UNITED STATES—Medical science and technology have evolved to the unmatched pinnacle. It is now possible to treat centuries-old ailments like shortsightedness, longsightedness, and other ailments with painless surgical procedures. One such technology is called Lasik. It is the treatment of your eyes for attaining perfect vision with laser technology.

Pros and Cons of Traditional Glasses

Prescription glasses have been in use for centuries. Such glasses are available on the market at extremely reasonable prices, in various designs, colors, and qualities. Eyeglass companies like Overnight Glasses, Warby Parker, Glasses USA, Eye Buy Direct offer very facilitating services such as same-day delivery, new lenses for old frames, emergency eyeglass service, etc. In addition to these attributes, glasses are trusted because they are placed above your nose at some distance from your eyes and do not interact directly with your eyes. 

Eyewear also looks fashionable. Today, designer eyewear like Prada or Aviators are very famous and have a lot of brand loyalty. Prescription glasses are available in photosynthetic, multi-shade, blue-light filtered, plastic or glass options and a broad spectrum of sunglasses. Traditional glasses are cost-effective too. A pair of quality eyewear can be purchased for $20-$50.

In contrast to the benefits mentioned above, there are certain shortcomings associated with glasses as well. For example, glasses are breakable, so you have to be extra cautious when wearing them. Sports and exercise are not fun with glasses on. Moreover, fog, rain, and humidity causes extreme difficulty in seeing through glasses. Furthermore, regular cleaning is a must because if the surface of your glasses develops scratches, it makes your vision blur.

For some people, it is easy to adapt to a routine with eyewear, whereas others find wearing prescription glasses socially limiting. Let me clarify another important fact that prolonged use of eyewear does not weaken your eyesight. Nevertheless, If you believe that using prescription glasses can help your vision recover to 20/20, you might be wrong. However, certain fruits and foods are helpful, like almonds, walnuts, carrot, fennel, etc., and certain vitamin supplements like vitamin E, omega 3 are also helpful. The environment you live in also affects your eye health. Stress, smoking, sleep deprivation, excessive use of blue screens are a few points of concern regarding eye health.

The Pros and Cons of Lasik

Our eyes are one of the most sensitive organs of our body. It is needless to say that you must be extraordinarily cautious about taking any decision that involves your eye health. Lasik surgery is a relatively new technology, and not much data is available to directly comprehend and speculate its long-term side effects on the human eye. This procedure is also evolving, and new technology is making it safer and reliable for us, for instance, the use of wavefront LASIK.

On the other hand, the advantages are countless, extremely lucrative, and somewhat convincing. For example, after undergoing LASIK surgery, you would not need to wear prescription glasses; you can play all kinds of sports, engage in intense physical activities, drive safer, enjoy rainfall, and much more. 

Furthermore, there is another quite important factor to consider, namely “the cost.” LASIK treatments are not cheap. A typical procedure can cost you anywhere between 1000$-3000$ per eye. You might end up paying more in one go for LASIK than you would have spent on prescription glasses in your entire life span. 

Certain conditions like your age, cornea thickness, autoimmune diseases, and others cannot undergo LASIK treatment. The success rate is only 90 percent in the last couple of decades, and there are cases in which patients complain about blurred vision at night or eyesight going bad a few years after treatment. Some other minor side effects like dry eyes, glare, and halos around bright light may also occur. In short, there is no guarantee of how long LASIK will last or how your body might behave with this procedure.

Other Options:

There is another alternative to both prescription glasses and LASIK. It is known as contact lenses. You may not want to undergo the LASIK procedure due to its unpredictable outcomes, affordability, or associated health risk and, at the same time, don’t wish to proceed with traditional eyewear. In such cases, contact lenses are the most suitable option. These are not too expensive and safe to use. 

Learning how to put in and take out contact lenses can be tricky, but one can adapt quickly. Sometimes redness, eye infections, or irritation may also occur. Contact lenses must not be used in windy, dusty weather conditions. However, these must be used after the doctor’s advice and care while using them. 

Patients with Eye Problems:

If you have certain eye-related ailments like myopia or ant stigmatism, the traditional LASIK procedure is not suitable for you. The reason is that traditional LASIK cannot treat higher-order aberrations and distortions. Nevertheless, wavelength LASIK or traditional prescription glasses are still an option for you. The initial consultation with a doctor and careful investigation can help you make an informed decision about your customized or standard LASIK procedure or prescription eyeglasses.

Most Suitable Decision:

Whether to go with contact lenses, LASIK (Standard or wavefront), or traditional prescription glasses, every decision should be made with consultation and thoughtful review of all the available options and associated risks. As LASIK is an irreversible procedure, the decision to undergo this treatment must be made properly. 

My Preference

I have been using prescription glasses for the last ten years, and I feel quite comfortable with them. These eyeglasses give your overall appearance a unique look. After some time, prescription glasses or sunglasses become a part of your attire. According to my preferences, prescription glasses are fashionable, safe, risk-free, and economical. Hence I prefer traditional eyewear rather than complex laser treatment for the extremely sensitive part of my body.