Glasses or Contact Lenses, Which is Better?
Whether you choose to wear contact lenses or glasses to correct your vision, this decision usually depends on personal preferences.
Your lifestyle, comfort, budget, and aesthetic appearance are all factors to consider when making this decision.
Before making a final choice between lenses and glasses, keep in mind that one choice is not necessarily better than the other: both options have their pros and cons when it comes to improving vision, ease of use, and the health of your eyes.
Classic glasses often offer several advantages compared to lenses. They require less maintenance, you don't have to touch your eyes to wear them which immediately reduces the risk of eye infections, and as far as the wallet is concerned: glasses are cheaper than lenses in the long run because you don't have to replace them as often. Glasses can also be an extension of your personality and you can make a big statement with your look.
On the other hand, it must also be said that lenses also have a number of advantages compared to glasses.
Lenses connect directly to your eye, so that the vision, especially in the area around the eye, is not obstructed. Wearing lenses allows you to participate in sports and outdoor activities without fear of a glass getting into your eye, your glasses falling off and breaking.
You can even change the color of your eyes by wearing colored lenses.
You can see that it is not easy to choose between glasses and contact lenses, because this depends to a large extent on your specific needs and lifestyle. Below we give an overview of the advantages & disadvantages of both types of ways to improve your vision to help you with the final choice.
The advantages of wearing contact lenses
Lenses adapt to the curve of your eye, which provides a wider field of vision and reduces vision problems much better than classic glasses.
Lenses are much less in the way when you play sports or move a lot.
Lenses do not come into contact with what you wear.
Lenses are not affected by the weather conditions and they will not fog up in cold weather as is the case with classic glasses.
If you want to see how your look changes when you have lenses with a different color, you can easily experiment with colored lenses. You can do this for regular use, but also for specific events where you are looking for a certain effect such as Halloween and costume parties!
Some types of lenses will reshape your cornea when you sleep. With this special type of lens, you can see clearly the next day without having to wear glasses or even lenses.
The disadvantages of wearing contact lenses
Some people have trouble inserting lenses, but learning the correct technique and sufficient practice should enable you to master this action perfectly over time.
Lenses reduce the amount of oxygen that reaches your eye and this can cause or increase the severity of the so-called dry eye syndrome.
If you often work on the computer, wearing lenses can contribute to symptoms of the so-called computer vision syndrome.
Contact lenses also require proper maintenance and cleaning on a daily basis, in order to reduce the risk of serious eye infections. If you know that you will not be able to guarantee the care and the recommended cycle for changing your lenses, you may consider wearing daily disposable lenses.
If you sometimes fall asleep while wearing your daily lenses, your eyes may become dry and gritty, or even red and irritated when you wake up. If you find yourself regularly falling asleep with your lenses in, you may consider wearing long-lasting lenses. For example, there are lenses on the market that you can wear for up to 30 days at a time.
The advantages of wearing glasses
Wearing glasses reduces the need to touch your eyes, which in turn reduces the likelihood that your eyes will become irritated or that you will develop an eye infection.
If you suffer from dry or sensitive eyes, glasses with classic lenses will be better able to address this problem than lenses.
In the long term, glasses are usually cheaper than lenses. After all, you don't have to replace the lenses as often, unless you break the glasses of course, and if your prescription needs to change over time, you are able to use your current frame and only have to replace the lenses.
The frame of the glasses can be trendy and you can use it to express your personality and your own style. The look of the glasses can also make a clear statement.
The lenses of your glasses also offer better protection against environmental factors such as wind, dust and all kinds of falling fluff.
The disadvantages of wearing glasses
The lenses of your glasses are approximately 12 mm from your eyes, so that the vision at the edge of your eyes can be disturbed. Many people who wear glasses also report difficulty focusing on objects and blurred vision when they first start wearing glasses or when a prescription has changed.
Some people do not feel comfortable because wearing glasses gives them a different look and because they have problems with the aesthetic aspect.
If you wear glasses with lenses for a large deviation in your eyes, the edges of the lenses can be thick and give your glasses a less beautiful appearance. This can even cause your eyes to appear unnaturally reduced or enlarged.
The frames of some glasses can cause constant pressure on your nose and behind your ears, which can lead to headaches and a general feeling of discomfort.
Contact lenses, glasses, or both?
Thanks to the benefits and advances in lens technology, most people today are able to wear lenses successfully, even if they prefer to wear glasses as a first form of visual correction.
The decision to wear either lenses or glasses and when to wear them is usually a matter of personal preference.
Keep in mind that when you always want to wear contact lenses, it is best to have glasses in case there comes a time when you have to temporarily stop wearing lenses due to, for example, an eye infection or irritation, or when you simply want to give your eyes some rest.