How long can contact lenses be worn?
Regular soft and hard contacts are designed to be taken out at night, cleaned, and kept immersed, until ready to use the next day. But with the new extended wear lenses, some people can go longer without removing their contacts. Most doctors recommend that extended wear contacts be left in for no more than seven consecutive days and nights. Even then, certain patients may be advised to avoid night wear when possible.
Extended wear contacts are not advisable for those with chronically dry eyes, who work in very dirty conditions, or have high levels of protein in their tears. Disposables can be worn much like extended wear lenses, except that after a week, two weeks at most, they should be thrown away. Never try to ‘push’ the time limit on contacts, just to save a few bucks. If you feel any burning, irritation, or pain, the lenses should be removed. Your doctors’ advice and your own common sense are the best guidelines for determining how long contacts can be worn. For more details on wearing contacts safely, consult your opthalmologist.