Why Do I See Better With My Glasses Than Contacts?

The debate over the pluses and minuses of glasses as opposed to contact lenses is ongoing. But for people who use both, why do you sometimes see better with glasses than contacts?

Glasses Vs Contacts

While both glasses and contact lenses perform the same basic function of providing vision correction to patients, there are some major differences between them. The largest of these, of course, is that contact lenses sit directly on your eyes while glasses are positioned slightly in front of them. This might not seem like a huge difference, but, in practice, it affects a great deal. It means you need a different prescription for each, since the power will need to be adjusted, and contact lenses provide complete vision correction no matter where you look, while glasses will have gaps, since the lens is in front and not fully around the eye.

Reasons Why You Might See Better With Your Glasses Than Contacts

There are a few possible reasons why someone who uses both glasses and contacts might notice that they aren’t seeing as well with their contacts on a given day. However keep in mind that while this article is highlighting why some people see better with glasses than contact lenses, there are many people that do see better with contacts than glasses, and it is always best to speak with our eye doctor during a contact lens evaluation to see if the reason you are experiencing worse vision out of your lenses is due to an improper fit or not using the right modality of lenses.

Your Contacts May Have Shifted Out of Position

While contacts usually stay stationary on the eyes, they can move, and, if they are out of position, will not work as well. If this happens, in addition to blurry or simply less clear vision, you are likely to experience some discomfort. Applying artificial tears, then blinking a few times, can help get it back into place much of the time.

If that doesn't work, then it is likely that your contact lenses are not the right size and you should see our optometrist for a contact lens fitting. As part of this appointment, our eye doctor will reapply your contact lenses and make sure they are comfortable for you. If they are not, they will measure the curvature of the cornea to determine what the appropriate curve is for your contact lenses and provide you with new lenses. Following a short period of adjustment time, your contact lenses will conform to your eye's shape. In some cases our eye doctor may have you trial another modality or brand of lenses to see if that improves your vision.

There May Be Debris on or Under the Lens

Contact lenses, unlike glasses, don’t really provide protection for your eyes from dust on a windy day, or smoke. They also can’t be cleaned while worn. So if something gets stuck on the lens, or worse, stuck between the lens and your eye, it can negatively impact your vision.

Often, contact lens infections are caused by germs accumulating under the lenses. This can result in bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic corneal infections.

There May Be Lens Damage

If there is some damage to your contact lenses, it can impact your vision. Unlike with glasses, where a scratch is generally easy to spot and repair as needed, it can be hard to catch. If your contacts are damaged, they should be replaced if they’re disposable lenses. A number of factors can damage lenses, including debris, prolonged use, dropping lenses, long nails, and rough handling. Keeping these things in mind will help you handle contact lenses safely and avoid causing damage.

Improper Fit

Contact lenses are more complicated to fit to your eyes than glasses are to fit to your face. This is because they sit directly on the surface of the eye, and need to properly stay in place to provide the vision correction you need. Particularly among astigmatism patients (who have unusually shaped corneas), if the fit isn’t perfect, you won’t get the same level of vision correction you get from your glasses, which are not affected by the shape of your eye. If this is the case, you’ll need to see our optometrist to get your lenses re-fit. You can schedule a contact lens fitting by calling at (562) 925-6591.

Overusing your lenses

One of the most common reasons why people experience blurry vision from contact lenses is due to overuse of contacts. Since contact lenses sit directly on our cornea, it blocks oxygen from reaching the cells in our eyes, which is potentially dangerous and can distort your vision. It is extremely important that you do not overuse contact lenses and always follow the guidance provided by your eye doctor on the proper use of your lenses. If you experience poor vision from your contacts try reducing the amount of hours that you spend in your lenses or even take off a day per week and switch to glasses. This will allow your eyes to get much needed oxygen which is critical for their function and health.

Infections

Infections caused by wearing contact lenses are usually caused by bacteria building up on them. Using water instead of proper cleaning solutions or not changing contacts frequently enough can cause infections.

