According to statistics, more than 50% of the inhabitants of our planet suffer from vision problems, statistics are a stubborn thing, and it is useless to argue with it.
Today, the field of contact correction offers a wide range of methods to combat poor vision, the most popular of which are glasses and contact lenses. Question which is better glasses or contact lenses remains open for many, since the choice between beauty and health is an endless question.
In this article we will talk about all the advantages and disadvantages of both methods. It is believed that glasses and contact lenses compete with each other, but this is far from being the case, they are completely different means of correction that cannot compete with each other.
Points of their advantages and disadvantages
First, let's look at the history of points. At first, glasses were used by the ancient peoples of the north in order to protect their eyes from the bright sun and cold gusty wind. As you might guess, these were rather primitive glasses, compared to the current ones.
As historians suggest, glasses were invented in Italy in the 13th century and, of course, that the question of what is better than glasses or contact lenses was not, for one simple reason, it simply did not exist, then there was no concept of contact lenses, not that choice. Since that time, much has been improved and changed.
Compared to that time, the quality has greatly improved, it would be strange if it were different. The quality of glasses has become better, new materials have been developed from which lenses are made. The lenses are now thinner and stronger. Now, even with large diopters, lenses can be thin.
Improved not only glasses, but also the frames themselves, the materials from which they are made. Frames are made using a combination of different materials to make frames stronger and lighter than their predecessors. The optics stores offer a wide range of frames for every color and taste, which makes glasses not only a means of correction, but also a fashion accessory. Many wear glasses with empty glasses to keep pace with fashion.
Points pros:
They are much cheaper than contact lenses.
- Glasses are quick and easy to put on and take off.
- Well-chosen glasses can hide flaws and emphasize the dignity of your face.
- Points can not be changed for a long period of time.
- Glasses are very easy to care for.
- With the help of glasses you can correct any vision.
- Using glasses, you can not be afraid to apply makeup.
Of course, it is best not to wear glasses or contact lenses, but to have good eyesight. But when the situation forces and you have to choose, you need to know not only the advantages but also the disadvantages of the chosen means.
Points cons:
Glasses limit the radius of vision, which in the future can lead to atrophy of the eye muscles. According to ophthalmologists, wearing glasses for a long time is bad for eye health.
- Glasses impose restrictions on certain activities, for example, you cannot play sports, dance, swim, etc. with glasses. in these cases it is better to use lenses.
- Glasses are a means of attracting attention, for many it creates psychological discomfort.
- In winter, with a sharp change in temperature, the glasses fog up.
- In summer, people who wear eyeglasses unfortunately cannot wear sunglasses. Now, of course, it is possible to make lenses with sun protection and diopters, but it is quite expensive and not such lenses can be inserted into any frame, moreover, under such lenses it is not always possible to find a frame that is right for you.
Those who are tired of wearing glasses and are looking for an alternative means of vision correction should pay attention.
Advantages and disadvantages of contact lenses
Before we talk about the advantages and disadvantages of contact lenses, let's first turn to the history of their discovery.
Initially, the lenses were made of glass, they were hard and uncomfortable to wear. Soft contact lenses were invented in 1960 and were slightly more comfortable than those made from glass. The discovery of the possibility of manufacturing lenses and polymeric material made soft contact lenses very popular. Their disadvantage was that they did not pass oxygen well. But recent developments in the field of contact correction have led to the emergence of silicone hydrogel lenses, this has solved the problem with poor oxygen transmission. In addition, silicone hydrogel lenses have other advantages.
Pros of contact lenses:
Contact lenses do not break when dropped.
- They pass enough oxygen, the eye breathes fully.
- The duration of wearing lenses for one day is 12 hours.
- Lenses do not limit the viewing radius.
- Lenses can correct vision by almost 100%.
- Lenses are always selected 1 diopter less than necessary due to the fact that they fit snugly against the anterior surface of the eye.
Disadvantages of contact lenses:
The discovery of silicone hydrogel lenses has made contact lenses an excellent alternative to glasses, but unfortunately, the question Is it better to wear glasses or contact lenses? and remained unanswered. This is due to a number of disadvantages that contact lenses have.
- Contact lenses are a rather expensive method of vision correction. The lenses themselves are quite expensive, so you need to buy additional accessories for care and storage. They require regular replacement.
- You need to get used to the lenses, for some it does not work out.
- Removing and putting on lenses is a delicate procedure that takes time and skill.
