Whether you choose to wear eyeglasses or contact lenses for vision correction mostly depends on personal preferences. Lifestyle, comfort, convenience, budget and aesthetics should all factor into
your decision-making process. Before deciding between contacts and glasses, keep in mind that one is not necessarily better than the other; each has its pros and cons in terms of vision, ease of use and eye health.
Eye glasses and contact lens both help to correct refractive errors such as hyperopia, myopia, astigmatism and presbyopia. Eyeglasses sit on the bridge of a person’s nose and do not touch the eyes, while contact
lenses sit directly on the eyes. Wearers can switch their contact lenses daily or wear them for more extended periods before removing them to clean. Because eyeglasses sit slightly away from the eye, and contact
lenses sit directly on the eye, prescriptions for each are different. People who wish to use both eyeglasses and contact lenses will require two prescriptions. An eye doctor can measure a person’s prescription for
both during a comprehensive eye exam. However, the doctor will also need to measure the curvature and width of the eye to make sure the contact lenses fit correctly.
Contact lenses have come a long way and offer some exciting options. You can bat a pair of baby blues one day, and then flash golden tiger eyes the next. You can even toss disposable lenses in the trash each night.
For people with vision problems, contacts remain an effective, almost invisible tool. You can wear contacts even if you have presbyopia and need bifocals. Contact lens wearers may choose between daily contacts,
extended-wear contacts, hard and soft lenses, or even tinted lenses to change the color of their irises.
Glasses used to be made of glass, now are most made of plastic. Plastic lenses are lighter and can be treated with coatings to protect your eyes. But plastic is more likely to scratch than glass. There are two types
of eyeglasses: single vision glasses which correct distance issues, and multifocal ones which help with distance and with near-vision issues, like reading.
Glasses and contacts lenses are both great options in eye care. However, each has benefits over the other.
Eye glasses offer many benefits over contact lenses. They require very little cleaning and maintenance, you don't need to touch your eyes to wear them (decreasing your risk for eye infections), and glasses are
cheaper than contact lenses in the long run since they don't need to be replaced as often. Also, eyeglasses can do something contact lenses cannot as they can adjust the amount of light entering your eye for optimum
comfort and vision. Specifically, photochromic lenses are clear indoors and at night, and darken automatically in sunlight for clear, comfortable vision in any light. Although some contact lenses can block some UV
light from entering the eye, photochromic eyeglass lenses block 100 percent UV and protect not only the inside of the eye from UV, but the exterior of the eye and eyelids as well.
Also, in terms of choice, eyeglass wearers have plenty of options to choose from, including lens and frame material, frame size, style, and color and also, can act as an extension of your personality.
That being said, conversely, contact lenses have many advantages over glasses. Contacts sit directly on your eye, so vision, particularly peripheral vision, is unobstructed. You can participate in sports and outdoor
activities without fear of eyeglasses getting in the way, falling off or breaking. You can even change the color of your eyes with color contact lenses.
Keep in mind, though, that if you wear contact lenses full-time, you also should have an up-to-date pair of glasses — in case you need to stop wearing contacts due to an eye infection or irritation, or you simply want
to give your eyes a break.
The decision to wear either contacts or glasses and when to wear them usually is a matter of personal preference. Talk to us about the best type of lenses for you. Get regular eye exams to keep your peepers healthy
and make sure your prescription stays up to date. Whether you choose to wear eyeglasses or contact lenses for vision correction, mostly depends on personal preferences such as lifestyle, comfort, convenience, budget
and aesthetics which should all factor into your decision-making process.