Contact lenses — pros and cons

Contact lenses are undoubtedly a more convenient alternative to wearing corrective glasses. They are a perfect solution for people who practise sports or whose glasses simply interfere with their everyday life.

However, when used or fitted improperly, contact lenses may cause numerous eye health problems. What are the pros and cons of using this form of vision correction?

Contact lenses – pros

• The more severe the refractive error, the thicker the lenses in the glasses – contact lenses, on the other hand, are worn directly on the eyes, which means that regardless of the refractive error value they remain absolutely imperceptible and extremely comfortable to use.
• Contact lenses correct astigmatism more precisely (so-called toric lenses), and people who suffer from astigmatism get used to this type of correction more easily than to cylindrical lenses in glasses.
• They are a more comfortable solution for sportspeople – there is no risk of them slipping down or breaking during the training.
• It is easier to replace them with a new pair if a refractive error becomes more severe – it is enough to buy a new set and you do not need to wait for your new glasses to be ready.
• Fashion might also be an issue – some people have more than one pair of glasses due to its different colours or style. Contact lenses are invisible and therefore never clash with your outfit. You can also wear your favo-urite sunglasses with them.

Contact lenses – cons

• Some people may struggle to get their contact lenses in.
• They are more expensive to use than glasses.
• They are not recommended to people who suffer from Dry Eye Syndrome (DES).
• They need to be purchased regularly and they are not supposed to outlast the specified wearing period (e.g. monthly contact lenses should not be worn longer than a month and contact lenses should always be taken off before you go to sleep unless they are designed to be worn overnight).
• To put the contact lenses on or take them off, it is necessary to wash your hands first, which may happen to be problematic sometimes, e.g. while travelling. Inappropriate hygiene may result in an eye infection or inflammation.
• It is not advised to wear contact lenses while swimming in a pool or any other body of water as it allows the accumulation of waterborne bacteria and micro-organisms on the surface of the lenses.

An alternative to wearing glasses or contact lenses is laser vision correction – a procedure which appropriately reshapes the anterior part of the cornea with the use of a cold laser beam, which gives immediate and permanent correction results. The whole bilateral procedure (on both eyes) lasts merely a dozen minutes or so.

To make an appointment for the examination qualifying to a laser vision correction procedure or one-day procedure you just need to fill in the online preliminary qualification form. Do you have additional questions regarding the procedure? Contact our clinic via email or phone.

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