Are Contact Lenses Right for You?

As technology advances, contacts are becoming more convenient and comfortable for correcting vision. But there are still some people who cannot wear them.

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Are contact lenses right for me?” we hope we can help answer that question.

Perhaps you’re tired of wearing glasses, and you just want to give contacts a try. If approved by your eye doctor, the final decision is up to you. Hopefully, after reading this, you’ll have the answers to some of the questions you have about making the change from glasses to contact lenses.

Do You Want to Show off Your Eyes?

With glasses, your beautiful eyes stay hidden behind frames and lenses. If you want to highlight and showcase your eyes, then contacts let you do so.

You may want completely non-pigmented contacts to simply feature your natural eye color, or you may desire an enhancement.

Today, contacts offer you a wide variety of choices for beautiful eye effects. There are contact lenses for just about every eye type and shape. And with colour contact lenses you can enhance the brightness of your eye colour, or change it altogether!

Do you Have an Active Lifestyle?

Do you love to play sports? Are you always on the go? Then contacts can make an active lifestyle more convenient.

Glasses can be cumbersome, streak when doing sports in the rain, fog up, and break easily when hit, possibly causing injury. These are great reasons to switch to contacts.

If you purchase daily disposable contacts, you can throw them away after your activity and switch back to your glasses, if you want to.

Do you Dislike Having Your Eyeglass Frames in Your View?

If you don’t like seeing your frames out of the corner of your eyes while wearing glasses, then you are not alone.

With contacts, you will gain clear peripheral vision. Without glass frame borders, your wider view of the world can be a much better experience.

Do you Love to Swim?

Have you ever tried to snorkel while wearing glasses? Of course not! Contacts are the obvious answer to both goggles and masks.

Keep in mind, however, that contacts and water don’t mix. Never go swimming without goggles on if you’re wearing contacts.

Also, talk to your eye doctor about daily disposable contacts so you can throw away the lenses after you’ve been swimming. This will keep you from wearing contaminated lenses.

Are you still unsure because you have special vision issues?

Although all the above are great reasons to get contacts, you still may be hesitant about them due to a few issues.

Do You Have Dry or Sensitive Eyes?

Believe it or not, those with dry or sensitive eyes can wear contact lenses. That’s because new technologies make them more breathable. There are also styles that keep moisture locked in.

Of course, the final say is with your eye doctor. Some dry or sensitive eyes cannot handle contact lenses. However, most people can wear contacts, even if for shorter lengths of time.

For people with sensitive or dry eyes, doing the following can help:

• Ask your eye doctor to prescribe a lens that works well with dry or sensitive eyes.
• Follow the cleaning schedule.
• Use rewetting drops.
• Wear your contacts no longer than your doctor recommends.

Some good brands for dry or sensitive eyes are Dailies AquaComfort Plus and Air Optix Aqua.

Do You Have Other Special Vision Issues?

Contact lenses have come a long way. In years past, a person with unique vision problems would not be able to wear contacts. Now, not only can most people wear them, but contact lenses can also correct many different issues.

Some of these include:

• Nearsightedness
• Farsightedness
• Astigmatism
• Presbyopia
• And more

Are you Concerned About the Cost of Contact Lenses?

Contact lenses are quite affordable. Whichever one you choose will still cost less than a daily cup of coffee at your favourite coffee shop:

• Daily disposables: Cost about $1/day
• Two-week disposables: Cost about $220-260/year
• Toric lenses: Cost about $500/year
• Gas permeable: Cost about $220-260/year

Okay! You Have Decided That Contact Lenses are Right for You! But What Type Should You Buy?

Let’s take a look at the different contact lenses available. There are many different styles to consider. Most are categorised as gas permeable, soft, and hybrid lenses.

Gas Permeable Lenses

Gas permeable lenses are hard lenses. They have many advantages over soft contacts, including:

• Allowing more oxygen to the eye
• Offering clearer vision
• Correcting certain eye conditions, such as keratoconus
• Lasting longer

However, they also have some disadvantages. Gas permeable lenses can be more difficult to become accustomed to. They are also more likely to slip off during activities when you are active and can scratch the cornea.

But you don’t need to worry too much about an injury to your eyes. Complications affect only a small percentage of contact wearers annually.

Soft Contact Lenses

Soft contacts consist of a pliable plastic called hydrogel. These contacts are much better for active lifestyles since they are more comfortable. But the trade-off is that vision may not be quite as crisp.

If you do choose to wear soft contacts, you can select between several replacement schedules:

• Daily disposable
• Weekly disposable
• Bi-weekly disposable
• Monthly disposable
• Extended wear

With daily disposables, you throw them away after each use. For weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly disposables, clean the lenses nightly until replacement time.

Extended wear contacts are those you sleep in. These have a one, two, or four-week replacement schedule.

Hybrid Contact Lenses

Hybrid contacts are simply a combination of gas permeable and soft lenses. The rigid part of the contact fits over the cornea to allow crisper vision. Meanwhile, the soft portion of the lens fits over the iris and part of the sclera to allow for more comfort.

Often, people with astigmatism find gas permeable contacts too uncomfortable. This makes hybrid contacts a great alternative for them.

Although these contacts provide the best of both worlds, they’re usually more costly than gas permeable or soft contacts. This can cause many contact wearers to choose other types of lenses over hybrid contacts.

As you can see, the majority of people can wear contact lenses. You probably can too! Not only can you get comfort and style, but you can do so quite affordably as well.

Your Next Steps on the Path to Wearing Contact Lenses

If you’ve decided that contact lenses are right for you, simply make an appointment with your eye doctor to get your prescription and discuss the best contacts for your eyes. Then come back to PerfectLens.ca for brand name, contact lenses at the lowest prices in Canada.