Pros and cons of glasses and contact lenses

vision correction treatment glasses vs contact lenses

It’s often difficult to decide whether glasses or contact lenses are right for you.

Where glasses may be better in some areas, contact lenses are an improvement in others. And of course there is the third option, Laser Eye Surgery — an elective procedure that can eliminate the need to use both glasses or contact lenses.

But for most people, their entrance into the world of vision correction begins with rectangular frames or thin see through lenses. So to get a better idea which is right for you, let’s take a cold hard look at them and compare some of their biggest pros and cons.

The pros and cons of glasses

Glasses certainly do have many positive points when compared to contact lens. Perhaps the biggest benefit is that anyone can wear them, regardless of age, making them a simple and quick solution to getting a grip of vision problems.

They can also be extremely accurate in vision correction and are easy to update when your eye prescription changes, meaning that you’ll always see what you are supposed to see.

Many think that glasses don’t suit them and look silly, but on the contrary there’s a huge trend for wearing non-prescription glasses simply because they look ‘cool’.  Celebrities who wear glasses solely to look good include Jessica Alba, Tina Fey, and Emma Watson, and Elton John.

One major downside to wearing glasses is that they’re simply unsuitable for most (if not all) sports, as they easily fall off and get damaged.  Whilst it’s true that some sports stars wear prescription goggles, most opt for contact lenses instead.

Long-term glasses use can also cost a pretty penny and leave unsightly marks on your nose.  However, glasses are the overall safest form of vision correction; they don’t touch or change your eye at all meaning that they don’t put you are risk of infection.  They may even prevent injury by stopping wind and debris from hitting your eyes, although you’ve got to be careful when your glasses fog up in cold or humid environments!

The pros and cons of contact lenses

Contact lenses are great for solving many of the issues with wearing glasses.

First off, there is no restrictive frame around your vision, which means you won’t have to worry about them looking silly or matching your outfit.  Yet if you really like how you look in glasses, you always have the option to get a non-prescription pair.

What’s more, because there is no intrusive frame stuck on your face, no-one will know that you need them unless you tell them—unless one falls out and you are on your hands and knees searching for it. This more worryingly would also mean a significant sum of money down the drain.

Contact lenses generally provide greater visual clarity than glasses do, but the compromise in wearing them is they put you at a much greater risk of infection and eye-damage.  For example, not removing them regularly and cleaning them according to the guidelines, could cause you many problems. They also aren’t very good in extreme weather conditions or when you go swimming, so you’ll still need those prescription goggles.

If neither takes your fancy, why not find out more about the third and most recent form of vision correction treatment: Laser Eye Surgery.

And if you’re already fed up with them both, contact one of our Patient Care Coordinators to discuss the benefits of choosing Laser Eye Surgery in more detail.