The key difference between contact lenses and spectacles is that contact lenses do not affect the peripheral vision of the wearer, whereas spectacles affect the peripheral vision of the wearer.
Contact lenses sit directly on the eyes, whereas spectacles sit on the bridge of the nose and do not touch the eyes. Both contact lenses and spectacles correct the defects in the eyes, such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism (distorted vision), and presbyopia (age-related vision problems). Both need to be taken care of, although contact lenses need more care after each usage to prevent infections. If you do not like to wear either, there are other options which are surgeries like Lasik eye surgery, Phakic Intraocular Lens implants (PIOL), and Orthokeratology, which is also called corneal refractive therapy.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Contact Lenses
3. What are Spectacles
4. Contact Lenses vs Spectacles in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Contact Lenses vs Spectacles
What are Contact Lenses?
Contact lenses are corrective, cosmetic, or therapeutic lenses placed on the cornea of the eye. It provides complete coverage to the eye and gives a wider vision. Since there are no barriers between the eye and the vision, you won’t feel that there is a defect in your eyesight.
There are various types of contact lenses available such as,
- Corrective contact lenses, which are used as a solution for eye defects,
- Cosmetic lenses, which are used to change the colour of their eyes, and
- Therapeutic lenses, which have healing properties and are used in the injured cornea for them to recover slowly
They also correct disorders like dry eyes, bullous keratopathy, keratitis, corneal ulcers, corneal oedema, and corneal dystrophy.
Earlier, contact lenses were made using Plexiglas and were known as hard lenses. Then polymacon was used for lenses, and these were called soft lenses. At present, silicon and hydrogels are used in making contact lenses.
The advantages of wearing contact lenses are as follows:
- They improve vision and do not affect the appearance of the person,
- They do not get dirty or foggy,
- You can dispose of lenses without cleaning them,
- They do not affect the peripheral vision,
- They are comfortable, especially when doing outdoor activities
There are also disadvantages of wearing contact lenses, such as infections, eye irritations, expenses, the need for constant check-ups, restrictions on the amount of oxygen that reaches the eyes, which causes dry eyes, and more chances for dust particles to get into the eyes.
What are Spectacles?
Spectacles are frames that have lenses worn in front of the eyes. They are worn as a solution for eye defects, protection from UV rays, and eye protection. They were invented by Salvino D’Armate.
Spectacles are convenient and cheap. There is no risk of infection and irritation because the users do not have to touch their eyes. The users can also change their look frequently since there are many frame designs available in the market. Some spectacles protect the wearers’ eyes from UV rays, and the protective coatings protect the eyes from strain while working on computers. Normally, spectacles protect the eyes from wind, dust, and debris.
Some disadvantages of spectacles are poor peripheral vision, change in the appearance of the wearer, expensive frames, difficulty when doing sports/outdoor activities, lost or damaged spectacles, and discomfort from dirt and fog.
What is the Difference Between Contact Lenses and Spectacles?
The key difference between contact lenses and spectacles is that contact lenses sit directly on the eyes, while spectacles sit on the bridge of the nose and do not touch the eyes. When using contact lenses, the entire view is clear, whereas spectacles tend to have poor side vision.
The below infographic presents the differences between contact lenses and spectacles in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Contact Lenses vs Spectacles
Contact Lenses are corrective, cosmetic, or therapeutic lenses placed on the cornea of the eye. Since they are placed directly on the eyes, they are comfortable and do not affect the appearance and the peripheral vision of the wearer like spectacles do. Spectacles are frames that have lenses that are worn in front of the eyes. They also protect the eyes from various environmental factors like dust and wind. So, this is the summary of the key difference between contact lenses and spectacles.
Reference:
1. “Contact Lens.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation.
2. “Glasses.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation.
Image Courtesy:
1. “CSIRO ScienceImage 3241 O2OPTIXTM contact lens for healthier eyes” By CSIRO (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Full Frame Spectacles” By Devender Goyal – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia