Advantages and Disadvantages of Contact Lenses

Blog by Ivan J. Srut, O.D.

Chief of Optometry for St. Hope Foundation 

As we continue to add contact lenses to more and more of our St. Hope Foundation locations, I thought I would touch on some of the advantages and disadvantages of contact lenses versus glasses. Contact lenses have come a long way over the years, and are useful for people with all kinds of corrections, but are they right for YOU?! 

Here’s a breakdown of some of the advantages and disadvantages of wearing contacts: 

Advantages:

• avoid fogging while wearing a mask
• wider field of view that is clear
• better for asymmetrical prescriptions
• better for high prescriptions
• typically better for playing sports -cosmetically superior
• avoid weather problems such as rain, or cold 

Disadvantages:

• handling skills required by patient
• time is required to get used to them
• wearing time may be limited ie. dry eyes
• having to care for lenses
• maintenance costs for solutions/cases if using anything other than daily disposables  (lens costs if choose daily disposables)
• lenses can be lost or torn
• they deteriorate with use and age 

These lists are not all-inclusive, but they give you a good idea of what to expect. If you haven’t worn contact lenses for a while, or want to try them, make an appointment with one of our doctors and see if they are right for you! We are now offering contact lenses at Bellaire, Sugar Land, and Greenspoint locations! 

Until next time . . .