Monthly Versus Daily Contacts - Which Are Best?

Kyleden · #1 (**permalink**) 01-22-2008, 11:15 PM

This is one of those questions that no one can answer for me, so I'm gathering some opinions.
Suppose someone wears monthly contacts, but wants to forgo all the cleaning of the contacts. They'd like to go to daily contacts, but they are expensive. What's a contact lens wearer to do?

It basically comes down to a choice between cost and convenience, doesn't it? Are you willing to pay more for the convenience of wearing a pair of contact lenses for the day and then just throwing them away.
Still, it's not really that big of a deal to clean your contacts. It's not like it takes two hours and a team of experts. Just a rub and a rinse and you're on your way.
Any comments?

Cat.D.Gomes · #2 (**permalink**) 01-02-2011, 01:20 PM

Indeed, I don't know how much daily contacts cost but if you have those you don't need to pay for the cleaning. Make the difference of the prices and maybe the convenience is not so expensive.

Garfield21 · #3 (**permalink**) 01-03-2011, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cat.D.Gomes

Indeed, I don't know how much daily contacts cost but if you have those you don't need to pay for the cleaning. Make the difference of the prices and maybe the convenience is not so expensive.

May I ask why you don't wear the daily contacts? Is it the price?

Cat.D.Gomes · #4 (**permalink**) 01-05-2011, 05:31 PM

I don' t know the price, it depends where it's bought. I use monthly contacts because I'm used to.

dragongirl81 · #5 (**permalink**) 01-05-2011, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cat.D.Gomes

I don' t know the price, it depends where it's bought. I use monthly contacts because I'm used to.

Hi Cat,

So you've gotten into the habit of changing your contact lenses each month, is that it?

Cat.D.Gomes · #6 (**permalink**) 01-05-2011, 06:08 PM

yes but I am still trying different types of lenses (soft, rigid...) to know which I can work better with. I didn't think about using daily contacts until recently.

KSCbase · #7 (**permalink**) 01-06-2011, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cat.D.Gomes

yes but I am still trying different types of lenses (soft, rigid...) to know which I can work better with. I didn't think about using daily contacts until recently.

It sounds like you can be one of our resident experts on contact lenses. I'm glad you decided to join us.

mixa · #8 (**permalink**) 01-06-2011, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cat.D.Gomes

I don' t know the price, it depends where it's bought. I use monthly contacts because I'm used to.

I'm not sure which are the cheapest but heres two prices for you to think about..

Focus Dailies £52.99 for 90 pairs

Acuvue moist £83.97 for 90 pairs

Shade Maiden · #9 (**permalink**) 01-06-2011, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mixa

I'm not sure which are the cheapest but here's two prices for you to think about..

Focus Dailies £52.99 for 90 pairs

Acuvue moist £83.97 for 90 pairs

Here are Lens.com's prices in good old American dollars:

Focus Dailies: $35.95 per box (90 lenses, not pairs.)

Acuvue Moist: $ 59.95 per box (90 lenses)

Of course, these are both daily lenses. I didn't want anyone to get confused by this post being in the monthly disposable contact lens category. How did we get onto daily disposable contact lenses anyway?

I guess it was a part of Kyleden's original question.

dragongirl81 · #10 (**permalink**) 01-06-2011, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cat.D.Gomes

yes but I am still trying different types of lenses (soft, rigid...) to know which I can work better with. I didn't think about using daily contacts until recently.

Well, keep in touch and let us know about the various lenses you're trying out. I'd like to get your input on this forum.

Kyleden · #11 (**permalink**) 01-10-2011, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cat.D.Gomes

I don' t know the price, it depends where it's bought. I use monthly contacts because I'm used to.

It sounds to me like a case of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

kbbrake · #12 (**permalink**) 03-15-2011, 05:17 PM

or you could get one of those ultrasonic lens cleaners off ebay? you still have to fill and put them in the case tho instead of flinging them at the garbage lol ... but that would cut down on accidental rips from cleaning... am I the only one whos done that?

Darkflame · #13 (**permalink**) 01-29-2013, 06:13 AM

Old topic i know but thought i'd throw in my 2 cents as my recent experience has proven to me that monthly contact lens cannot be trusted.

I've been a monthly contact lens user for a few years now without any problem but suddenly the other week i contracted a double eye infection whilst moving items out my sisters loft.

It was a surprise to me as i've always been very careful with my lens; always soaking them in solution every night, washing my hands throughly with antibacterial handwash before inserting or removing the lens, changing the lens case every month etc.

It was a scary experience, not only did both eyes sting and weep but the vision in my left eye misted over as if i had cataracts.

Thankfully basic antibiotic antibacterial eye drops are effectively treating the infection and after 4 days of using the drops, the mist is gone and my vision has returned to normal however i have been left with some visible scaring on the left eye that luckily has not affected / degraded my vision.

The importance of the story is this; after speaking to various eye doctors at Moorfields eye hospital, they all said the same thing:

Buy daily.

They may be a lot more expensive than monthly's but having a fresh pair of new lenses a day is vital to drastically reducing the risk of contracting an eye infection.

What i wasn't told by any optician but was told by the doctors at Moorfields is that by simply having a contact lens in your eye, it runs the risk scratching the surface and opening the eye to infection it wouldn't normally be open to if you didn't have a lens on your eye.

I was also told the older the lens, the more scratches it can do to your eye, thus daily's are recommended.

Don't be mistaken though, regardless of whether the lens are monthly or daily, there is ALWAYS a risk of infection.

Simply by inserting a contact lens in your eye, you run the risk, however the chances are dramatically reduced if you're:

a) gentle with the insertion and removal of the lens (everyone should do this already)

b) the contact lens is brand spanking new every time (e.g. daily's)

It's quite annoying to be honest as i've been paying £100 a year in total for my contact lens and solution but if i wish to continue with contact lens i will have to switch over to daily's which are 2 to 3 times more expensive.

But hey ho, my eyes are very important to me and they should be to everyone to be honest, it frightens me how vulnerable and fragile they are (even from bacterial floating in the air),

I for one don't want to run the risk of losing my eyesight or going blind ever again.

The horror stories i read online from other people who have contracted more serious infections from contact lens have scared me for life!

Hell, even the mass eye infection problem of 2005/2006 should be enough to convince anyone that monthly's are too risky.

Bausch & Lomb has so far paid out about $250 million to settle nearly 600 lawsuits after their one of their (now discontinued) popular solutions failed to remove fungal bacteria from users lens.

It just shows that there are just too many types of bacteria out there for these companies to keep up with.

I count myself lucky that my infection is a simple bacterial one and not a more dangerous viral or fungal form that are more resistant to antibiotics.

What should scare people off monthly's the most is that antibiotics are slowly become less effective / and within 20 years may not work at all thus the infections that can be treated today might not be able to be treated in a few decades time!

This news has also led me to decide i may get laser eye treatment sooner than later whilst antibiotics are still effective.

Bonkers · #14 (**permalink**) 01-30-2013, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkflame

Old topic i know but thought i'd throw in my 2 cents as my recent experience has proven to me that monthly contact lens cannot be trusted.

You make a very good case for wearing daily disposable lenses, but I don't think the contact lens wearers of the world should discount monthly lenses entirely. Yes, there are risks of infection with monthly lenses, but millions of people wear them every day without incident.