How you choose to correct your vision mostly depends on your own personal preference and what kind of lifestyle you lead. Contacts are just great in a lot of ways. They allow you to enjoy life unobstructed and have fewer drawbacks than some other vision correcting options. Ultimately whether you choose contacts or some other form of vision correction, it all depends on your particular needs and lifestyle. However, we’ve broken down contacts a little bit to help you make the best decision for you.
The Basics
Contact lenses are small, thin discs of plastic or glass that will sit directly on the center of your eye in order to correct your vision. There are two specific kinds of contacts, soft and hard, but there are also several different subtypes of each kind. Plus, they all have their own sets of pros and cons. The two types of contact lenses are hard and soft. Hard contacts, also known as gas permeable lenses, are rigid but porous, which allows more oxygen to reach your eye.
On the other hand, soft lenses are made from a gel-like, water-containing plastic known as hydrogels. These lenses are super thin and flexible to conform easily to the front of the eye, and these are the most popular lenses. Some contacts are great for astigmatism, others are great for dry eyes, colored contacts to change your eye color, and much more.
The Benefits
- Eye Comfort: thanks to modern technology, contact lenses now come in a lot of different materials that will help keep your eyes healthy and comfortable. Contacts are made of breathable materials that maintain max moisture. It might take you a few days to get used to them, but as long as they’re worn correctly, they’ll keep you comfortable all day long.
- Full Field of Vision: as long as you take good care of your contacts and wear them properly, the possibility of breaking your contacts is incredibly low. It’s entirely possible for your contacts to break or tear, but they’re much harder to destroy than alternatives like glasses. As you become more experienced with your lenses, you’ll have fewer and fewer problems.
- A feeling of Normalcy: one of the greatest things about contacts is that they grant you a sense of normalcy. Contacts are applied securely to the surface of your eyes, and they allow you the freedom to go about your daily tasks and hobbies without inhibitions. You don’t experience any type of glare and are perfect for active people.
- Convenient: contact lenses are perfect for basically any situation. Whether you’re out hiking, playing sports, relaxing in your home, or working in the office, contacts provide you with unobstructed and uninhibited vision. Contacts are usually easily replaceable if you lose or break one as contacts come in packs of at least six months, or most ophthalmologists carry replacements in-store in case of emergencies.
- All-Weather Safe: no matter the weather, rain, sleet, snow, or sunshine, your contacts can do it all. Humidity, fog, rain, and snow will never inhibit your eyesight again!
The Drawbacks
- Expensive: contact lenses can be costly when you factor in the price of the contacts themselves in addition to the materials used to clean and disinfect them.
- Risks: with contact lenses, there's an increased risk of corneal infections, scratches, and scrapes which can be very painful.
- Can be Irritating: for some people, contact lenses can just be incredibly irritating no matter what kind you try. Or, if you fall asleep with them in, contacts can become dry and irritate your eyes. Swimming can also irritate your contacts, or they can be lost altogether.
Daily or Monthly Contacts?
For a while, monthly contacts were the go-to for most ophthalmologists, especially after they were first released. However, now there are even more options, and they’ve fallen out of the most popular lense.
Daily lenses are contacts that are worn for a day before being removed and discarded. The daily lenses are usually very thin. They have a very high content of water, but because of how thin and water-saturated they are, natural deposits from your eye can build up quickly and easily, meaning you can’t reuse them. Daily lenses are also usually better for sensitive eyes, thanks to their high water content and increased oxygen permeability.
On the other hand, monthly lenses are thicker than the dailies. This thicker lenses last longer and are more durable, and they’re usually less prone to drying out. However, they have to be cleaned regularly to keep them safe for you to use.
Both types of lenses have their pros and cons, but it ultimately comes down to what you and your ophthalmologist think would be best for you.
Ordering Your Contacts
Sometimes you just can’t get in to see your eye doctor, which can be a real inconvenience if you’re running low on contacts. So, if you can’t go in to see your eye doctor, there is another option. Just like most other things, you can order contacts online! There’s also a bunch of benefits to ordering online:
- Contacts are delivered directly to your door
- You can buy in bulk
- Can order 24-hours a day
- A wider variety of brands
- Possible free shipping
