Glasses are a common solution to poor eyesight, but despite their prevalence, they’re not necessarily for everyone. Fortunately, they aren’t the only option available to people looking for better vision. Here are three alternatives to glasses that are safe and have been proven to work.
Contacts
Contacts are probably the most obvious alternative to glasses. They will be a bit more expensive than glasses in the long run, since they’ve got to be replaced more frequently, but many wearers argue that they provide superior vision correction. This is largely due to the fact that contacts reduce the amount of distortion in a wearer’s peripheral vision—which can sometimes be a big problem when using glasses. It’s true that contacts can lead to eye infections, but this risk is virtually nonexistent if you simply follow your doctor’s instructions for wearing them.
CRT Lenses
Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT) lenses are a special type of contacts that are worn only at night. As you sleep, they gently reshape your cornea, which helps corrects vision problems during the day—meaning that you won’t need to wear contacts or glasses during that period. However, keep in mind that the effects of CRT lenses are only temporary, and any lapse in wearing them at night will cause your vision to return to its original state. Additionally, these lenses only work to correct nearsightedness.
LASIK Surgery
LASIK surgery is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to glasses as its safety and efficacy begins to increase. This minimally invasive procedure helps to permanently correct vision problems by reshaping a patient’s cornea to help the retina focus light properly. LASIK requires only local anesthesia, and most doctors can complete the entire process in about 10 minutes. This surgery can correct a wide range of eyesight problems, including nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
