According to the American Optometric Association, "Contact lenses are among the safest forms of vision correction when patients follow the proper care and wearing instructions provided by their eye doctor." Wearing contact lenses offers many advantages to users. If you have worn glasses, you can probably list several reasons why they are inconvenient, uncomfortable or frustrating. Contact lenses give freedom from these feelings.
More Natural Vision
Contact lenses are worn directly on the cornea of the eye and allow for vision most similar to natural vision. According to The Ohio State University Medical Center, wearing contact lenses allows objects to be seen in the right proportion without distortion. Glasses tend to make objects appear larger or smaller than they actually are.
Complete Vision Is in Focus
Contact lenses, mimicking actual vision, provide a clear field of vision throughout the eye. Contacts provide a greater peripheral vision field since the contact moves with the eye unlike glasses, the University of Arkansas reports.
No Obstructions or Distractions
Contact lenses do not get in the way like glasses do. During certain activities, glasses can obstruct vision. While driving, contacts allow the user to be able to see all around the vehicle clearly. With contacts, there are no rims to interfere with peripheral vision.
No Discomfort During Activities
Glasses can become cumbersome to you if you are exercising or playing sports. Contacts do not slip down from your nose or get in the way of a helmet or other face-protective device. Glasses are also at risk of being knocked off or broken during activity, according to the University of California, San Diego.
Not Affected by Weather
All users of glasses know of the frustration involved with needing to clean glasses when they are exposed to rain or snow. Also coming into an air-conditioned room after being out in the heat leads to fogging up of the glasses and the inability to see until the condition is resolved. The University of Arkansas Medical Science notes that contact lenses do not fog up in cool temperatures or become wet in rain.
Appearance
University of California, San Diego Eye Center experts believe the most obvious advantage to contact lenses is the cosmetic perspective. Contact lenses allow users to be able to see without having glasses detract from their appearance. This can provide psychological comfort, particularly for young users whose appearance is a factor in peer acceptance.
References
- University of California, San Diego: Advantages of Contact Lenses
- The Ohio State University Medical Center: Eyeglasses and Contact Lenses
- American Optometric Association: What You Need to Know About Contact Lens Hygiene and Compliance
- The Internet Encyclopedia of Science: Contact Lenses
- University of Arkansas Medical Sciences: Contact Lens - Requirements, Benefits and Precautions
