Contact Lenses vs Traditional Glasses

If you need vision correction and your eyes are otherwise healthy, you may have a choice between contact lenses or traditional glasses. Neither is better than the other. Your choice will depend upon your lifestyle, budget, aesthetics, and comfort. Our staff at Michigan Eyecare in Southfield, Livonia, or Dearborn can help you weigh the pros and cons.

Traditional Glasses

Glasses come in two types: single vision and multifocal. Single vision glasses correct distance vision. Multifocal lenses, which include bifocals and progressive lenses, correct for both distance and near-vision issues.

Pros

• Glasses are easy. They don't require special solutions or touching your eyes.
• Glasses generally cost less in the long run.
• You can choose a frame that complements your face and demonstrates your fashion sense.
• Some types of glasses can protect your eyes from injury or damage.

Cons

• They fog up and get wet in the rain. For these reasons, they may not be the best choice for sports.
• You may not like how you look wearing glasses.
• Glasses can sometimes distort peripheral vision.
• Some people have trouble adjusting to multifocal glasses.

Contact Lenses

Contact lenses sit on the surface of the eye. They come in two types. Soft contact lenses are the most popular and comfortable. They come in daily wear, extended wear, and daily disposable. Hard contact lenses are less comfortable, but are typically easier to maintain.

Pros

• They provide better peripheral vision correction than glasses.
• You can participate in sports more easily because contacts don't fog up, get wet, or fall off.
• They are hidden.
• You can change your eye color with colored lenses.

Cons

• The risks of eye infection are higher, especially if you don't wash your hands before putting contacts in your eye.
• They require cleaning and maintenance.
• Some people require some time to adjust to them.

Contact Michigan Eye Care in Southfield, Livonia, and Dearborn

To make an appointment with one of our optometrists or ophthalmologists, call (248) 352-2806 in Southfield, (734) 464-7800 in Livonia, and (313) 582-7440 in Dearborn.