Myth 1: Contact lenses can make your vision worse.
Many people believe that wearing contact lenses can make their vision worse. In fact, vision can be reduced whether you wear contact lenses or not. This myth stems from the belief that contact lens vision is very different from the vision of people who wear glasses. When you wear contact lenses correctly, your eye muscles continue to work properly. That’s why opticians often prescribe contact lenses as a treatment for progressive myopia.
Myth 2: Contact lenses are bad for your eyes.
Modern contact lenses are made from biocompatible materials used in other medical fields. These lenses don’t block oxygen, which is essential for breathing and normal corneal metabolism. If you wear your contacts correctly, practice good hygiene and replace your lenses on time, it is a perfectly comfortable and safe way to correct your vision.
Myth 3: Contacts can cause eye infections.
Contact lenses themselves can’t be the source of infection. Infections are caused by pathogenic microorganisms that can enter the eye through a contaminated lens surface. Only a lack of hygiene and incorrect use of contact lenses can lead to such problems. If you follow your optician’s recommendations for keeping your lenses clean and safe, and don’t forget to disinfect them regularly, you can minimise the risk of infection. Also remember that the more often you change your lenses, the healthier your eyes will be. If you replace your lenses on time, you will have no problem wearing them regularly. Also, daily disposable lenses have completely debunked this myth.
Myth 4: Contact lenses can get lost behind the eye.
Physically, lenses can’t penetrate the eye socket. They sit on the front surface of the eyeball. They can only be moved under the lower or upper eyelid. The back of the eye is covered with a mucous membrane. This prevents the lenses from getting inside the eye.
Myth 5: Contact lenses can easily fall out of the eye.
Anatomically, this is impossible. The lens covers the cornea and is held in place by certain parameters that correspond to the parameters of the cornea and ensure correct positioning and fit. That’s why contact lens wearers can do many sports (except swimming, which is forbidden). Only an ophthalmologist or optometrist can determine the lens parameters.
Myth 6: Contact lenses are too much trouble to care for.
Proper contact lens care is essential for eye health. Modern multi-functional solutions have made lens care and storage easier. The best way to disinfect and clean your lenses is to soak them in a special solution overnight, and the solution will do all the “work” while you sleep. If you don’t want to bother cleaning your lenses, consider wearing daily disposable lenses instead.
Myth 7: People who wear contact lenses can’t wear make-up.
Most high quality cosmetics are now perfectly compatible with contact lenses. However, there are some rules you should follow. When choosing eye cosmetics, try to buy products that are labelled “ophthalmologist approved”, “hypoallergenic”, “good for sensitive eyes” or “contact lens compatible”. This means that these products are soft and gentle. Use water-soluble and non-sticky products. For example, water-based mascara. Put on contact lenses before applying make-up and take them out before removing make-up. When using aerosols, close your eyes to prevent aerosol droplets from getting onto the surface of your contact lenses.
Myth 8: Why spend money on contact lenses when you can have laser surgery?
This surgery is called corneal refractive correction and is considered a cosmetic correction, like wearing contact lenses or glasses. It doesn’t treat short-sightedness. During the operation, the laser removes a layer of tissue from the cornea, making it flatter and changing the shape of the cornea. This improves your vision. All the changes associated with myopia (the condition of the retina, the choroid and the size of the eyeball) don’t change. If myopia progresses, it is impossible to stop this process with the help of such an operation. Progressive myopia is also a contraindication to this surgery. As for the results, they can vary.
Short-sightedness may improve, either completely or partially, but in any case the shape of the cornea is changed and the patient may experience discomfort, such as double vision at night or the blurring of illuminated objects. The intensity of these sensations can interfere with a person’s normal life. It is not always possible to improve vision with glasses or contact lenses after surgery. You should remember that age-related changes in the eye usually occur after the age of 40. In this case, you will need glasses for reading and then glasses for looking at distant objects. It is impossible to avoid wearing glasses.
Myth 9: Lens replacement schedules were invented by manufacturers to make more money.
Following the replacement schedule is one of the most important rules when wearing contact lenses. The life of your lenses is determined by the material and how quickly the lenses can be contaminated by proteins and micro-organisms. This period is calculated very carefully and theoretically for each specific lens and material.
People tend to forget to replace their contact lenses after a recommended period of time. If the person does not follow the rule of replacing the contact lenses on time, there is a risk of developing allergic reactions in the eyes. Believe it or not, this problem is not pleasant. Today, there are lenses that can be changed once a month, once every two weeks or every day. Contact lenses that need to be replaced once a month are a perfect alternative. The advantage is that they are clean, don’t cause allergic reactions, keep your vision perfect and your eyes healthy, and don’t cost a lot of money. Daily disposable lenses are the right choice for those who want to see the world without glasses too. The lenses are cleaned every day and you don’t have to spend time looking after them. The healthiest and most economical way to correct your vision is to alternate between contacts and glasses.