Ten Reasons I Prefer Wearing Contact Lenses Over Glasses

It's hard for me to believe that I have been wearing contact lenses for about 25 years, starting when I was in sixth grade. I well remember the frustration of learning how to put them in and take them back out and how I would be on the verge of giving up.

Then there were the many times I would lose a contact. Sometimes I forgot to plug the sink and I would see it drop down through the sinkhole. My dad would take the sink apart and a few times we would even find the contact. Sometimes there was no hope in finding a lost contact and I "practically died" because I had to wear my glasses to school.

Despite the obstacles, I was determined to wear contacts! I wore hard contacts until I was about 32 when I discovered that even though my prescription was like -11, I could wear soft contacts. I found these to be more more comfortable than hard ones.

There have been times in my life though that I have been resigned to wearing glasses. Like when I first became a mom and didn't get much sleep. It was nearly impossible to pry my eyes open to get contacts into them.

Recently, I had used my last set of contacts and didn't want to order a new box until my insurance was going to pay for them so I was forced to wear glasses for about a month. I was reminded during that time how much I prefer wearing contact lenses over glasses.

I can see better when I wear my contacts

It's true! My husband, who wears glasses, does not believe me when I tell him this. But according to my optometrist (who has a similar prescription as me and who also prefers wearing contact lenses) you can see better when you wear contacts because they are directly on your eye.

Applying make-up much harder without wearing my contacts

When I wear my glasses, it usually means I am very tired or not feeling well or just too lazy to put my contacts in, which means I'm not puttin' on makeup. The few times I had to wear glasses and wear make-up, it was a disaster! I am nearly blind without contacts or glasses so when I put on my make-up, I have to have my face right up to the mirror so I can kinda see what I'm doing.

Usually before I start the process of putting on make-up, I have to have everything laid out on the counter because if I try to dig through my drawer to find the make-up, I end up grabbing the eyeliner instead of the lipstick and eye shadow instead of blush.

My glasses fog up on me

Whether it's right after a hot shower, taking something hot out of the stove or coming inside from the cold, my glasses fog up on me causing temporary blindness. Coming in from the cold is especially a pain if you live in North Dakota where the winters can extend over half a year. It's impossible to avoid going out in the cold and equally impossible not to frequently come inside to warm back up again.

My glasses get precipitation or sweat on them

Speaking of winter and the cold, the snow presents another obstacle when wearing glasses. The snow causes the glasses to get all wet which makes it hard to see. Rain also causes this annoyance. I'm especially glad to be wearing my contacts this year as we have gotten unprecedented amounts of precipitation.

Then there are those rare times that I exercise to the point of sweating. Who can exercise while wearing glasses? The sweat drips down into my glasses causing everything to be a blur. It's a gross feeling to be sweating and wearing glasses!

Wearing sunglasses is much easier while wearing contacts

Another weather-related reason in which I prefer wearing contacts over glasses. Although the sun rarely seems to come out these days, it is so much easier to wear sunglasses while wearing contacts.

I do know some people who wear sunglasses over their glasses but they have to be pretty big sunglasses and there are some people whose glasses automatically adjust to the light. For me when it's bright and sunny I prefer to wear my contacts with a cool pair of shades blocking out the light.

I'm always pushing my glasses back up on my nose

Maybe I just need to get them adjusted but my glasses always seem to be falling down on my nose. It seems that every five minutes or so, I am pushing them back up where they belong.

My daughter knocks my glasses off my face

Sometimes when I'm sitting with my daughter or sitting close by, she has been known to knock my glasses sideways or right off my face. I know she does not do this on purpose - she has cerebral palsy and due to her spasticity she has a hard time controlling her muscles. I don't have to worry about her knocking off my glasses when I'm wearing contacts.

Night driving seems harder with glasses

I don't know what it is, maybe the glare of the lenses or something but I do not like to wear my glasses while driving at night. It seems especially treacherous at night when it is raining. I make a point to not wear my glasses while driving at night if I can help it.

My glasses are constantly dirty

I don't know how they get so dirty. I am constantly taking them off to clean them on my shirt or when they are really bad, I use the cleaning spray for eye glasses and wipe them off with that special soft cloth. Somehow my glasses manage to get prints, smears and smudges on them several times throughout the day.

I feel more confident when wearing my contacts

I hope this doesn't sound vain but I really do feel better about my appearance when I'm wearing contacts as opposed to wearing my glasses. If I have to be in front of a group of people or have an important meeting, I just feel more confident wearing my contacts instead of my glasses. There are some people I think look better wearing glasses and I know there are those who like to wear glasses just to change up their look but this just isn't me!

To me, wearing glasses is more of a pain than anything. Although I'm sure there are others who feel just the opposite. I know one thing for sure - not having to wear glasses or contacts would be great! I can't imagine what it would be like to open my eyes in the morning and be able to see clearly!

I know of several people who have had lasik eye surgery and have said it is worth it. This too has its pros and cons - my optometrist said she would never have the surgery because one little slip and she might not have any vision at all. I think if I could afford it though, I would do it.

For those who have perfect vision and don't even have to think about glasses, contacts or lasik surtery - you are truly blessed!