Glasses, contact lenses or laser eye surgery?
Eye problems such as myopia or hypermetropia can always be corrected. There are several possibilities. One can chose to wear glasses or contact lenses or have the eyes corrected through a laser eye surgery. Every solution has its own advantages and disadvantages. We list the different possibilities for you.
In the case of long-sightedness or short-sightedness, most people immediately think about glasses. Glasses are the oldest way to resolve these eye problems.
Nowadays, there are quite some trendy models on the market. However, glasses are not always as practical. It is not so funny in winter when you walk from outside to inside and can’t see anything because of your fogged glasses. Even summer can give rise to some problems. When you are sweating, your nose rapidly changes into a slide from which you glasses continuously slide down. And especially when you are doing sports, glasses aren’t always very practical. Some sports cannot be practiced while wearing glasses.
If you need to adapt the strength of the spectacles regularly, your glasses become quite expensive. Spectacle frames can be found in all price categories. These vary from 50 Euros to 1000 Euros or more. When you regularly change glasses, you can save some money on the frame. However, it is impossible to save money on the spectacles. These are custom made for your eyes, following the prescription of your ophthalmologist. The price of the spectacles depends on the kind of glass and the comfort they offer you. When you need multifocal spectacles to compensate long-sightedness as well as presbyopia, it becomes a real costly affair. Let’s say that on average you pay about 600 Euros for a pair of new glasses. Normally, glasses are replaced every 2 years. Over a period of 10 years, the price of your glasses rises up to about 3000 Euros. So, quite expensive. On the other hand, it is a fact that glasses are a very simple tool. Not everybody is a suitable candidate for laser eye surgery and not everybody can wear contact lenses, however, wearing glasses is always a possibility.
You can also choose for contact lenses. Contacts give you much more freedom of movement than glasses, which is convenient, especially for sports. But there are also quite some disadvantages connected to it. They can cause dry eyes, eye infections or if you accidentally fall asleep with them, they can irritate your eyes. The price of lenses is comparable to the one of glasses. It is never a good idea to try to save money on the quality of contact lenses. Furthermore, people wearing contacts should have regular checks with an ophthalmologist or a specialist in contact lenses. And that’s exactly where the problem lies. As more and more people order their contact lenses online, there is a decrease in the follow-up and support. This is why we remark an increase in problems with contact lenses, such as eye infections. Studies have shown that the risk of loosing an eye due to an infection with contact lenses is much greater than the risk of complications after a laser eye surgery.
So, the solution for all these inconveniences is laser eye surgery? Well, that depends. You will obviously experience great freedom once you are freed from glasses: no more fuss about dirty or fogged spectacles, the freedom of movement during sporting activities, a perfect eyesight on every moment of the day. The disadvantages of contact lenses are also resolved with laser eye surgery.
However, having laser eye surgery is not a small decision to make. The most important step takes place before the intervention, during the preliminary examination. A thorough preliminary examination will determine whether you are a suitable candidate for laser eye surgery, in other words if it is possible from a medical point of view to perform the correction. You will only be treated in our clinic if your eyes are 100% suitable for the intervention.
Would you like to know if laser eye surgery is an option for you? Feel free to contact us, without any obligation.
Preliminary examination
Would you like to know whether you are eligible for laser treatment or eye surgery?