Are Contact Lenses Right For You?
Approximately 60% of the US population uses vision correction, but choosing the right method is essential! With contact lenses, there are safety and health concerns you need to remember. And eyeglasses can be annoying while keeping you from certain activities. Let’s dive into the pros and cons of each!
Contact Lenses
August 19-23 happens to be National Contact Lens Health Week. In a national survey conducted by the CDC, 99% of contact wearers reported at least one risky behavior in their contact lens care. These behaviors can lead to serious eye infections or eye damage.
Are you wearing contact lenses correctly?
Proper Contact Lens Care
To avoid infection and eye damage, contact users should regularly clean or dispose of their lenses. For disposable contact lenses, it’s important to make sure you’re wearing each pair once and not overusing them.
For extended or daily use contact lenses, maintain a regular cleaning schedule:
- Rub, rinse and store your lenses in a fresh solution every time you remove your contacts.
- Never “top off” your cleaning solution. Always use fresh.
- Do not rinse lenses with water.
When removing contact lenses, you should also wash your hands before and after to avoid harmful germs.
Pros & Cons: Contact Lenses
Contact lenses come with a variety of benefits to their users:
- Can be used for most vision problems
- Moves with the eye so vision correction looks and feels natural
- Allows wearers easy ability to participate in sports and physical activities
- Flexibility with your budget
However, for some people the cons can outweigh the pros:
- Risk of infection
- Potential of torn lenses
- Eye irritation and discomfort
Eyeglasses
Eyeglasses can correct a wide range of vision problems for adults and children. They often come in a variety of frames and lenses that suit the wearer. There are around 164 million adults in the United States wearing eyeglasses.
While they don’t come with the same risks as contact lenses, are eyeglasses right for you?
Proper Eyeglasses Care
Eyeglasses don’t require the same cleaning efforts as contact lenses. With glasses, you’re not touching your eyes at all! Follow these steps and you’ll be good to go:
- Rinse your glasses with water before wiping and cleaning them.
- Use the cloth given with your glasses, NOT paper towels or other items.
- Grip your glasses by the bridge instead of the pieces over your ears.
- Don’t lay your glasses down anywhere you can break them.
A huge part of upkeep with your glasses is not breaking them… really!
Pros & Cons: Eyeglasses
Benefits of using eyeglasses include:
- They’re super easy to take on and off.
- You don’t need to touch your eyes.
- The cleaning process is simple.
- As long as your vision stays the same, you don’t need to reorder new ones often.
Concerns of using eyeglasses:
- The edge of your vision can be distorted
- The weight may bother you
- Eyeglasses can fog up or be clouded by rain
- Sports and physical activities can be difficult
Contact Lenses Or Eyeglasses
The decision is up to you! We suggest having a pair of glasses regardless of what you prefer, but that’s the beautiful part of corrective lenses in today’s world. Just make sure to do your research and choose what works best for your lifestyle and needs.
Have questions about corrective lenses? Find a CCMH Physician by using our provider directory.
