Contacts vs. Glasses – Which One Fits You Best?

Would you prefer contacts or glasses? Many individuals with poor vision are faced with this question, and the answer will depend on their own circumstances. In this article, I will discuss whether contacts or glasses are right for you.

Personally, I wear contacts. I lost my vision when I was around nine. For many years my parents tried to make me wear glasses, but I refused; I was a very stubborn child. So, until I turned fifteen, I could only see clearly about one foot in front of me. Obviously, something had to be done, but glasses were not it.

Enough about me, what about you? Should you use contacts or glasses? Well, both have their advantages and disadvantages. Let's start with some advantages that contact lenses have over glasses.

First of all, contacts at a cheap price allow you to see everything at any angle. Glasses will correct your vision, but you will have to be looking mostly straight ahead. With contacts you can look side to side, up and down; etc. In other words, unlike glasses, nothing will hinder your vision. Another thing about contacts is that if you wear glasses, you might be picked on more in school or real life. Contacts allow you to hide your handicap from the world.

Also, contacts are more difficult to damage or lose. For instance, what if you misplace your glasses and someone steps on them? Crunch! You definitely have a problem. However, contacts stay in your eyes and will not come out easily. If you go swimming, you may have to wear goggles because the water may cause your contacts to fall out. But other than that, you don't have to worry about misplacing or damaging your contacts too much.

Okay, so what are some disadvantages to wearing contact lenses? Well, for starters, you could get an eye infection, unless you get those with Hydraclear® technology. This is fairly easy to avoid if you take some simple precautions such as washing your hands, cleaning your contacts well, and changing them at the proper intervals. And don't forget to switch out the contact lens case every three months or so.

Another disadvantage with using contacts is that you have to see an eye doctor every year in order to keep your prescription up-to-date. You can't buy more contacts if your prescription runs out. This may apply to glasses as well, but at least you will still have corrective lenses. The glasses will just be out of date, which may or may not be a problem. It just depends on how much worse your vision becomes in a given year.

Contacts can also be albeit pricey, depending on the brand you choose to buy. The contacts that I buy cost me about a hundred dollars per year. Then add another seventy-five dollars for the annual eye doctor visit. Plus, you have to buy contact solution to keep the contacts clean or get these daily wear disposables to avoid the misery of constant lens cleaning. The contact solution costs me about eight dollars a month. I was buying the two dollars’ worth of contact solution, but the eye doctor insisted that I buy the more expensive stuff.

Anyway, that brings the total to two hundred and seventy-one dollars per year. With glasses, you might be able to skip out on your annual checkup. You also will not have to buy contact solution, and you probably don't purchase a new pair of glasses every year. So, with glasses, you could save a couple of bucks.

Eyelashes, dust, allergens, and other foreign objects are another problem that you face if you use contacts. You might rub your eyes to rid yourself of whatever it is that's causing the problem. However, this could cause your contacts to move around and possibly fall out. I said earlier that you're less likely to lose or damage your contacts, and I stand by that statement.

However, it is still possible for your contacts to fall out. So be careful and rub your eyes gently or take out the contacts if you have to. But be sure that you wash your hands, and have some solution with you to keep the contacts clean. Otherwise, you risk an eye infection.

As you can see, glasses and contacts both have their advantages and disadvantages. Deciding which is best is completely up to you. Hopefully, the above information will help you with your decision.