Contact Lens Products

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Medications and Drugs

Eye Diseases and Conditions Slideshow

Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Contact Lenses

Contact lenses come in three basic varieties:

Hard lenses. These inflexible lenses stay clean longer than other types of lenses. However, they are not as comfortable as other lenses. Moreover, because they cut off oxygen to the cornea, they may be more likely than other lenses to breed disease behind them. They are now nearly obsolete.
Soft lenses. These flexible lenses contain a high percentage of water to make them feel more comfortable than rigid lenses. In addition, they allow oxygen to pass through, are less likely to fall out of the eye than other lens types, and are less likely to cause sensitivity to light.

However, they are more likely than other lenses to dry out, to allow irritating chemicals to pass through to the eye, and to allow buildup of deposits. Overall, they require more care than other lenses.

Rigid-gas-permeable (RGP). These somewhat flexible lenses admit oxygen and require less care than soft lenses. In addition they are more durable than soft lenses, provide sharper vision and are easier to maintain. However, they are less comfortable than soft lenses and fall out more easily.

Contact Lens Products

Products to maintain contact lenses include the following:

Cleaning Solutions: These daily-use preparations remove loose dirt and debris. Regular cleaning helps maintain comfort and visual acuity. Brand names and ingredients: Barnes Hind Gas Permeable Daily Cleaner (ethoxylated polyoxypropylene glycol, tris amino methane, hydroxyethelcellulose, edetate disodium, potassium sorbate). Blairex Sterile Hard Contact Lens Cleaner (anionic detergents). CIBA Vision Daily Soft Contact Lens Cleaner (cocoamphocarboxyglycinate, sodium lauryl sulfate, hexylene glycol, sorbic acid, edetate disodium).

Disinfectant Solutions: These preparations destroy germs (bacterial, viral and fungal) to prevent infections. Two preparations are available: hydrogen peroxide and chemical. Because hydrogen peroxide can irritate the eye, lenses disinfected with it require follow-up bathing with a neutralizer. Chemical formulations do not require a neutralizer. Brand names and ingredients: Aosept Disinfection System (sterile ophthalmic solution, microfiltered hydrogen peroxide, sodium chloride, phosphonic acid, phosphates). Ultracare Disinfecting Solution/Neutralizer (hydrogen peroxide, sodium stannate, sodium nitrate; buffered with phosphates, purified water, catalase, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, vitamin b12). Opti-Free One-Step Cleaning & Disinfecting Tablets (pancreatin derived from highly purified pork).

Neutralizers: These preparations (solutions and sometimes tablets) are used on lenses disinfected with hydrogen peroxide. They turn the peroxide into harmless oxygen and water. Brand name and ingredients: Ultracare Disinfecting Solution/Neutralizer (hydrogen peroxide, sodium stannate, sodium nitrate; buffered with phosphates, purified water, catalase, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, vitamin b12).

Saline Solutions: These are sterile salt solutions used to rinse away other solutions. They also may be used to store lenses and to clean lenses in a heating system. Brand names and ingredients: Bausch & Lomb Sterile Preserved Saline Solution (boric acid, sodium chloride, thimerosal, edetate disodium). CIBA Vision Saline Solution (sodium chloride, boric acid, sodium borate).

Soaking Solutions: These preparations restore moisture in lenses. Some solutions perform the additional function of disinfecting lenses. Brand names and ingredients: Sereine Wetting and Soaking Solution for Contact Lenses (buffers, sodium chloride, a polyoxypropylene -polyoxyethylene copolymer, disodium EDTA, benzalkonium chloride). Barnes Hind Wetting & Soaking Solution (octylphenoxy ethanol, povidone, polyvinyl alcohol, propylene glycol, sodium chloride, hydroxyethylcellulose, edetate disodium, chlorhexidine gluconate)