Prescription contact lenses are for people who need prescription glasses but for one reason or another prefer not to wear them. Some people don’t like to wear eyeglasses because they don’t like the image that they think they portray in spectacles. Others don’t like eyeglasses because they are not comfortable. Yet other people use prescription contact lenses because they cannot wear glasses for work or play.
Many sports cannot be played while wearing eyeglasses and prescription contact lenses are the only option for many people. Otherwise they would not be able to play the sport at all because their vision would not allow for it. Some people have both spectacles for wear at work and home and prescription contact lenses for wear at play.
If you enjoy sports, or even outdoor activities like fishing, climbing or running, you might consider asking your eye doctor about prescription contact lenses. It is a great idea to have a pair for these things and then use your glasses at home if you enjoy wearing your eyeglasses as many people do.
It is not a good idea to swim wearing prescription contact lenses, however, because there are bacteria in the swimming pool that can adhere to the lens and ultimately damage your eye. If you absolutely cannot see well enough to be in the pool without them, and it just doesn’t make sense to wear your glasses while swimming, make sure to wear airtight goggles when under water to help to protect your eyes and your contact lenses. You will also want to make sure to clean and sanitize them as soon as you are finished swimming.
You will need a prescription for contact lenses, even if you already have a prescription for your glasses. A contact lens prescription is very different from an eyeglasses prescription because a contact lens prescription will be made both for the strength of the contacts as well as the brand and size of the contact lenses. Contact lenses that don’t fit are very uncomfortable and can cause irritation or even damage to the eyes.
Once you have received a prescription for contact lenses, you will need to decide whether you want to have two week disposable contact lenses or one year contact lenses (also called permanent lenses, but they aren’t actually permanent). You will also be able to choose a color for your contact lenses. You can choose to enhance your eye color or change it, or just leave it the same. You can also get designs in your contact lenses to make your eyes look like those of a cat, or like they are on fire.
Designed contact lenses are popular for people who don’t need prescription contact lenses, but they still need a prescription for them because of the issue of getting the right fit being so important. Don’t try to go buy these contacts on your own or online without a prescription. Your eyesight is too important to risk losing them over a cool design over your winking eye.