In spite of the fact that contact lenses are a part of everyday life of so many people and have numerous advantages, for some reason, they are still frequently viewed as inaccessible, unavailable, and all in all—user unfriendly. This untruth persists due to some of the most common myths that exist out there, such as the following few, which need to be dismissed and forgotten.
They can get stuck in your eyes and disappear for good
It is the fear of many, especially those who are getting contacts for the first time, that a lens might somehow slide behind the eye and disappear, making it impossible for it to be taken out. This is the first item on the myth-list, as it is one of the most widely spread myths involving contacts.
If you are about to buy your very first pair of lenses, you can stop worrying, because such a thing is simply not possible. The reason that a lens cannot slide all the way back is the conjunctiva—a membrane covering both the inner part of the eyelids and the white part of the eye. Simply put, the conjunctiva creates a barrier for the lens in the back, so it cannot go further behind.
Only people of a certain age can use contact lenses
In case the only reason you have not gotten contact lenses so far, despite wishing to, is the belief that your age is not allowing you to do so, you may want to rethink this one. Actually, there are no age restrictions when it comes to the use of contact lenses. As long as a person has a proper prescription, is well informed and fully aware of the hygiene standards and maintenance, having contact lenses as visual aids can be truly useful.
Contact lenses are inconvenient
There is a persistent misconception that good contact lenses are expensive. This is far from reality, as you can purchase high-quality contact lenses for more than reasonable amounts of money, in a myriad of stores.
Another such misconception is that contacts are extremely difficult to put in, and that the very procedure of inserting them is highly time-consuming and nerve-racking. When you buy your first pair, you just need to give the habit a little bit of time to grow on you, and it will feel as normal as having your morning coffee. Simply practice a few times, inserting them and then removing them, until you acquire the new routine. And you will, quickly.
Which leads us to yet another false belief, contacts are really uncomfortable to wear. However, all you will need is a short period of time to allow yourself to adjust to them. Since contacts are as light as a feather and really thin, this will not present a problem. The adaptation period is nothing unusual—for example, when we get new glasses, our eyes also require a brief period of adjustment while we get used to them. After that, you will probably even start forgetting that you have put your lenses in.
You can lose them easily while wearing them
Some people are still deceived by the idea that contacts can fall off the surface of the eye with no difficulty. That is something you need not worry about, as it happens very rarely that one loses a contact lens while wearing it. One of the most common reasons for this is that the person did not insert them the right way.
They always cause eye infections
When contacts are mentioned, among the possible misleading associations are also infections caused by them. It should be stressed that whether a person will get an eye infection or not depends on how they handle their lenses and how they approach their hygiene. Just make sure you always wash your hands thoroughly and dry them off before applying your lenses. Moreover, contacts need to be cleaned and maintained regularly with rinsing, disinfecting, and cleaning solutions, and stored properly when not worn.
Whenever you have health-related questions, it is best to ask a professional to get reliable information. If you have concerns about using contacts, you can talk to an ophthalmologist or an optometrist.
Guest Blogger
Scarlet Gratton, she can be reached at scarlett.gratton@gmail.com or at her website.
