contact lens wearers. With these contact lenses, the pros and cons become more evident. It can be a minor hassle to insert and remove contact lenses every day. Whenever they're removed, they have to be sterilized, usually overnight, before re-inserting the next morning. They give the added advantage that when you open your eyes after sleeping, you can see with corrected vision without having to find glasses.

Daily wear contact lenses (currently) provide the best possible option for those looking to achieve the absolute minimum risk of eye infection and scarring. Allowing the eye to relax and get exposed to air keeps it in the best health. All contact lenses today reduce oxygen exposure somewhat and usually well below the level the eye would receive without them. Removing them at night also reduces the odds to zero of having the contact slide off the cornea during sleep, where it could be a pain (literally and figuratively) to retrieve in the morning.

Regardless of the contact lens type you and your eye professional choose, touching the eye and/or the contact is also not completely without risk, and the process is a little inconvenient. For those whose doctors say it's safe, extended wear contacts are a good option. They're designed to be worn anywhere from overnight (2 days) to a week or even up to a month at a time, depending on the design and the patient.That convenience factor comes at a price, in dollars and risk.They tend to be more expensive than daily wear contact lenses. They also reduce the air-eye contact, which increases the risk of infection slightly.

Some models, particularly the 30-day type, are somewhat stiffer and therefore slightly less comfortable. In every case, the risk of problems with contemporary contact lens models is still quite low for those individuals whose eyes allow long-term wearing.

Investigate the options in consultation with your eye care professional and you'll soon find the right pair of contact lenses for you.