Wednesday, February 12th
The Benefits of Contact Lenses
People use contact lenses (as an alternative to eyeglasses) for many reasons. Most of the time it is to correct a vision defect, like myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far-sightedness) astigmatism (incorrect focusing), or presbyopia (poor focusing, often due to age). There are even some tinted lenses to improve color blindness. Discuss with your eye-care professional whether you are a candidate for contact lenses and for which
type.
Advantages that contact lenses have over eyeglasses include:
- Contact lenses are worn directly on the eye instead of some distance away, providing more natural vision. And they don't break or shatter if a ball or something else impacts the face.
- Contact lenses provide better peripheral vision than eyeglasses. This can be critical while playing sports or driving.
- Contact lenses help avoid dealing with obstructions to viewing, such as eyeglass lens frames or reflections from eyeglass lenses.
- Contact lenses put no weight on the ears like eyeglasses. And they don't slip down the nose.
- Contact lenses don't fog up because of cold weather, or when bending over a hot dish, like eyeglasses can.
- Some people think they simply look better without eyeglasses. There are contact lenses that can change or enhance the color of your eye, and even costume lenses for a radical change in appearance. It's important to remember that a prescription from an eye-care professional is required to purchase any type of contact lens.
Different types of contact lenses offer different benefits.
- Rigid gas permeable lenses (sometimes simply called GP lenses) can help treat some cases of myopia, where the rigid lens actually helps reshape the eyeball. GP lenses also usually provide the sharpest, clearest improvement in vision.
- Continuous wear lenses can be worn for periods of up to 30 days, night and day, without having to be removed or replaced.
- Daily disposable lenses provide the most convenience. ing daily disposable lenses can fit a busy lifestyle and save time in the day, since there is no time spent cleaning, disinfecting, rinsing, or storing the lenses. This makes daily disposable lenses a cleaner, safer, and healthier solution for some people. Comfort is another benefit of daily disposable lenses. In some cases, daily disposable lenses can also be used
as a bandage for patients who have damage to the cornea.
Contact lenses can also provide benefits to teens or younger children. Wearing contact lenses instead of glasses can improve how young people feel about their appearance. Contact lenses can also help them participate in physical or social activities they might otherwise avoid.