Chemical Health & Safety

May/June 1997

Chemical Health & Safety, 1997, 4(3), 33-37.

Copyright © 1997 by the American Chemical Society.

The pros and cons of contact lenses

Advantages

* For some people, contact lenses can provide better vision than eyeglasses.
* Contact lenses are more comfortable than thick, heavy spectacles.
* Contact lenses provide better peripheral vision than eyeglasses.
* Contact lenses do not fog up like glasses when the wearer goes from warm to cold areas.
* New lenses fit snugly on eye, reducing the likelihood of particles getting underneath them.
* Contact lenses can provide a barrier to various gases and aerobic particles.
* Contact lenses are better than glasses in humid atmospheres.
* Contact lenses are better for work that involves optical instruments.
* Protective eyewear fits better over contact lenses than over eyeglasses.
* No dangerous shards of glass form in accidental falls or trauma.
* Soft UV-absorbing lenses protect the cornea from optical radiation.
* Contact lenses are better in rain and mists.
* Contact lenses do not have the problem of glass lens reflections.
* Contact lenses are not affected by perspiration.
* Contact lenses are less costly than spectacles.
* There are fewer lost contact lenses than spectacles.

Disadvantages

* Dust or grit can possibly get trapped under hard contact lenses.
* Some solvents can interact with materials of both hard and soft lenses.
* Lenses may discolor or cloud up when exposed to certain chemicals.
* Soft lenses can dry out in winds and dry areas.
* Some vapors and gases can be absorbed in lenses and cause irritation and damage.
* Some contact lenses prevent
O2 from reaching the eyes.
* Contact lens workers are at greater risk when working alone.


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