Glasses vs Contacts

[Quaznoid]

Definitely glasses. Get RX sunglasses rather than Transitions.

 

[borwish]

Long story story----my luck handed me a power tripping B#tch at the DMV who forced the glasses issue. At the next renewal the person giving the eye test questioned it and promptly removed the requirement. I could see slightly better with glasses, so I wore transition glasses for a while. I then switched to contacts for a while, and then back to clear glasses. I only wear glasses while driving at night because of the huge number of deer in my area. I only got my last pair of glasses because work paid for them. I just wanted some impact rated prescription glasses---which I have never worn LOL.

I don't know about newer glasses, but the older transitions reacted to UV light which is blocked by most car windshields today. Keep that in mind. You may need prescription sunglasses for driving in bright sun shine.

I'd vote glasses---one time purchase just like your razor.

 

[ctr]

More than 50 years with corrected vision. Use both contacts and glasses. Folks are either far sighted or near sighted. The op describes some decline in far vision.

The eyes require time to adjust to wearing contact lenses. Usually a few weeks to adjust to less oxygen reaching the eye and just having something in your eye. Contacts are great for sports and many on the go activities. Given your eyes change wearing contacts might also require a pair of reading glasses. Maybe.

Glasses are mostly straight forward. The current generation of transition lenses while not cheap are great. They change quickly and recover quickly. You might have to remove the glasses to read. Maybe.

Best to have a spare pair of glasses if you need them to drive, etc. Contact lenses up the risk for eye infections and most folks experience this from time to time. A timely visit to the eye doctor for medicated drops usually fixes the issue in a week time though some infections can be vision threatening. Best to keep the hands clean and avoid touching the eyes. Glasses are required during these times as the contacts cannot be worn.

I strongly advise against the 24 hour lenses. Do not sleep with lenses in place.

So the answer to the question isn't either one or the other. The answer is glasses only, or glasses and contacts.

 

[ByMyBeard]

I have opinions on glasses! I am a neurologist and have resolve many a headache with glasses advice.

Questions:
Do you only need magnification? (No Astigmatism or other issue requiring a more complex lens)
Do you need readers? (Around 45 yo most people need readers, but if you are only nearsighted, you may not)
Do you spend a lot of time on the computer? (Computer range glasses are important, if you also need readers)

Thanks - I'll message you!

 

[The Knize]

Having worn glasses and contacts my entire life, I can say that contacts are nice for the vanity factor and that's it.
I have used transition and clear lenses a long time, and the current version of transition lenses darken fast when you go out, and clear just as fast when you come inside. The older version took some time, but it isn't that way anymore.
Contacts can be useful if you wish to avoid frame type glasses, but honestly I think you get used to the frames much quicker than you get used to having a foreign object in your eye.
Couple that with the very real need to deal with the contacts in as far as cleaning them, handling them, storing them etc.
There are eye disorders that can be directly associated with improper use or cleaning of contact lenses.
If you've never worn either, but wear sunglasses frequently - I can tell you that you're probably going to be much more comfortable with frame glasses over contacts.
If you get dust in your eye the difference between contacts and glasses is immeasurable.
If you have a need to NOT wear them, taking off glasses is EZ. Contacts - not so much.

There are some really spot on informative comments in this thread. I am impressed! But I would say that I 100 % agree with Phil. I have worn glasses since I was about 22 years old. For a time in there, say from the age of 25 or so through, maybe 32, I wore contacts. But it was in a time when the thought was one could wear soft lens for 30 days at a time. That kind of worked, but I do not think anyone thinks it is okay to wear contacts day after day, sleeping with them inserted, etc. anymore. When I started needing bifocals and seemed to develop astigmatism, contacts did not seem to perform very well at all. Then later when I tried to go back to contacts to wear intermittently I guess as mostly a vanity thing although they helped for certain sports things like wearing a scuba mask, my eyes seemed to have gotten to dry to wear any kind of contacts for any extended length of time. To me bifocals seem easy enough to adjust to. I do not want to bother carrying around reading glasses and bifocal contacts just do not seem to work. Phil is certainly right about transitional lenses being very advanced these days. So for me, anyway, glasses perform better, are a whole lot less hassle, and avoid this dry eye problem I seem to have developed. Except for vanity sake, I cannot see bothering with contacts myself. YMMV.

 

[The Knize]

I meant to say that as to cost, it is true that many eye glasses are extraordinarily expensive for what they are. My understanding is this is because almost all eye glass manufacturing down to retail stores is controlled by one firm. A pretty extraordinary situation. And I admit that I carry good optical insurance and pretty much pay an outlandish price for my glasses. But I get exactly what I want and wear them pretty much constantly for years at a time, so the day to day cost is not so high. But outfits like Warby Parker seem much more fairly priced and the quality of there products in my experience very good.

 

[DrStrange]

In the 1970's,
I saw a guy on his hands and knees
looking for his contacts in the men's room at a Grateful Dead concert
and after that, I knew I could never get contacts.

 

[ColtRevolver]

On the other hand, in over 40 years of contact wearing I have never lost a lens.

 

[DesertIguana]

I only wear Readers, they are perfect to overcome my poor eyesight to read.

 

[emwolf]

61 now and 52 of those years have been with corrective lenses. I've used and enjoyed contacts for a long period (the clarity at night time was astounding) but found I prefer the ease of using spectacles. In the last decade I've moved into the bifocal era and now have both progressive and traditional bifocal glasses (benefits for each type).

 

[luvmysuper]

On the other hand, in over 40 years of contact wearing I have never lost a lens.

Nor did I.
One exception being a late night drunken visit to a McDonalds in Honolulu, but it was entirely my fault, and completely avoidable.