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Glasses have been around for years, providing people with better vision. However, contact lenses have become the most popular choice in recent years for those with vision problems. There are a variety of differences between glasses and contact lenses, and these differences are usually what help people make the choice between them. The following are some of the differences between glasses and contacts that should be considered to assist you in making a wise choice between the options.
Field Of Vision
One of the first things that differ between glasses and contacts is the field of vision. While glasses do provide you with a fairly good field of vision, it is somewhat limited and does no provide you with good peripheral vision. Contact lenses offer a better field of vision, including peripheral vision. When you wear contacts you can look around anywhere, instead of having to specifically look through your glasses.
The Weight Difference
Another very big difference is the weight of the glasses. Glasses put weight both on your ears and your nose, and they have to be adjusted and tightened regularly. After a long period of wearing glasses, the frame of the glasses tends to leave marks on your face. Contacts weigh nothing and do not put any uncomfortable weight on your face. You will never have to worry about having your contacts sliding down your nose or having them tightened up either.
The Fog Factor
If you wear glasses, you probably know that glasses tend to fog up quite easily. This can especially be a problem if you play sports and sweat a great deal. People who wear contact lenses never have to worry about them getting fogged up, and they will not fall off or break while you are playing sports, or starts sliding down your face because you are sweating.
Matching
Another difference between contacts and glasses is that with glasses you sometimes need to match them to your fashion style or to a specific occasion. If you are wearing evening clothing, your casual glasses may not be a good match, or the frame color may clash with what you are wearing. Contact lenses do not need to match; in fact, most people will never even know that you are wearing them at all.
Comfort And Eye Health
Contact lenses may require the use of eye drops to keep your eyes moist and to keep the contacts feeling comfortable in your eyes. Glasses don't have the very strict hygiene requirements that contact lenses do.
While there are a number of differences between glasses and contact lenses, they do have a couple things in common too. It is important that you clean both glasses and contacts. Glasses have to be sprayed off and wiped each day. You must also clean your contact lenses each and every day.
Another thing that glasses and contacts have in common is that they both can be used to correct astigmatism. Astigmatism is a problem with the cornea in which it is shaped differently than it should be. While many people believe that glasses are the only answer to astigmatism, contact lenses can also be used to solve the problem.
Both glasses and contacts are very affordable these days. You should have no doubt in the investment you want to make into your eyewear, whether you choose to use glasses or contacts. Contact lenses and glasses both offer great assistance in providing you with the perfect vision you need for your everyday life.
For most of us who manage daily any level of compromised vision, our world is one where eyeglasses, contact lenses, pricey prescriptions, and frequent visits to the eye doctor are standard. But as Lasik surgery technology has continued to evolve and its popularity has risen exponentially, more and more people are choosing refractive eye surgery as an alternative to glasses and contacts.
Lasik surgery involves the reshaping of the cornea - the thin, transparent tissue covering the iris - or colored section - of your eye. The lens of the eye - which sits right behind the iris refracts - or bends - light rays so that they are seen by the retina - located in the back of the eye. The retina's job is to then take these light rays and covert them to messages that can be understood by our brain's optic nerve.
If you understand this process then you can understand that if our eyes suffer refractive difficulties, the light is not bent properly to the retina and the image that our brain receives is blurry. When we wear eyeglasses or contact lenses, the light is brought closer to the lens or sent directly to the retina. Lasik surgery uses laser technology to reshape the cornea so that light is refracted clearly.
During a Lasik surgery procedure, the patient is normally first given anesthetic eye drops to help numb the eye and minimize discomfort after which a speculum is placed on the upper and lower eyelids to prevent blinking. The eye is then immobilized using a corneal suction ring. After the eye is immobilized, a thin incision is made in the top layer of the corneal tissue, making a very thin flap in the tissue. When the flap is folded over, the second layer of the cornea - the stroma - is revealed.
Laser power is then used to resurface this part of the cornea. Such resurfacing is done based on what specific issues are apparent in your particular eye; information that is normally gathered during pre-surgical visits. After the reshaping, the flap is repositioned over the eye; healing takes place naturally and often very quickly.
Lasik surgery is a relatively quick procedure - usually completed in less than 20 minutes for both eyes - and most patients report that it is virtually painless; while it can be mildly uncomfortable at times. While vision may be blurry for up to a day following surgery, most people report clear vision after this time.
Lasik surgery, while popular, is not for everyone. In fact, a pre-surgical examination is imperative to determine if you are a good candidate for Lasik. Surgeons who perform Lasik normally look for at least six months of prescription stability in patients - meaning that your eyeglass or contact lenses prescription has remained the same.
In addition, refractive difficulties should fall under the appropriate guidelines for Lasik correction for the best chance of success. The doctor will also want to ensure that you are in good overall health.