Why can you only wear disposable contacts for two weeks only?

Question

Hi all,

I was just wondering why you can only wear disposable contacts for two weeks? I steralize mine every night and take good care of them so why can't they be used for three weeks or longer?

Thanks in advance,
Stu :-)

Answer 1

Usually when mine get to be 2 weeks old, they cause my eyes to tickle and itch and they aren't very comfortable. They wear out. However, there have been occasions when I have worn them for longer than 2 weeks because they haven't bothered my eyes, so I wear them until they do. Contacts get protein deposits on them. Before 2-week disposables came along, a person had to clean their contacts with enzyme tablets like Ultrazyme every week to clean off the protein deposits. You don't have to do this with 2-week disposables because you throw them out after 2 weeks. A build up of protein deposits can cause eye infections and irritation. Anyway, I say, and this is just me, if you can wear the contacts longer without them bothering you, then go for it. If you do that though, pay closer attention for when your contacts do begin to cause irritation and throw them out right away when they do.

Answer 2

When I first got mine, the doctor said to change them every two weeks so I did. Now, I don't sleep with them in and I do clean them, but I do wear them much longer than two weeks now. The worst case scenario would probably be an eye infection, but I've never had one.

Answer 3

hi i have used the weekly and monthly ones, and since i started long time ago, i tend to misuse them by keeping in long, both kinds, the ones u got and the ones that dont need to be taken out nightly. u can use them longer but they are afraid that some build up will occur under the eye lid i believe, like i said i have been doing for some time and no problem but somepeoples eyes are diff. for the past several yrrs now i have only been using one contact in right eye, (i noticed once when taking out to exchange that i could read with the left one out.) so from then one only used one in the right eye for distance and was reading with left. and now this past yr had lazik in right eye only. having some problems. wellhope this helps. rob

Answer 4

Depending on the brand, most 2 weeks lenses should be tossed out if you are sleeping in them. If you have a 2 week lens and clean them everynight and do not sleep in them, you can wear them for 4 weeks