- Even the most modern and, according to manufacturers, safe lenses, still injure the cornea of the eye.
- If the lens has fallen out of the eye, it can be difficult to find. In addition, to begin with, it must be lowered into a special solution, which is not always at hand.
- The lenses are not suitable for people with very sensitive eyes.
- There are some visual impairments that make it impossible to wear contact lenses.
Finally
To sum up and draw a conclusion, it turns out that it is quite difficult to answer the question of what is better glasses or contact lenses. There are situations when this or that method has direct indications. But the practice and experience of people who use contact lenses as a means of correction sometimes wear glasses. That is, it turns out, they use both methods. This alternation of correction methods is very convenient. For example, you do not need to go anywhere from home, you can not force yourself in front of the mirror by putting on lenses, but just put on glasses. In addition, in case of inflammatory diseases, and not only the eyes, but especially them, lenses cannot be worn, glasses must be used. It turns out the conclusion suggests itself, you need to use both glasses and contact lenses.
Before a person who encounters vision problems for the first time, the question arises of choosing between glasses and lenses. The first is preferred by older people. Habit plays a big role in this. Young and active patients often prefer lenses instead of glasses. They look more aesthetically pleasing and practically do not need additional care. But there are a number of contraindications, due to which it is undesirable to use lenses. Therefore, the primary choice should be the advice of doctors.
What are they?
The quality of visual acuity is measured in diopters. It is on them that attention is paid when choosing corrective devices.
Eye lenses are convex products made of a special material and designed to fit directly into the eye. This invention appeared at the end of the 20th century and immediately gained popularity. The glasses are the same lenses, but placed in a solid frame. To feel the difference, a person should try both methods of vision correction. Only this way will help you make the right choice. If vision improves while wearing glasses, you should stop at them.
Pros of glasses and lenses
It is very easy to store this product.
Both human inventions have their positive and negative qualities. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully study the pros and cons of glasses and contact lenses before giving preference to buying one of them. Young people always choose the latest developments. Therefore, lenses that are difficult to see on the eye always remain a priority. They do not slip and do not sweat, they do not need to be wiped. In addition, whether a person has a large difference between diopters, anisometropia, he also needs to give preference to lenses. But glasses also have their positive qualities:
- Possibility to remove them at any time. This is necessary for periodic rest of the eyes.
- A case is enough to store them. They do not need to be placed in a special solution.
- Unlimited wear period. If the quality of a person's vision remains at the same level, he will not need new glasses for vision correction anytime soon.
- No direct eye contact. This eliminates the risk of conjunctivitis and other purulent-inflammatory processes in the organs of vision.
- The ability to wear under any physiological conditions of the body.
Cons of using
Such products should not be removed from the eyes without washing the hands. Wearing glasses is not very comfortable. They constantly slip, interfere with dressing and undressing. People are often annoyed by glasses slipping off the bridge of their noses. They also have a limited viewing angle. But respondents give priority among the negative aspects of wearing glasses to an unaesthetic appearance. Although the lenses look better, they also have a number of disadvantages:
- fixation in the eye. They cannot be retrieved at any time. To do this, wash your hands and have a special box with a storage solution nearby.
- Inability to use them for children. A child who does not control his movements should not wear lenses, as the baby may inadvertently damage them and injure the eye.
- The need to purchase additional accessories for storage and care.
- Limited period of use. This requires additional financial investments.
- A number of contraindications for concomitant diseases of the organs of vision.
For people with vision problems, a dilemma often arises: which type of optical correction to prefer - contact lenses or glasses. Both methods have their advantages, but there are also disadvantages that are important and sometimes decisive. In the article, we will consider the features of glasses and lenses, find out their pros and cons, and figure out in which situations it is better to prefer one or another type of correction.
Optical correction
Glasses
This method of vision correction can be considered traditional. Glasses have been used in ophthalmology for a very long time, and have proven to be a reliable way to restore vision to its former acuity.
Corrective glasses
Modern glasses are created taking into account all the latest innovative developments in the field of ophthalmology, so they can correct even severely reduced vision.
lenses
Although the first mention of contact lenses (or rather, their prototype) can be found in Leonardo da Vinci, these vision correction tools are one of the most modern developments in this field. Those soft silicone lenses that we now use were created in the 20th century, and by now have managed to win a wide audience of adherents.
