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Contact Lenses for Extended
Wear
Contact lenses are available
for two different wear
schedules:
-
daily wear, meaning you
remove them before
sleeping, and
-
extended wear, or
overnight wear.
What are extended wear
contact lenses?
In the United States, the
Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) has approved some
contact lenses for daily
wear only, and others for
extended wear. The primary
distinction of extended wear
lenses is that they let more
oxygen reach the surface of
your eyes.
Most extended wear lenses
are FDA-approved to be worn
without removal for up to
seven days. A new type of
soft contact lens material,
silicone hydrogel, is
considered
"super-permeable," and some
lenses made from this
material are approved for up
to 30 days of wear without
removal.
One gas permeable lens brand
is also approved for 30 days
of wear. This 30-day type of
extended wear is sometimes
called "continuous wear."
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