Joey M.D.

While most of us would want to have perfect 20/20 vision, sadly, not all of us are blessed with such.  Thankfully, one of the most common causes of less than perfect vision is error of refraction, which is easily correctable by the right spectacles or contact lenses.  Or, if budget permits and you’re so inclined, there are also ways to correct vision surgically, that is, with laser surgery or lens implants.

Short of surgery, many people prefer contact lenses over glasses for various reasons, especially with higher refractions. Here are a few of the reasons:

• Better peripheral vision
• Less image distortion
• Doesn’t fog up with temperature changes
• Much lighter than glasses
• Difficult to use in sports
• Readily available over-the-counter at most optical shops (unless you have an unusual grade)
• For higher refractions, contact lenses are usually cheaper
• Aesthetically more pleasing

However, contact lenses also have their disadvantages.  These are the following:

• Requires special care — you need to clean them regularly
• May predispose one to corneal infections and other problems especially if not cleaned regularly
• Some people develop allergies to contact lens solutions
• Easily torn, especially soft and extended wear lenses
• Dry eyes are a common occurrence
• Need reading glasses for the presbyopic age group (age 40 and above)

One way to prevent some of the disadvantages of contact lens wear like allergies and infection and tearing of the lenses is to use disposable lenses.  These disposable contact lenses are use-once-then throw away.  They may seem more expensive, but when you factor in the fact that you no longer have to buy cleaning and deproteinizing solutions and have less need to change them when they become brittle and tear, well, that doesn’t seem like such a bad deal.  These may also be used for people who do not want to wear contact lenses all the time but want to use them for special occassions like their wedding day.

For people who are on spectacles but want to try out contact lenses, the of use disposable contact lenses is an option, so that they may try to see if contact lenses are right for their lifestyle in the long run.  This is especially if they are hesitant to buy the regular daily wear or extended wear lenses at the moment.