Reasons Why You Might See Better With Your Glasses Than Contacts
There are a few possible reasons why someone who uses both glasses and contacts might notice that they aren’t seeing as well with their contacts on a given day. However keep in mind that while this article is highlighting why some people see better with glasses than contact lenses, there are many people that do see better with contacts than glasses, and it is always best to speak with our eye doctor during a contact lens evaluation to see if the reason you are experiencing worse vision out of your lenses is due to an improper fit or not using the right modality of lenses.
While contacts usually stay stationary on the eyes, they can move, and, if they are out of position, will not work as well. If this happens, in addition to blurry or simply less clear vision, you are likely to experience some discomfort. Applying artificial tears, then blinking a few times, can help get it back into place much of the time.
If that doesn't work, then it is likely that your contact lenses are not the right size and you should see our optometrist for a contact lens fitting. As part of this appointment, our eye doctor will reapply your contact lenses and make sure they are comfortable for you. If they are not, they will measure the curvature of the cornea to determine what the appropriate curve is for your contact lenses and provide you with new lenses. Following a short period of adjustment time, your contact lenses will conform to your eye's shape. In some cases our eye doctor may have you trial another modality or brand of lenses to see if that improves your vision.
There May Be Debris on or Under the Lens
Contact lenses, unlike glasses, don’t really provide protection for your eyes from dust on a windy day, or smoke. They also can’t be cleaned while worn. So if something gets stuck on the lens, or worse, stuck between the lens and your eye, it can negatively impact your vision.
Often, contact lens infections are caused by germs accumulating under the lenses. This can result in bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic corneal infections.
There May Be Lens Damage
If there is some damage to your contact lenses, it can impact your vision. Unlike with glasses, where a scratch is generally easy to spot and repair as needed, it can be hard to catch. If your contacts are damaged, they should be replaced if they’re disposable lenses. A number of factors can damage lenses, including debris, prolonged use, dropping lenses, long nails, and rough handling. Keeping these things in mind will help you handle contact lenses safely and avoid causing damage.
Contact lenses are more complicated to fit to your eyes than glasses are to fit to your face. This is because they sit directly on the surface of the eye, and need to properly stay in place to provide the vision correction you need. Particularly among astigmatism patients (who have unusually shaped corneas), if the fit isn’t perfect, you won’t get the same level of vision correction you get from your glasses, which are not affected by the shape of your eye. If this is the case, you’ll need to see our optometrist to get your lenses re-fit.
One of the most common reasons why people experience blurry vision from contact lenses is due to overuse of contacts. Since contact lenses sit directly on our cornea, it blocks oxygen from reaching the cells in our eyes, which is potentially dangerous and can distort your vision. It is extremely important that you do not overuse contact lenses and always follow the guidance provided by your eye doctor on the proper use of your lenses. If you experience poor vision from your contacts try reducing the amount of hours that you spend in your lenses or even take off a day per week and switch to glasses. This will allow your eyes to get much needed oxygen which is critical for their function and health.
Infections
Infections caused by wearing contact lenses are usually caused by bacteria building up on them. Using water instead of proper cleaning solutions or not changing contacts frequently enough can cause infections.
The symptoms of eye infections can appear as insignificant as burning or light sensitivity. If you notice any signs and/or symptoms of an eye infection, you should seek medical attention immediately. If you experience any of these symptoms, remove your contact lenses immediately and call our eye doctor. Contact lenses don't need to be thrown away. You can place them in the case and bring them to your doctor's appointment. Meanwhile, you should wear your eyeglasses.
Issues such as these only arise for people who wear contact lenses, not people who wear glasses. The reason for this is that bacteria cannot stick to the eye and cause infection.