Lens drawings by Leonardo da Vinci
Note that this tool is able to provide a natural and most accurate vision correction: the thing is that contact lenses can repeat the movements of the human pupil. At the same time, all things and objects in the visibility zone, wherever they are - in front, on the side, in the background, diagonally - are not distorted, blurred, do not lose their proportions and outlines.
Contact lenses
Advantages
We will find out what strengths the use of glasses and contact lenses has as a corrective vision.
Glasses
Distinctive features:
- It does not lead to infection and inflammatory processes due to the fact that it does not touch the eyeball, unlike lenses.
- Protection of eyes from specks, dust, grains of sand.
- Easy to use. They do not require careful maintenance: in order to be able to use this product normally, you just need to wipe the glasses and then put them on.
- Glasses do not require frequent replacement unless the condition for which they were indicated is progressing.
- In some cases, glasses can be prescribed not only as a correction, but also as a treatment. By means of spectacle optics, it is possible to stop the progression of myopia and hyperopia.
In some diseases, such as complex astigmatism of a high degree (more than 10 diopters), glasses cannot be used due to the complexity of the design of spectacle lenses. In this case, the optics will have a very large weight and lens thickness (sometimes over 2 cm), which negatively affects the wearing comfort.
lenses
The advantage of contact lenses lies in the convenience of wearing people who lead an active lifestyle. They are made of ultra-modern high-tech material, they do not interfere with the access of oxygen to the eyes, do not lead to discomfort, do not cause a feeling of dryness, do not irritate the mucous membranes. This ensures a high level of comfort and does not cause inflammatory reactions when the contact optics are being cared for. They are also more comfortable in adverse weather conditions. In addition, they are suitable for sports, including very active ones.
Daily contact lenses
Contact optics can be of prolonged, daily, monthly, three-monthly, and semi-annual type of wearing.
In addition to standard clear lenses, colored lenses are also available. Initially, their area of application was aimed at correcting defects, such as corneal albinism, thorns, but after popularization they are widely used among people who like to experiment with their own appearance.
There is a lineup that do not act as corrective optics, but are used at various festivals.
Carnival contact lenses
In some diseases of the organs of vision, wearing lenses is more preferable than glasses. These diseases include:
- keratoconus;
- astigmatism;
- myopia;
- after
Toric lenses
Separately, it is worth highlighting such a type of lens as. This optic is designed for night use and has a rigid base. The peculiarity of the lenses is that they, through their design and material, modify the cornea, which further saves a person from wearing any optics throughout the day.
Orthokeratology lenses do not treat visual deviations and change the shape of the cornea for only 8-12 hours. With constant use, the duration of action can be increased, but this factor is strongly tied to the type of disease and its development.
Orthokeratology lenses
disadvantages
Along with the advantages of the means of vision correction, there are also weaknesses. Let's take a closer look at the disadvantages of glasses and contact lenses.
Glasses
Glasses Disadvantages:
- Incorrectly chosen glasses can cause severe eye strain, headaches, and sometimes even fainting. Usually, these side effects appear when glasses are selected and purchased at a pharmacy on their own, without prior examination by an ophthalmologist.
- Glasses can significantly limit the radius of vision, which may further reduce the performance of the eye muscles. Sometimes low-quality glasses distort objects and things, while the temples also limit peripheral vision.
- Means will not work if the difference between the required number of diopters in the glasses is more than two.
Reticle distortion depending on lens type
Since glass lenses in glasses have the ability to reflect light, at some points they can even blind a person completely for a while.
- If the glasses are intended for permanent wear, this fact can significantly reduce the quality of life of its owner. In this case, a person practically loses the opportunity to engage in many sports, dancing, rollerblading, skateboarding, etc.
- When wearing glasses, there is always a risk of losing, forgetting or breaking them.
- Glass reacts to the weather. So, in fog, the glass is covered with a thin layer of moisture, which significantly impairs visibility, in a blizzard - with snow, in rain, visibility also becomes fuzzy.
- When choosing glasses, you need to take into account many additional factors, in addition to them. These include color type, face shape, image. In some cases, more than one pair may be required.
- To purchase glasses of really high quality, you will need to fork out for a fairly tangible amount for the wallet.
Misted glasses
It is strictly forbidden to wear glasses of your relatives: fathers, mothers, grandmothers, since even with a seemingly identical level of vision, the nuances of the difference can be significant. And wearing other people's corrective means can not only not correct vision, but completely spoil it.
lenses
Although the lenses are quite practical, they still have a number of their drawbacks:
- Contact lenses require quite and care when using. If you do not take care of them, you can get an infectious eye disease, an inflammatory process. It is necessary to carry a container of cleaning solution with you everywhere so that you can rinse the lens.
