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When you notice your vision isn’t quite what it used to be and you’re in need of a first-time or updated prescription for lenses, you may wonder if glasses, contact lenses or both will best suit your vision correction and lifestyle needs. Let’s compare the benefits of each so you can make the right decision for how you live.
10 BENEFITS OF GLASSES
Eyeglasses may be preferred over contact lenses for a variety of reasons and situations. Here are the primary advantages of glasses:
1. Ocular Health. Because glasses don’t come into direct contact with the surface of the eye, there is less risk of eye infection, irritation and allergic reaction associated with contact lenses and contact with fingers, particularly among people with sensitive, dry or allergy-prone eyes.
2. Superior Comfort. Many people find glasses more comfortable, especially if they’re not used to inserting and removing contact lenses. Some folks struggle with handling contact lenses, or to the feeling of wearing them, always aware of their presence. People prone to clenching their eyes, or to having eye redness or irritation, may find glasses more comfortable than contacts.
3. Convenience. Glasses are easy to put on and take off, and there’s no need for the daily cleaning routine and maintenance of contact lenses. When out and about, there’s no need to remember to carry contact lens cases, cleansers, wetting solutions, etc.
4. Cost. Glasses are often a more cost-effective long-term option when compared to the ongoing expenses of purchasing contact lenses and lens care products.
5. Multifocal Correction. For people over 40 who experience presbyopia, multifocal or bifocal lenses can correct vision at various distances, including close-up.
6. Safety. People with certain eye conditions, such as chronic dry eye or a history of eye infections, may not be suitable candidates for contact lenses due to the risk of exacerbating these issues. Also, people who are prone to neglecting to remove, clean or replace contacts on schedule may invite increased risk of infection, making glasses a smarter choice.
7. Compatibility. For some jobs, such as those involving dusty, windy or dry environments, glasses may be more practical. For people who are in and out of the ocean or pool, glasses may be easier to manage than risking losing a contact lens to a sudden wave or splash.
8. Style. Eyeglass frames come in a vast array of sizes, shapes, colors and designer details that make them part of a person’s signature style. With designs from classic to modern, professional to fanciful, glasses can become an essential piece of a smart,
fashion-forward wardrobe.
9. Sunglasses. Prescription sunwear lenses come with 100% UV protection for clearer vision and crucial protection from the sun’s damaging rays.
10. Environment Adaptable. Eyeglass lenses can include options that adapt to the environment, from UV-blocking polarized to photochromatic lenses that automatically transition to suit light conditions, for ultimate convenience.
8 BENEFITS OF CONTACT LENSES
While glasses come with a long list of advantages, contact lenses are often a superior choice based on the many benefits they can provide:
1. Cosmetic. When you don’t want to alter your appearance or interfere with others’ ability to see your eyes directly, contact lenses let your face and eyes shine through unobstructed. And what’s more beautiful than that?
2. Distortion-free. High prescription glasses lenses can sometimes create a visual distortion between the lens and the eye. Contact lenses don’t have this drawback.
3. Better Peripheral Vision. Contact lenses offer a wider unobstructed field of vision than glasses, providing greater peripheral awareness for improved safety and accuracy.
4. Lifestyle Friendly. Unlike glasses, contact lenses don’t fog up or slide down your nose. If you’re always on-the-go, contact lenses may be more compatible with physical activities like sports, dancing, outdoor adventures, playing with little ones, and other activities that might lead to damaged or lost glasses. Rain, changes in temperature, mask-wearing and other environmental factors don’t diminish vision.
5. Anti-glare. Unlike glasses, contact lenses don’t produce glare or reflections, which can be especially important when doing things like driving at night.
6. Convenience. Devotees of contact lenses report that contacts allow them to breeze through the day without thinking about their corrective lenses at all, allowing them to do everything without dealing with the fogging, smudging, limited peripheral vision and inconvenience of glasses.
7. More Options. People with corneal issues such as keratoconus (cone-shaped eyeballs) were once ineligible for contact lenses. Today, scleral and Rose-K lenses make it possible for many people with corneal conditions to safely and effectively wear contacts.
8. Cosmetic Features. Colored contact lenses can let you change your eye color at will, creating a novel way to update your appearance. Specialty lenses, such as cat-eye or snake-eye effects, appeal to some for celebratory or theatrical purposes. Note that OTC novelty contact lenses are associated with high numbers of potentially dangerous eye infections, and should not be used by anyone. Prescription novelty lenses are a fun, safe way to enjoy special effects.
Hopefully, these points will help you evaluate the merits of each within the context of your individual needs, lifestyle and ocular health considerations. For many people, glasses are the safest and most practical choice. For others, contact lenses may be preferable for their aims and lifestyles. For a large third group, having both hits the sweet spot, as glasses are ideal for some needs, and contact lenses for others.
To know which lens type is best for you, make an appointment with your eye doctor to review or renew your lens prescription, provide any needed exams, and discuss which lenses will best enhance your vision, routines, endeavors and recreational pursuits.
YOUR CONTACT LENS AND EYEWEAR PROVIDER
Lake Eye (a US Eye Company) offers comprehensive eye health exams, vision exams, and a complete range of eyeglass lenses, from single vision to multifocal, polarized to polycarbonate. We also carry a monumental selection of designer frames from names like Oakley, Maui Jim, Tom Ford, Gucci, Jimmy Choo and many more, to please every taste and mood.
Lake Eye features a full selection of contact lenses, including rigid gas-permeable, scleral lenses, Rose-K lenses for people with keratoconus, and hybrid gas-permeable/soft varieties. We carry lenses designed for daily and extended wear, as well as disposable, to fit nearly any lifestyle.
For comprehensive eye health and vision testing and a dazzling choice of frames, lenses and contact lenses, you’ll find everything you need all in one place, at your local Lake Eye.
Lake Eye
352-632-2020
