LASIK vs. Contacts: Which Option Provides the Best Vision Solution?

If you ask many people suffering from poor vision what their wishes are, you’d probably hear having a clear vision as one of them. Poor vision can be so tiring and agonizing, depending on the level of damage done to the cornea or eyes in general.

Vision Correction Methods’ Brief History

The Modern science has greatly contributed a lot to the human race by implementing ways to correct refractive errors, which are the most common culprit that makes things look blurry. Glasses were developed centuries ago before the idea of contact lenses came in to ease the stress of always wearing glasses.

Two of the most popular methods of correcting refractive errors are contact lenses and LASIK surgery. Both have proven productive and produced excellent results in their ways, so patients trying to choose one option out of the two might have conflicted opinions on which one to go for.

Getting any type of eye treatment can be agonizing. If you are not used to any of them and you suddenly have to shift your lifestyle to fit, it can be draining. You will make mistakes in the beginning, it gets tiring, and you wish there was something you could do to get rid of all options and have brand new eyes. However, eye treatment doesn’t work that way. Even with surgeries and other correctional options, it takes time and patience.

Choosing between contacts and LASIK can be daunting because it’s making a big decision concerning your life. You have to understand and weigh the pros and cons of each method, in order to make an informed choice for the sake of your eye health and lifestyle in general.

In this article, we are going to explore both options, various factors to understand, and important things to note, which might influence your decision to get the better vision solution for yourself

Understanding Vision Correction and Refractive Errors

As a person suffering from poor vision, understanding the anatomy of the human eye functions and how it produces vision is one of the things you should do. When light is introduced into your eyes, it becomes bent by the cornea to become a refractive ray. The natural lens in your eyes, which is also known as the crystalline lens, is found behind the pupil and iris; now changes the refracted light and focuses it on the retina.

This process allows the eye to adjust to changes in distance or lighting conditions, and the eyes can see objects clearly in return, no matter the variance in distances, because the retina sends signals to your brain, which interprets the light as images.

When Do Refractive Errors Occur?

The moment the shape of your eyes cannot bend light correctly anymore, your vision will automatically become blurry. This is a defect on either the cornea, your lens, or, in some cases, both. There will be a bridge between the message passed to the retina, which sends signal to the brain to interprete the light that comes in.

Common Types of Refractive Errors

These refractive errors can occur in several modes, depending on the type of error being experienced by your cornea or natural lens. This error affects how the light is being bent on the retina and how the brain will carry out the final interpretation and image production.

Myopia

Another name for this condition is Nearsightedness. This is a situation where you can see close things clearly, but once they become distant, they appear blurry. In this error, the eye is too long, and the cornea is too curved, which affects the focus of light in front of the retina.

You are probably wondering how the eye becomes too long, or the cornea becomes too curved, right? Genetics and lifestyle contribute to this condition. Heavy screen time, little to no exposure to natural light, and injuries can affect the shape of the cornea or the length of the eyes.

Hyperopia

This is the opposite of myopia. It is called farsightedness because you can only see distant objects clearly. At the same time, nearer things become blurry and this is due to the shortness of the eyes or the flatness of the cornea, causing light to bounce behind the retina instead. Just like myopia, genetics can affect, and abnormal developmental factor during childhood can also be a factor. It doesn’t end there; age-related changes and cataracts can be culprits, too.

Astigmatism

In this condition, there is no distance variance because everything is blurry no matter where they are. Irregularity in the shape of the cornea leads to distorted light on the retina, which makes it difficult for the brain to pick up any signal.

Correctional Methods for Refractive Errors

We can all agree that having any of the conditions stated above doesn’t mean life should be paused or ended right? Especially in this technology and developed century. There are several ways to correct refractive errors which can be divided into two.

Surgical Corrective Methods

• Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK)
• Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK)
• Implantable Lenses
• Refractive Surgery like Conductive Keratoplasty (CK) or Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis (LASEK)

Non-Surgical Corrective Methods

• Glasses
• Contact lenses
• Orthokeratology

Some of the other methods not categorized are corneal reshaping, which is done by using a device to reshape the cornea, and vision therapy, which helps in vision improvement by pairing the method with other correctional ones that we’ve mentioned above.

