The history of vision correction is vast and complex. Before the invention on contact lenses people relied on glasses to correct imperfections in their eyesight. Today, contacts have become the norm and LASIK eye surgery is replacing them. There are advantages and disadvantages to each method in correcting vision and the choices become even more increasing difficult to decide upon when it comes to our children’s vision.
Today glasses are seen mostly as a hindrance. Glasses are a good source of vision correction but viewed by many as an inconvenient method of vision correction. The advantage of wearing glasses is the ease at which you can transition from wearing them to not wearing them. They are also readily available and have become reasonable to purchase. They also can be seen as a fashion statement. Glasses are also easy for children to be in charge of. The disadvantages of glasses are plentiful as well. Keeping glasses clean and scratch free is often hard for even the most careful wearer let alone a child in glasses. They are also bulky when playing sports and can act as a blind spot for some. Losing track of glasses is also common especially when dealing with children.
Contacts have been a rite of passage for many children as they become teens. With contacts comes the great responsibility to care for them. In caring for your contacts you are essentially caring for your eyes. Bacteria and germs are more susceptible to be passed to the eye with the use of contacts. Contact lenses must be cleaned and maintained daily to prevent infections within the eye. This is why most of the time children are not trusted with contact lenses. If a child prefers contacts over glasses often caregivers will choose daily contacts in which the same pair is not worn twice.
Contacts have many advantages over glasses. It is easy to forget about your contacts and not worry about them for the entire day. With glasses you have to maintain their cleanliness throughout the day. They allow complete, clear vision in which there is no blind spot. Contacts are also affordable and can be purchased in a multitude of styles and quantities. The disadvantage of wearing contacts is that they need daily maintenance and need to be removed nightly before bed. For some this can be seen as a disadvantage but for others it is an advantage over the constant worry and concern over scratching the lens of your glasses.
Today in vision correction options we have available to us LASIK eye surgery. This is a more permanent way to handle vision correction. Whether LASIK can be performed to correct a child vision is very situational. Eye sight does tend to change more drastically in younger eyes. When considering LASIK on a child it is best to meet with several eye surgeons to determine if such an approach is beneficial or if time will benefit the child. In most cases, unless incredibly severe vision loss is present it will be recommended to wait on LASIK until a child has reached adulthood.
LASIK in adults however is seen as a game changer for many struggling with a vision impairment. LASIK is a lifestyle changer. No longer is the concern of bringing a ton of eye lens chemicals with you on vacation or that spare pair of glasses just encase, LASIK eye surgery offers complete eye correction and eliminated the reliance on contacts or glasses. With today’s technology LASIK eye correction surgery can be performed with minimal downtime on eyes affected with a range of severity. For more information and to see if you are a perfect candidate for LASIK contact a local LASIK eye surgeon for a consultation.