Contact Lenses For Nearsightedness

Contacts for nearsightedness restore clear distance vision, making activities like driving, watching a movie, or recognizing faces from afar effortless. They provide a full, unobstructed field of view that glasses cannot match.

Nearsightedness occurs when the eyeball is too long or the cornea is curved too steeply, causing light rays to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it. The result is clear vision up close but blurry vision at a distance. Common symptoms include squinting to see distant objects, eye fatigue, soreness, and headaches from the constant strain of trying to focus.

Nearsightedness is usually present at birth and tends to run in families, with risk increasing if one or both parents are nearsighted. It typically stabilizes between the ages of 20 and 30, but people with significant nearsightedness face a higher long-term risk of serious eye conditions including detached retina, glaucoma, and cataracts. Regular comprehensive eye exams with an eye care professional are important for monitoring eye health over time.

Contact lenses for nearsightedness come in spherical, toric, multifocal, and hybrid types depending on your prescription and whether other refractive errors are present. Spherical lenses use a single power for standard nearsightedness correction, toric lenses add astigmatism correction, and multifocal lenses address both nearsightedness and presbyopia. Most are made from soft hydrogel or silicone hydrogel materials for oxygen transmission and comfort.

Hybrid lenses use a rigid gas-permeable center with a soft outer ring for wearers who need sharper optics than soft lenses provide. All lens types are available in daily, biweekly, and monthly replacement schedules.

Lens types available for nearsightedness:

• Spherical lenses - correct nearsightedness only
• Toric lenses - correct nearsightedness with astigmatism
• Multifocal lenses - correct nearsightedness with presbyopia
• Hybrid lenses - RGP center with soft outer ring for complex prescriptions

Replacement schedules available:

• Daily disposable - worn once and discarded
• Biweekly - replaced every two weeks with nightly cleaning
• Monthly - replaced every 30 days with nightly cleaning

Several leading brands offer contact lenses that correct nearsightedness across daily, biweekly, and monthly replacement schedules. Your eye care professional can confirm which lens type and brand fits your specific prescription and wear habits.

Johnson & Johnson

• 1-Day Acuvue Moist - daily disposable with UV protection
• 1-Day Acuvue TruEye - daily disposable with UV protection

Bausch & Lomb

• ULTRA - monthly lens for wearers who can follow a lens care routine
• Biotrue ONEday - daily disposable for active lifestyles
• SofLens Daily Disposable - daily disposable for first-time wearers

Alcon

• Dailies Total 1 - daily disposable with water gradient technology
• Air Optix Aqua - monthly silicone hydrogel lens

CooperVision

• Biofinity - monthly silicone hydrogel lens
• Proclear 1 Day - daily disposable with PC Technology

Soft spherical contact lenses can cost anywhere from $30 to $75 per box of six lenses. If you replace your contacts every two weeks, expect an annual lens cost of $300 to $750.

Hybrid contacts for nearsightedness cost more than soft ones since they’re a special type of contact lens. On average, be prepared to spend $300 to $500 every six to 12 months without insurance. The final cost will depend on your ECP, the contact lens brand, the comprehensive eye exam fee, and how many follow-up visits to your ECP are required.

Note: Prices are subject to change and may vary based on prescription type, lens quantity, and current promotions. Check the Rebate Center at Lens.com for current rebate offers before ordering.

The insertion and removal process is the same for both soft and hybrid contact lenses. Always wash and dry your hands before handling lenses.

To insert:

• Wash hands with mild soap and dry with a lint-free towel
• Scoop the lens out of the case with the index finger of your dominant hand
• Rinse the lens with multipurpose solution and check it is not inside out
• Inspect the lens for tears or debris before placing it on your eye
• Use the middle finger of your dominant hand to pull down your lower eyelid
• Place the lens on your eye while looking straight ahead and blink to center it
• Repeat with the other lens

To remove:

• Hold your eyelids open with one hand
• Gently pinch the lens between your index finger and thumb
• Carefully lift the lens off your eye
• Repeat with the other lens