If you’re a sports enthusiast, you no doubt are interested in ways to enhance your performance. Switching from glasses to contacts is one of the simplest and most effective ways of doing just that.
What are the advantages?
There are many ways in which contact lenses can give you the freedom to focus on your sport:
- Better peripheral vision and an unobstructed view–Even the best wrap-around sports glasses still limit your peripheral vision. And contacts won’t block your view the way frames can.
- Less chance of injury–The last thing you want if you fall or get an elbow in the face during a game is glass near your eyes.
- Less distortion–Glasses can fog up, fall off, or move around causing distortion. Contacts remain much more stable.
- Better protection–Contact lenses allow you to wear almost any kind of protective goggles or helmet. For a list of protective eyewear by sport, click here.
- Increased comfort–There’s nothing as uncomfortable or distracting as the feeling of glasses slipping down your nose when you’re really active. Contact lenses don’t feel like anything at all.
What about UV rays?
Some kinds of contacts, such as the Avaira family of contact lenses have UV filters. However, they are not meant to take the place of UV-blocking sunglasses and cannot protect the eyelids, conjunctiva, or outer portions of the eye. Certain sports like snow sports in which the sunlight bounces off a reflective surface, call for UV protective eyewear.
Which option is best for you?
All kinds of contact lenses will provide more natural vision for sports than eyeglasses, but some may suit your sport of choice more than others. Dry eyes are a problem for cold-weather athletes such as skiing and snowboarding. If you’re a winter sportsman or woman, you may be a good candidate for the Proclear line of contact lenses which are specifically designed for dry eyes. Contact lenses with UV filters, like those mentioned above, would be a good selection for outdoor sports such as beach volleyball or tennis. Talk you’re your eye doctor about the best choice of lens for your active lifestyle.
When it comes to performance and comfort for sports, contact lenses are the clear winner over glasses. To learn more, here’s a quick video that summarizes the benefits of wearing contact lenses while playing sports.