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I’ve been wearing contact lenses since I was thirteen – more or less. Just lately, I wear them less and less often because they bother my eyes more and more. I’m not quite willing to give them up completely, but I do accept the fact that I may have to in the future. Contacts aren’t for everyone, and there are lots of signs contacts might not be right for you.
Many of the signs contacts might not be right for you come down to comfort – or, rather, discomfort. If, for example, you notice that your eyes always itch when you put in your contacts, you may have an allergy. If so, you can first try different brands and solutions, but you may also have to accept that you’re going to be stuck with glasses.
Similarly, if your eyes burn when you put in your lenses, that can be a sign. Again, you may have an allergy, and a different brand might help. Your eyes could also be sensitive. If that’s the case, it’s probably a good idea not to irritate them with contact lenses. I know they’re stylish and many people prefer not to wear glasses, but comfort trumps stylishness every time.
I’ve only lost a contact once in my life – and I later found it … but it was all crystalized by then. My mom started wearing contacts at the same time I did, however, and lost at least one lens out of every pair she ever had. If you can’t keep track of your lenses, that is a sign contacts might not be right for you.
One of the reasons I stay away from wearing my contacts for long periods of time is became they can sometimes give me awful headaches. I have no idea why, though I’ve mentioned it to my optometrist. It doesn’t happen all the time, just often enough that I always bring my glasses with me. If you get frequent headaches, you might want to stick with your glasses, too.
Eye infections are the worst, and they can spread really easily if you wear contacts. Pink eye and styes are especially problematic. If you’re prone to frequent eye infections and problems like these, you may not want to risk wearing your contacts a lot. Regardless, throw your lenses away post haste if you ever get pink eye or some other type of infection.
Your eyes always give you the warning signs contacts might not be right for you. Dry eyes are a big sign. This is a typical problem among people who wear contact lenses, and generally it can be cleared up pretty easily. If you don’t want to deal with the problem, however, then you might want to shelve your lenses for good.
Quite often, when I’m wearing my glasses, people I know will actually ask me why I haven’t gotten contacts. While there are times I want to wear my lenses, most of the time I just prefer my glasses. This is true for lots of people. They may have contacts or they may never have bothered, but they just prefer their glasses. If you’re happy with them, then my personal opinion is that you shouldn’t worry about contacts anyway!
These are just a few of the signs contacts might not be right for you. Again, remember – your eyes will always let you know if they have a problem with those floppy, foreign little invaders. In the meantime, which do you prefer, glasses or contacts?
Top Photo Credit: slowbicycles