What are the disadvantages of contact lenses?
Contact lenses can be absolutely amazing for times like playing sports, big nights out, and swimming. Or maybe you are just someone who hates your glasses getting fogged up when you go outside and the humidity or temperature is a big change. Pouring hot boiling water from cooking spaghetti into the drain is also a big pain when you can’t see. These are the times when contacts sound like a fantastic idea, but are there any disadvantages to wearing contact lenses?
Let’s start with the basics. Contact lenses do require more work than wearing glasses. Simply getting them in your eyes can be a challenge at times. The lens could be flipped inside out making it more tricky and if you are successful at getting them in that way, they are sure to annoy and irritate you. If something fell in the solution when you had the case open or if something was on your finger you didn’t realize when you are trying to put them it, the pain and irritation can stop you in your tracks.
It is imperative that you are cleaning the lenses properly with contact solution daily if you have 30 day contacts. Making sure your hands are clean each and every time you touch your contacts is a must. The fastest way to have a problem with contact lenses is to have them get dirty and fully of bacteria from improper cleaning. Build up of bacteria on the lens from not being cleaned each time they come out of your eyes and then soaked for a few hours can cause eye infections. If you rather not take the time to clean them properly, 30 day contacts, also known as monthly, may not be for you.
Even if you have daily disposable contacts that you only wear for a single use then toss, you still may need contact solution every now and again to clean them up if something gets on the lens as you are putting them in. If something really irritates your eye, you may experience redness or stinging. This can be very painful and if it happens it is best to not put your contacts in until it clears up. Forcing your eye to have a contact lens on it after it has been irritated will prevent your eye from being able to flush itself.
Both daily and monthly contact lenses should only be worn for their recommended amount of time, which is to say, sleeping in either is not a good choice. Sleeping in contacts blocks the eyes from receiving the needed oxygen as you rest. This can also lead to infection as the eye gets irritated with the lenses while your eyes are closed for the prolonged period of time. For either type of contact lenses, you are generally safe to wear them for 14-16 hours per day. We encourage our patients to take the lenses out an hour or two before bed time to give your eyes a rest and time to breath.
Likewise, both should be thrown away at the end of their life cycle regardless of the actual amount of hours spent in your eyes. It is tempting to try and reuse contacts when we only put them in for a few hours, however dailies should always be thrown away immediately upon taking them out of your eyes. Monthly lenses are only good for 30 days of use once opened. Even if you only end up putting them in for half the days of the month, you still need to toss them once that 30 days is up. Think of this like drinking expired milk- YUK!
Using any lenses for longer than their intended amount of time can lead to eye problems down the line. Your eyes can become dry or infected, which can cause larger issues too. Infections are especially bad as some of the problems that occur can not be reversed, just managed. Washing your hands before ever touching your lenses and eyes is imperative to ensure you are not contaminating either. Even when mid-day something feels amiss, it is best to go to a restroom and wash your hands before you try and adjust your lenses. Clean hands and fresh solution that is not expired is the best habit you can create with any contacts.
Contact lenses are fragile and can tear easily. This can be a struggle if you are more rough on things or if you like to have longer nails. You may end up going through your contacts faster than the intended time, costing you more money, if you are prone to tearing them. This point leads to the fact that contact lenses are more expensive in the long run than wearing glasses. Glasses are a one time cost that you only need to replace if your prescription changes or if they get broken (or admittedly if you get bored of them- don’t worry I’ve done that too!).
Monthly contacts are less expensive than daily contacts on average. You typically buy a 12 month supply consisting of 24 total lenses- one per eye per month. With daily contacts, you typically buy in three month increments, however if you do not wear a pair every single day this can last you longer than the three calendar months. With monthly contacts, you will need to purchase contact solution more regularly than with daily lenses as you are using the solution every single day you wear them to clean and soak the lenses.
It is important to note, that blue light blocking glasses are still recommended when wearing contacts and looking at screens for a prolonged period of time. The blue light can be damaging to your eyes causing problems like dry eye or worsened vision. Blue light also inhibits your bodies natural ability to produce melatonin. In a study by the University of Houston in 2017, their participants were able to increase their melatonin production by up to 58% after wearing blue light blockers for two weeks. What is interesting about the study, is that the participants were told they just needed to wear them for the three house before bedtime. This shows how important it is to either switch off from your devices before bed or wear blue light blockers.
Contacts or not, making sure you have clean hands when you do touch your eyes and getting your regular eye exams yearly, help to keep your eyes happy and healthy. Many people choose to use a combination of glasses and contacts- and sometimes in the mornings even with contacts you just might forget to put them in once your glasses go on and your day gets moving. No worries though, we can help you find glasses that look great on you and contacts that fit your lifestyle!
