High or Low Water Content?

i often found my customers asking which contact lens have the highest water content. As i ask them why they look for the highest one instead the low one, they said that the highest water content is more comfortable instead of the low one. The low water content tend to cause dryness (mostly will say like that)
and when i asked them where they got the information from, mostly will say the optic's employee said that
well.. no offense ya, but optics sell mostly a high water content contact lens, yeaaaa of course they will say something like that in order to make you purchase some from them.

So, high water content is more comfortable my experience, i wear a contact lens with 38% for it's water content and it's more comfortable than 42% (different brand). in other case, i wear the same 42% water content contact lens from one of famous brand but it hurts my eyes more than other brand

Still think that the higher water content give you extra comfort  i don't think so

SO WHICH IS TRUE
let's did a Google (if you have Google and internet access, you can also find out the information)

this is what i've got :

Water content is an important feature of the various plastics used to make soft contact lenses. As a general rule, with conventional soft contact lenses, the higher the water content of the lens, the more oxygen can pass through the lens to the surface of the eye. This is important for lens comfort and healthy eyes - but high water content lenses may be more fragile, so are more likely to tear with frequent handling. The relationship between water content and oxygen transmission is not the same with lenses made from silicone hydrogel materials which achieve very high levels of oxygen transmission regardless of their water content.

source : http://www.specsavers.co.uk/ask-the-optician/water-content-of-a-contact-lens/

  38% water content is probably fine if you haven’t been experiencing any discomfort or vision problems. Higher water content lenses are potentially beneficial because more water means more oxygen to the eye — high water content lenses allow more oxygen into the eye (and more release of carbon dioxide) because the water serves as a vehicle for the gases. But higher water content lenses tend to also be more fragile (because they have less plastic) so manufacturers tend to make them thicker than low water content lenses so that they won’t rip as easily. Ironically, this thickening of the lens counteracts the benefit of more water!

  This depends some on the material of the lens. For example, evidence so far indicates that silicone hydrogel lenses are pretty healthy for the cornea, reducing the likelihood for infection and keeping the eye relatively moist and oxygenated (because silicone is permeable to oxygen). But everyone’s eyes are different. For some people, 38% water content will be just fine and for others, it won’t be sufficient. Some people can wear the same brand contact lens for 30 days while other people may hava problems such as dry eye, infection, not enough oxygen, etc.

You also ask about extended wear versus disposables. Currently, evidence doesn’t seem to indicate that one is healthier than the other. But it is a good idea occasionally to change out your contact lens case, either way. In general, your eyes should always:

• Feel good.
• Look good.
• See well.

If all these conditions are met, you’re probably okay. But it is important to remember that many studies testing the effects of lenses on the cornea and the eye as a whole are conducted by contact lens manufacturers and thus may be biased. So be sure to check with your health care provider about your lenses; when they ask, be honest about the length of time that you wear them. Ask about the type of soaking and rinsing solution(s) you are using to make sure the solution is okay to use with the chemistry of your particular lens. Have re-wetting drops on hand to use if your eyes feel dry or get cloudy. And remember that even if a manufacturer says you can wear your lenses for 12 hours, 24 hours, or 30 days without a problem, if your eyes are not happy, give them a break and wear glasses for a bit.  Your eyes will thank you!

Source : http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/contact-lenses-which-type-better

Water Content of Contact Lenses

Soft contact lenses are made of a combination of hydrophilic ("water-loving") polymers that hold water to keep the lenses moist and comfortable. The percentage of water content in soft contacts can vary widely — from about 38 to 79 percent.

Intuitively, you might think that if your eyes are dry you need a higher-water-content lens, but in fact the opposite may be true. The best contact lenses for dry eyes can be lower-water-content lenses. A high-water-content lens may lose much of its moisture more easily due to environmental influences.

Also, if your eyes are inherently dry and you wear high-water lenses, the lenses may draw tears away from your eyes to stay properly hydrated, thereby increasing your dryness symptoms.

If this is the case, your eye doctor may switch you to a contact lens with a lower water content.

Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses for Dry Eyes

Silicone hydrogel contact lenses are made of one of several new soft lens materials with high oxygen permeability — a characteristic that's good for your cornea, which needs high levels of oxygen to stay clear and healthy to provide good vision.

