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There is an old adage in the eye care industry--Glasses are a necessity, contact lenses are a luxury. Ninety-nine percent of the time this is absolutely true. In the absence of unusual eye disorders or very high prescriptions that don’t allow a person to wear glasses comfortably, contact lenses should only ever be worn if there is a good, sturdy, updated set of prescription glasses available, too. This is due to the fact that there are often emergencies where people cannot wear their contact lenses.

In the 21st century, contact lens technology has gotten to the point where we have drastically cut down on the number of adverse events related to contact lens wear. However, human beings were not meant to wear little pieces of plastic in their eyes. Contact lenses are still considered a foreign body in the eye, and sometimes with foreign bodies, our eyes might feel the need to fight back against the “invader.” As such, issues like red eyes, corneal ulcers, eyelid inflammation, dry eyes, and abnormal blood vessel growth can result from wearing contact lenses.

More often than I would like, I have patients who are longtime contact lens wearers come in, and when I inquire as to the condition of their glasses, they say they don’t own any. My next question is inevitably, “What happens if you get an eye infection and you can’t wear your contacts?” I then see the proverbial light bulb go off in their heads followed by a blank stare. Why? “Because I’ve never had a problem before.” Well, just because you maybe have never been in a car accident before, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wear your seat belt!

I will therefore repeat the most important takeaway here--Glasses are a necessity, contacts are a luxury. Even if you don’t want to go “all out” and get the most expensive frames or lenses in your glasses, having a reliable pair of glasses is an absolute must for any contact lens wearer.

Article contributed by Dr. Jonathan Gerard

Craig, CO

optometrist, eye doctor, Craig CO

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460 Pershing St.
Craig, CO 81625
Phone: (970) 824-3488 | Fax: (970) 824-8132

Monday 10:15am - 5:00pm
Tues. - Fri. 8:00am - 5:00pm
Sat. - Sun. Closed

Steamboat Springs, CO

optometrist, eye doctor, Craig CO

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365 Anglers Drive, Suite A
Steamboat Springs, CO 80488
Phone: (970) 879-2020 | Fax: (970) 879-4909

Monday 10:15am - 5:00pm
Tues - Thurs. 9:00am - 6:00pm
Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Sat. - Sun. Closed