In this article, we are going to focus on choosing contact lenses and LASIK surgery for refractive error correction and the improvement of visual acuity. In the end, you will be able to make informed decisions before choosing the best method for your eyes.

Contact Lenses

You’ve probably come across one or heard of it in your day-to-day life. These thin and curved materials are worn on the cornea so they can act as the new refractive surface, bend the light coming into the eyes correctly on the retina, and enable the brain to pick up proper light signals.

Contact lenses exist in various types, such as soft contact lenses, daily disposable ones, multifocal, extended wear, and rigid gas-permeable lenses. All are meant and worn for different purposes, removed daily according to the prescription from the eye care professional, require proper maintenance like cleaning and storage to prevent further complications.

Contact lenses fall under the non-surgical method, are very comfortable instead of glasses, readily available, and can correct several situations, which makes them versatile, and are good for active lifestyles e.g. athletes. However, the side implications can make it a difficult option to pick because they require daily maintenance, can be expensive with steady getting replacement lenses and contact cleaning solutions, pose the eyes for eye infections risks, cause vision fluctuations inconvenience, and contribute to dry eyes when worn for extended periods.

Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK)

You must have been familiar with the term “Laser.” Modern medicine has come up with ways to use a special type of laser to correct or reshape the cornea through a surgical procedure. It is also called laser eye surgery or laser vision correction, and the name is interpreted from Greek as “laser-assisted shaping of the cornea in place.”

LASIK procedure is caried out by experienced surgeons who create a thin flap in the cornea flap, lift it, and use the laser to reshape the underlying corneal tissue, fitting it into the accurate measurements that would have been taken during your initial consultation before repositioning the flap carefully to the surface where naturally healing will take place without stitches. This explains why Lasik is not meant for everybody with eye problems or poor vision.

The advantages of this option are its ability to offer permanent solutions, clear vision, improved quality of life, eradication of or reduction in the need for vision assistance like contacts or glasses, daily maintenance is not needed, and unobstructed peripheral vision.

Of course, there are cons to every pro. Lasik surgery requires a high upfront cost unlike contact lenses, risk of surgical procedure, recovery period experiences like dryness and pain, potential risks like night glare, halos, and permanent vision loss in worst and rare cases, disqualification from suitability, and the possible need for ehancements.

Consideration Factors for LASIK vs Contacts

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you have to pick between Lasik and contacts, here are some helpful factors to consider so you can make an informed decision and the best choice for your eyes.

Weigh the cost options for both methods: upfront costs for Lasik and ongoing expenses for contact lenses. Your lifestyle will also determine the best for your eyes because both are preferable over glasses but Lasik gives a better assurance with no dislodged lens experience. For busy people or those who prefer convenience, Lasikis a great one since they wouldn’t have to deal with daily care, but it can come with potential risks if not properly managed after surgery.

The condition of your eye health can also determine the more suitable option between the two. This can be evaluated by a qualified eye care professional. Lasik is often tied to temporary or chronic dry eyes in some patients, so you might want to take your comfort into consideration. The most important factor is the one that can provide you with a permanent solution for vision correction, and only Lasik offers that because contact lens usage is continuous.

Making the Right Choice

Even with all the factors listed above, the decision between wearing contact lenses and undergoing Lasik surgery is totally personal because it requires the input of your eye doctor after a thorough discussion and other things to be considered.

After being informed about all the risks attached to both methods, you can pick your poison and undergo the necessary steps with your optometrist. No matter what you choose, proper cleaning and maintenance of the eyes is highly recommended. Constant follow-ups are very important too because understanding vision correction is a continuous process that requires your cooperation with your eye doctor. It doesn’t matter if you are going for a laser eye surgery or want to be a contact lens wearer; all is aimed toward vision correction and improved vision.

Bibliography

• American Academy of Ophthalmology. LASIK: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/treatments/lasik
• American Academy of Ophthalmology. Contact Lenses: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/glasses-contacts/contact-lenses
• National Eye Institute. Refractive Errors: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/refractive-errors
• Mayo Clinic. LASIK eye surgery: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/lasik-eye-surgery/about/pac-20384774