The symptoms of eye infections can appear as insignificant as burning or light sensitivity. If you notice any signs and/or symptoms of an eye infection, you should seek medical attention immediately. If you experience any of these symptoms, remove your contact lenses immediately and call our eye doctor. Contact lenses don't need to be thrown away. You can place them in the case and bring them to your doctor's appointment. Meanwhile, you should wear your eyeglasses.

Issues such as these only arise for people who wear contact lenses, not people who wear glasses. The reason for this is that bacteria cannot stick to the eye and cause infection.

Eye Conditions

People who have certain eye conditions will sometimes see better with glasses than they would with contacts.

Astigmatism

Those who have astigmatism can have their vision corrected with contact lenses or glasses, but often they will see better when they wear glasses.

The reason is simple. Even with contacts that are specifically designed to combat astigmatism, they tend to rotate whenever the person wearing them blinks. When the rotation occurs, they are designed to go back into place properly to prevent any blurring for the person, but it does not always happen as quickly as the wearer would like.

With glasses, the glasses cannot rotate whenever you blink. Therefore, the corrective aspects of the lenses will stay the same regardless of how many times you blink in a day. That means that every time you look through your glasses, your corrected vision will be the same.

Dry eye

Wearing contact lenses for an extended period of time can aggravate the symptoms of dry eye. According to a study in Optometry & Vision Science , about half of contact lens wearers develop contact lens-related dry eye. Dry eye may cause pain, burning, or a gritty feeling, as if something is in your eye.

In contrast, glasses do not sit directly on the front part of your eyes and are therefore not likely to exacerbate the problem.

Summary

There are several times where you may notice you are seeing better with your glasses than your contacts. Fortunately, in most of these cases the fix is relatively simple, and you will be able to switch back to your contacts, if they are what you prefer, fairly quickly. If you have any other questions, are experiencing discomfort or other issues with your contact lenses and would like to schedule an appointment, you can contact Amplify EyeCare of Greater Long Beach at (562) 925-6591.

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I haven't actually used the optometrist side, so my review is limited to the vision therapy offered. This office was recommended by my occupational therapist for the treatment of my double vision following a stroke.

Claire A.

Love this location. I had a brain injury accident from day one one. All the team make you feel you still important and hope in the horizon after when the medical system fell you miserably. Dr. Ikeda very professional and very understanding about your issue. Two tombs up.

Jim K.

My husband and I were immediately impressed with Dr Ikeda. I was hit by a car while cycling which caused broken bones and three brain injuries. The brain injuries caused double vision. Dr. Ikeda examined my eyes and got me started on vision therapy with his occupational therapist who specializes in vision therapy. She (Chris) is absolutely great. I am impressed with the array of tools used to help recover my binocular vision. I am doing things I never thought were possible (balance boards etc). Chris pushes me and keeps me motivated. I really enjoy my sessions with her. The office staff is always friendly and they have a wonderful appointment reminder tool that makes it easy to keep my calendar up to date. I am happy the rehab center at Little Co. of Mary recommended them!!

Teresa S.

The Vision Therapy is handled in a separate office through a different door from the shared waiting room. Chris, the vision therapist, has a wide and varied assortment of tools, equipment and resources to best evaluate and treat most vision issues. After just a few visits, my double vision became easier to control, using exercises developed during the therapy process. It was time well-spent.

Joe M.

I have been coming here since I can remember. I love it here. The staff is so amazing and nice. They explain everything they gonna do and never make you feel rushed. Dr. Ikeda has always been my doctor and I would never want another one. He is the doctor for my whole family and is always asking how everyone is doing. I am also so crazy about picking out my frames and have to try so many and each person who helps me take the time and lets me try them all on. I would never want to go anywhere else! I definitely would recommend this office to anyone looking for a great eye doctor.

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This is not for the eye exam but for the frames selection portion. I brought my prescription from Kaiser here with my VSP insurance. The reception staff was very polite and professional. Manny helped me to pick out frames and explain my coverage. Very helpful and patient not like the individual at the other place I rated here on Yelp. I was running late and he still helped me and was not bothered at all. I am so glad I came here ..........very pleased.

Very professional staff and pleasant.