Contact Lenses vs Glasses: Which is Right for You? | Health

The decision to wear glasses or contact lenses for vision correction usually comes down to personal preference, which includes lifestyle, comfort, convenience, and budget. One is not necessarily better than the other; each has its advantages and disadvantages in terms of vision, ease of use and eye health. So the question arises: contact lenses or glasses, which is best for you?

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr. Anurag Wahi, Senior Consultant at Sharp Sight Eye Hospitals, said: “When you wear glasses, you have the flexibility to take them off at any time of the day. You won’t have to worry about cleaning them right away or stocking up on a new set because your glasses can be worn for as long as you need them to be. Meanwhile, wearing contact lenses is different. You will need to remove them as instructed by your eye doctor and clean them often to prevent them from irritating your eyes.

He added: “Contact lenses and glasses provide superior optical correction depending on your prescription. However, since contact lenses are applied to your eyes, they cover your entire field of vision and provide you with the best central and side vision, allowing you to have the best spectacle-wearing experience. Remember that contacts are not for everyone. Your eye doctor will need to perform several tests during your eye exam to make sure the contact lenses are right for your eyes. The doctor may also ask about your lifestyle, for example if you use a digital screen a lot because contact and computer time often don’t mix.

Bringing her expertise on the same subject, Dr. Vidya Nair Chaudhry, Senior Consultant Ophthalmology and Refractive Surgery at Aakash Healthcare Dwarka, revealed, “In terms of comparison between the two, wearing glasses reduces the need to touch your eyes, which reduces the risk of irritation or infection. If you have dry or sensitive eyes, glasses don’t make it worse like contact lenses. Keep in mind that if you wear contact lenses full time, you should also have a pair of glasses handy in case you have to stop wearing them due to infection or irritation of your eyes. eyes, or if you just want to rest your eyes. People with high powers benefit from contact lenses because high power glasses can induce optical aberrations. Also, in conditions like keratoconus, specialized contact lenses are needed for clear vision.

Emphasizing that before choosing between contact lenses and glasses, keep in mind that each has advantages and disadvantages in terms of vision, ease of use and eye health, Dr. Neeraj Sanduja, MBBS, MS – Ophthalmology, Ophthalmologist and Eye Surgeon has listed some pros and cons of contact lenses and glasses.

Advantages of glasses:

1. Wearing glasses reduces the need to touch your eyes, which reduces the likelihood of irritating or infecting your eyes.

2. If you have dry or sensitive eyes, glasses don’t aggravate the problem as much as contact lenses.

3. In the long run, glasses are cheaper than contact lenses. You don’t have to replace your glasses as often (unless you break them!) and if your prescription changes, you may be able to keep your current frames and just replace the lenses.

4. Frames are fashionable and can reveal a lot about your personality and style – the way your glasses look can make all the difference.

5. The glasses provide some protection against environmental factors such as wind, dust and debris.

Disadvantages of glasses:

1. Since the glasses are approximately 12mm (half an inch) from your eyes, your peripheral vision may be distorted. When starting to wear glasses or changing prescriptions, many people report difficulty focusing on objects and blurry vision.

2. Some people don’t like to wear glasses because they think it detracts from the aesthetics of their face or hides their features.

3. If you wear glasses with a strong prescription, the edges of your lenses may be thick and unattractive, or your eyes may appear abnormally small or enlarged.

4. The elements can obstruct or blur your vision due to precipitation collecting on your lenses or when they fog up in cold weather.

5. Some frames can cause headaches and general discomfort by putting constant pressure on your nose and behind your ears.

Advantages of contact lenses:

1. Contact lenses conform to the curvature of your eye, giving you a wider field of vision and causing less distortion and obstruction to vision than glasses.

2. Contact lenses do not interfere with sports and exercises.

3. Contact lenses are unaffected by the weather and, unlike eyeglasses, do not fog up in cold weather.

4. Some contact lenses have the ability to reshape your cornea while you sleep. Overnight orthokeratology (Ortho-k) temporarily corrects myopia, allowing you to see clearly the next day without the need for glasses or contacts.

Disadvantages of contact lenses:

1. Some people have difficulty applying contact lenses to their eyes (but proper technique and practice should remedy this in most cases).

2. Contact lenses reduce the amount of oxygen reaching your eyes and can cause or worsen dry eye syndrome.

3. If you use a computer frequently, wearing contact lenses will most likely exacerbate the symptoms of computer vision syndrome.

4. To avoid potentially serious eye infections, contact lenses require daily lens care and lens case cleaning. Consider daily disposables if you are unable to commit to the care and replacement cycle of your contacts.

5. If you fall asleep wearing daily contact lenses, your eyes will be dry, grainy, red and irritated when you wake up.

6. Contacts are expensive to buy and maintain.