We all know many eyecare professionals and their staff wear daily disposables as their primary choice for contact lens wear, but many of us still have a decent percentage of reusable wearers among our patients. Why does that happen? Many providers don’t take the extra time to refit patients into something else when they are “happy,” but we need to keep in mind that “happy” contact lens wearing patients do not know what their options are. They are not up to speed with the newest technologies to consider with their contact lens wearing experience.
I asked one of my patients, who is currently wearing daily disposable contact lenses and has worn lenses for over 40 years, why someone would wear anything other than daily contact lenses. Here are some of the advantages she recognized:
- Health. She did not know why someone would still want to take out their lenses and clean them. The process is not hard, but it is a process, she said. Additionally, she used to have an occasional red eye and thinks it was most likely the result of not cleaning her previous lenses well enough.
- Convenience. Daily disposables are advantageous especially if someone travels at all. My patient could not imagine carrying cases and solution on an airplane or taking up space in her baggage. The fear of losing or tearing reusable lenses while on vacation would be an extra stress point, she said.
- Comfort. My patient perceives daily lenses as more comfortable because she has clean, fresh lenses every day. She added that daily disposables are a must, especially for someone who wears make-up. They are also often thinner and lighter when compared to reusable lenses, which can make a big difference for someone with allergies or dry eyes.
Consider the many advantages of daily disposable lenses from your patient’s perspective. They could be key reasons to take the extra time to discuss new technologies in contact lenses with both your “happy” and unhappy patients.