Glasses Specialist

Are glasses or contact lenses better for me?

Glasses and contact lenses both provide excellent visual quality, but they work differently. Overall, glasses require very little day-to-day upkeep. Simply keep your glasses clean and store them in a safe place when you're not wearing them to maintain optimal condition.

Contacts require touching your eyeballs, so if you're squeamish about that, they might not be right for you. Some contacts (the non-disposable varieties) require nightly removal and storage in saline solution, too. But, contact lenses are very comfortable and convenient. They offer excellent vision, just like glasses. 

It usually comes down to personal preferences and lifestyle. Many people choose glasses as their primary type of vision correction but also get contact lenses as an occasional option to wear during sports or other times when glasses could be at risk of breaking.

How often should I replace my glasses?

Eyes On Park recommends annual comprehensive eye exams for most children and adults. Bring your current glasses to your appointment for evaluation. If the lenses and their frames are still sturdy, well-fitted, and provide optimal vision correction, you might not need new glasses during your eye exam. 

Vision changes of any type or new vision problems may mean you need a glasses replacement. If you have any of the following issues, schedule an appointment now rather than waiting for your next scheduled exam.

• Loss of focus 
• Colors look faded
• Seeing floaters — small shapes that drift through your visual field
• Seeing bright flashes of light 
• Straight lines look curved or wavy

Headaches are another issue that could be tied to the wrong lens prescription. 

If you receive an eye disease diagnosis, for example, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, or age-related macular degeneration, you may need new glasses that are optimized to correct any changes in your vision that the disease may cause.

What kind of lenses should I choose?

The Eyes On Park providers discuss your prescription and lifestyle with you to determine the ideal lenses and frames for you. You may just need one prescription, but many people need two or more prescriptions as they age. 

Bifocals, which divide the lens in the middle, contain two prescriptions while trifocals divide the lens into three separate prescriptions. Progressive lenses contain multiple prescriptions without the dividing lines found in bifocals and trifocals.

You can choose lens materials ranging from high-tech plastics to traditional glass. And, you can also choose tinted, scratch-resistant, and other types of lens coatings.

Eyes On Park offers all the glasses options you need, so call the office or book an appointment online now.