- At first, it is difficult to get used to them: both centering the lenses and removing them cause difficulties. However, this shortcoming is leveled over time.
- Children under 12 years of age cannot wear lenses due to the inability to provide sufficient care for them, and these devices are quite difficult to use for children.
- If the lenses are of insufficient quality, this fact leads to the syndrome of "dry eye". Sometimes wearing them leads to the development of allergies.
- Fairly high cost.
Dry eye syndrome
With poor-quality lens care, there is a high probability of infection of the cornea.
Restrictions
Glasses
This corrective tool has few limitations: glasses are shown for all age categories and for almost any level of vision. However, it is impossible to wear glasses during active sports, dancing, swimming. In addition, with a strong difference in diopters between the eyes, wearing glasses is also impossible.
Glasses with adjustable diopters
lenses
Wearing lenses is prohibited for pathologies of the conjunctiva and cornea of the eye, if available. Diseases such as conjunctivitis, blepharitis, inflammatory processes, glaucoma, asthma and others also serve as a limitation for wearing them. If the eyes are hypersensitive, the use of this method of correction will be very problematic.
It is not recommended to wear them for infectious and colds, including ARVI, influenza. In addition, if you are forced to use or antihistamines, wearing lenses in this case is not recommended either. Taking diuretics, motion sickness, and against the common cold also serves as a limiter for the use of these devices.
Redness during angle-closure glaucoma
In most cases, contact lenses are not prescribed for children under 12 years of age.
Keep in mind that showering with lenses is not allowed. Water with a high lime content (namely, this flows from our taps) can serve as an excellent breeding ground for the rapid growth of bacteria.
What to prefer
Having considered all the minuses and pluses of corrective devices, one can come to the conclusion that it is impossible to say unequivocally which one is better.Most ophthalmologists now advise having both types of correction, and alternating them depending on the situation. For example, work at a computer, read with glasses, and in the evening go to the gym or go on a date with lenses. This option will satisfy all the needs of a modern city dweller as much as possible, and is the most convenient, albeit quite expensive.
Video
findings
So, we examined in detail the strengths and weaknesses of vision correction products:. As you can see, both devices have their irresistible advantages and some disadvantages. Therefore, if you should definitely choose glasses for children's vision correction, then lenses are also suitable for adults, and in some cases they will be much more convenient than glasses. Choose ophthalmic correction products together with the doctor, and take into account your lifestyle: in this way, the final choice will be the most optimal.
Popova Marina Eduardovna
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Glasses have been losing ground in terms of popularity as medical optics for many years..
In simple words - no one wants to be "bespectacled" when uncomfortable and bulky frames can be replaced with modern contact lenses.
But are traditional glasses really being phased out of the ophthalmic market?
- xerophthalmia (dryness of the conjunctiva and cornea);
- blepharitis (inflammation of the edges of the eyelids);
- uncompensated glaucoma;
- vasomotor rhinitis;
- any infectious and inflammatory diseases (a temporary restriction that is removed when such diseases are cured);
- keratitis;
- ptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid, in which it is problematic or impossible to wear these means of vision correction);
- reduced sensitivity of the cornea;
- asthma and hay fever;
- increased or decreased tearing;
- strabismus with an angle of more than 15 degrees;
- subluxation of the lens.
It is also worth abandoning them for tuberculosis and AIDS..
In most cases, with the above diseases, contraindications are temporary..
With the successful treatment of such diseases, you can use the lenses again, but before that you need to consult, get the advice of doctors and undergo appropriate examinations.
Which is better glasses or contact lenses for myopia?
An unequivocal answer to this question is what is better glasses or lenses for the eyes when myopia does not exist. It is necessary to be guided by the presence of certain indications and contraindications before going to the optics salon.
Important! The only important criterion that can speak in favor of one or another optics is the willingness to comply with hygiene and prevention measures.
Useful video
From this video you can learn more about the pros and cons of contact vision correction:
Glasses are a practical solution for many diseases, but glasses are not comfortable for most people.
At the same time, the use of lenses is more effective, but with an irresponsible attitude to personal hygiene, such optics will not only not help, but can also cause various infectious and bacterial ophthalmic diseases.
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