(Image source from: Perfectlens Canada)
There are currently in excess of 130 million contact lens wearers globally, but with more than 2 billion shortsighted people in the world to cater for now and a predicted 5 billion by the year 2050.
Contact lenses can now correct almost all eyesight problems including:
- Myopia (short-sightedness)
- Hyperopia (long-sightedness)
- Astigmatism
- Presbyopia (age-related reading problem)
Though many advances in spectacle lens technology have come up recently and the rising popularity of surgical interventions such as laser eye corrections, the use of contact lens remains a harmless, effective and inexpensive way of achieving the clear comfortable vision for many people.
Contact Lenses Offer Natural All-Round Vision
Contact lenses mean clear peripheral (all round) vision. One of the problems with glasses is that they only let the wearer see objects clearly in front of them. Anything to the side is out of focus and blurry.
This all-round improvement is ideal for sportspeople and motorists where perfect vision is needed. Plus your vision feels natural rather than the slight distortion experienced when wearing spectacles.
Simple and Convenient to Use
Contact lenses are quick and simple to use. They are placed on the end of a finger and inserted into the eye in a matter of seconds.
Glasses are also easy to use in that they are popped on and off the face in an instant. But they can feel heavy or uncomfortable, especially when resting on the bridge of the nose.
Daily disposable lenses are a popular form of lenses which are seen as particularly convenient in that they do not require any aftercare. These lenses can be worn once and then thrown away afterward.
Practical for Sports people
If you are an athlete or participate in sports then you may have found wearing glasses inconvenient and distracting. Glasses can have the habit of slipping down the nose or becoming steamed up which is annoying during a competition or training.
In addition, there is a safety aspect as well. There is a risk of falling over and breaking a lens or the entire pair of glasses which may an earnest eye injury.
Improved appearance
There are people who feel self-conscious about wearing glasses and in some cases, less attractive. Whereas contact lenses cannot be detected by the casual observer and enable him/her to see your eyes.
Plus there is no issue about whether your contact lenses will compliment a particular outfit or not. Contact lenses go with anything and everything.
There are even novelty lenses if you are after something a bit different or daring.
Suitable for All Weather Conditions
One asset of contact lenses is the fact that they do not steam up, collect rain or other deposits on the lenses due to the weather conditions. Glasses do have a tendency to steam up when you go from a cold environment into a warm room. Additionally, they turn misty in bad weather conditions.
Contact lenses do not suffer any of these and are kept clean by the blink of an eye.
Treats Certain Eye Conditions
Contact lenses can be effective at treating certain eye conditions such as keratitis and corneal ulcers. The sufferer can wear a special bandage lens which helps to protect the cornea against further impairment and also acts as a form of medication.
There are types of lenses which are competent to transfer drugs to an infected cornea or some other similar eye conditions.
By Sowmya Sangam