Silicone hydrogel contacts generally are low-water lenses and may help reduce dry eye symptoms. If you are experiencing dryness with standard soft contact lenses, especially toward the end of the day, your eye doctor may recommend switching to silicone hydrogel lenses.

source : http://www.allaboutvision.com/contacts/lenses-dry-eyes.htm

Common dry eye symptoms include: 

Red, irritated eyes

A scratchy sensation, or the feeling something is in your eye
Watery eyes

It may sound strange that a dry eye condition can cause your eyes to get watery. This production of very watery tears is a protective mechanism of the body in response to eye irritation. But these "reflex" tears lack the oils and mucous found in normal tears, which help the tear film spread evenly across the eye and keep normal tears from evaporating too easily

Eyes become irritated for a variety of reasons, including dust, smoke, lack of oxygen to the eye surface, eyelid abnormalities, allergies and inability to produce adequate lubrication. People with sensitive eyes may find it difficult to wear contact lenses for vision correction. The best solution for those with sensitive eyes are contact lenses specifically manufactured to work with easily irritated eyes.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/242744-the-best-contact-lenses-for-sensitive-eyes/

So, based on 4 information that i got, i come into my conclusion :

1. If you have dry eyes condition, don't use high water content contact lens
Generally, a lower water content contact lens will be better for dry eyes. This is because contact lenses stay hydrated by your tears. A high water content lens would need more tears to stay moist than a low water content lens.

2. High water content has more oxygen, but they are more fragile because they contain less plastic material

3. Water content is not the main factor of contact lens' comfort

4. Before deciding to use a contact lens, better you consult it with your doctor (don't ask the optics employee)
you and your doc just have to try a few and see which ones feel better for you. Like the others said though, your doctor will know what's best for your specific needs.

5. Everyone’s eyes are different. It may have different result. Trial error is needed

 My Experience 

(believe it or not) i never care about water content every time i bought contact lens  i swear

for me, in choosing a contact lens, there are 3 most important factors : Brand, design and color

IMO, design and color are the other factors after i know which brand is friendly with my eyes. Sometimes the design is the main factor attracts me the most in picking up contact lens but i end up not to grab it because of the brand  As you know that there are some brands that not too friendly with my eyes (such as Geo) but i don't claimed that some BRANDS not suit in my eyes are having a bad quality.. NO..NO..NO 
every brand is made with their lack and surplus and that will have different result in each individual eye
 so not all the brands will be suitable with my eyes (and maybe yours). just remind you that each eyes sensitivity is different, that's why trial error is needed... by trial error, i can find which contact lens's brands are supa comfy, friendly enough and not too friendly with my eyes

back to the important factors, if it doesn't fulfill one of them, i'll not grab it whatever cute it is 
 lemme give you my example :

Geo contact lens doesn't friendly in my eyes, so although i find a very cute and adorable design n color, i will never grab it (but sometimes it's hard not to grab it  the designs or colors are too cute ) or if i really wanna purchase i.fairy lens, which is supa dupa comfort in my eyes and i never had any problem using them, but i don't find the color that i like, i will not grab them as well 

the other factor is DIAMETER. sometimes i dont mind picking a small diameter, but i prefer to have a larger diameter. a bigger eye ball creates a dolly look which gimme a very innocent look.. aahahahahahaha  My experience so far, i can't use contact lens in more than 17,2 mm. it will feel odd in my eyes and believe me, it doesn't comfy at all when you are feeling something strange in your eye every time you blink. 

you can say that i'm weird.. kawkakwkawk  but that's my own opinion when i have to choose a contact lens because i will not choose something which can bring harm for my eyes. you can have your own 

more over,, i never care about the low or high water content as long as it doesn't cause any problems for me such as redness, stingy, blurry vision, or any thing la. High or low water content doesn't determine a contact lens' comfort, (again) it depends on the individual eye. Yes sometimes a lens with a high water content will not cause any dryness, but sometimes (believe it or not) a low water content contact lens works better. 

as i ever read as well that WATER CONTENT sometimes determines a contact lens' period. Higher water content will have a shorter time to be able to use comfy rather than the low one. ummmm, i don't think so  because i had my Dueba (which is 38%) compared to my i.fairy (which is 55%) i could use both of them in 12 months with no problems 
FYI, i use contact lens not more than 12 hours in a day,  my eyes need breathes as well my dear

which is the most comfortable contact lens..
well,, i can't say~ because your eyes are different from mine or others
the best seller contact lens sometimes is not the best contact lens for your eye due to the different of individual eyes. That's why i said trial error is needed.

and that's my opinion  i'd like to hear from you 



Regards,
Depth ~ Dreamie