Hybrid Contact Lenses: The Ideal Marriage for Clear and Comfortable Vision
In all aspects of clear vision, hybrid contact lenses have revolutionized the world of vision correction. For those very particular about having high precision visual acuity without trading it off against comfort, hybrid lenses offer exceptional relief with many of the best features of both hard (rigid gas permeable, or RGP) lenses and soft lenses. They are especially useful for those who suffer from specific eye conditions, like keratoconus, irregularly shaped cornea, or astigmatism, or for people who just cannot get an adequate result with the traditional lenses.
What Are Hybrid Contact Lenses?
Hybrid contact lenses contain two different zones: the rigid center and the soft outer skirt. The rigid center of hybrid lenses provides the same quality of vision offered by rigid gas permeable lenses, but the soft outer skirt, like in the case of soft lenses, offers comfort. This unique design would help hybrid lenses deliver the best of both worlds.
Rigid Center for Clarity: The center part of a hybrid lens is created with a stiff material that will maintain its shape and provide clear vision. Rigid material corrects irregular corneal curvatures in keratoconus, after surgery-induced changes, and thus perfectly used where multiple refractive errors occur.
Soft Skirt for Comfort: The soft skirt is a flexible material, enveloping a tough central core, that sits comfortably over the eye. Besides providing a softer feel to the lens, the soft skirt helps ensure a firmer fit, reducing the chances of movement or discomfort when wearing lenses for extensive periods.
Who Can Benefit from Hybrid Contact Lenses?
Hybrid contact lenses are ideal for many, especially those who have experienced the shortcomings of other contact lenses. Here are a few of the individuals who will benefit from hybrid contact lenses:
- Patients With Keratoconus: Keratoconus is a progressive eye disorder in which the cornea gradually becomes thin and bulges into a cone-like shape that causes distorted vision. For patients suffering from keratoconus, soft lenses often are not clear enough, and rigid lenses can be uncomfortable. Hybrid lenses with their rigid center can offer clear vision required to correct the distortion caused by the irregularly formed cornea and the soft skirt ensuring greater comfort.
- Irregularly Shaped Corneas Besides keratoconus, there are many other reasons why the cornea is a rather irregularly shaped structure; these may include surgery on or trauma to the eye, or simply degeneration of the cornea. Hybrid lenses will adapt to an irregular cornea for razor-sharp and consistent vision that soft lenses can't achieve.
- With Astigmatism: Hybrid contact lenses would be of a great use for the millions of people with astigmatism, the most common form of refractive error caused by irregular curvature of the cornea producing distorted or blurred vision. Hybrid lenses have a rigid center which corrects the irregular curvature of the cornea and permits sharper and more stable vision than soft toric lenses.
- The Comfort-Seeker: For those patients who demand a very high level of optical clarity, but cannot tolerate the transitional adaptation of RGP lenses, a hybrid lens is available, which provides greater comfort since the soft outer skirt diminishes the possible edge awareness and discomfort often associated with rigid lenses.
Hybrid Contact Lenses Benefits
Hybrid lenses have a firmer center that gives clearer visions than soft lenses, mostly to those suffering with complex conditions in the eyes. Hybrids can correct more significant cornea irregularities to give sharper and stable vision compared to most soft lenses.
Greater Comfort: Hybrid lenses are much more comfortable to wear than traditional RGP lenses because of the soft skirt around the lens. For so many, it makes all the difference in wearing them long term and all day long without discomfort.
Reduced Risk of Dust and Debris: Another key complaint regarding RGP contact lenses is that dust or debris easily becomes lodged underneath the lens, which irritates the eyes. Hybrid lenses have reduced this risk because the soft skirt that molds snugly onto the eye acts as a buffer against debris.
Better lens stability-the soft outer ring of the lens also adds stability, so the lens is less likely to move or shift on the eye. This may be particularly advantageous for those who experience shifting with other types of lenses and who experience extended periods of stable, uninterrupted vision.
Hybrid Lenses Problems
With hybrid contact lenses comes many advantages but not without its disadvantages. Some patients may find the fitting process complicated and require extra consultations to fit the perfect contact lens. Hybrid contact lenses are also pricier than the traditional soft or rigid contacts due to the high materials as well as technological application in their design.
Hybrid contact lenses often require more fastidious care than soft lenses, including a strict maintenance plan. They require that the patient be cautious to protect hygiene and extend life span of lenses without risking infections in eyes.
Are Hybrid Contact Lenses Suitable for You?
Hybrid contact lenses are a great alternative for someone wanting the best of clarity and comfort. Do you have keratoconus or astigmatism? Do you face difficulties while trying to find lenses that can give clear vision together with comfortable use throughout the day? Then you should try hybrid contact lenses.
So, in order to determine if hybrid contact lenses are ideal for your needs, you need to see an optometrist who specializes in advanced contact lens fittings.
