Some of our patients are assessed for a laser procedure because their optometric prescription simply becomes untenable – Coke bottles anyone? But for those with a milder prescription, there are also lots of practical reasons for wanting to get rid of glasses and contact lenses.
If you need a sharp eye at pace
Skiers, snowboarders and downhill mountain bikers often complain of having to purchase pricey prescription ski goggles or bulky designs that provide space for glasses. Considering these sports don’t come cheap to start with, the additional cost of replacing googles when a prescription changes can be tough to swallow.
For users of contact lenses, wearing goggles over the top has some limitations too. We see a number of adrenaline hounds who often lose contact lenses to the fast-paced, jostling nature of their sports. Equally, the lack of moisture during cold, dry weather in winter can cause lenses to fall out more readily.
If keeping your head above water isn’t your thing
Swimmers and surfers are also common visitors to our clinic. We don’t recommend wearing contact lenses in the water, as they are easily washed away and bacteria in the water can also cause infections. And without some kind of correction, it can be hard to see the next set coming!
A concern we hear regularly from nearsighted patients is the fear of losing a contact lens in the water and not being able to find their way out of the water easily. While prescription goggles can help in the swimming pool or for open water swimming, again, this is an ongoing expense.
If you’re sick of glasses being snatched off or steamed up
We also see a lot of parents of young children at our clinics. When you look after small people all day, constantly prying your glasses out of the sticky grasp of tiny hands can be tiresome. Laser vision correction also helps to ensure you are prepared for anything. If your child is a runner, for instance, having to find your glasses before you sprint after them isn’t going to cut it, safety wise.
Similarly, we see a lot of chefs and kitchen staff. As anyone who has opened an oven while wearing glasses will attest, steamed up lenses can really put a pause on your culinary flow. Contact lenses can provide an answer, but imagine realising you have lost a lens after you have already plated a meal…
If you’re seeking peak performance
Performers are another key demographic at our clinics. We often see high performance athletes, musicians and actors, all of whom need precision and confidence in their movements. Stuffing around with glasses and contacts cramps both style and flow, which certainly doesn’t fly during a show – and nor does unfocused vision.
There are also a number of professionals who come to us with a need for clear, unimpeded vision. Builders, joiners, carpenters, welders, automotive workers – anyone who works with safety glasses or in highly physical jobs can benefit from the simplicity of a glasses-free or contacts-free life.
If you want a long term solution
Laser correction is a long term solution that provides a true sense of freedom. Besides vocational or lifestyle reasons, we also see a lot of patients for whom prescriptions have become too unwieldy, leaving them with bottle-thick lenses that are heavy and cumbersome. Glasses are an essential connection to the world for such patients – breaking or losing them have much greater consequences than for those with lighter prescriptions.
For those with strong prescriptions, (and who meet the suitability criteria) a laser correction can feel miraculous, removing the burden of spectacles altogether.
It is important to note, however, that there’s a lot more to consider than the numbers on a prescription when we determine suitability for laser procedures. Those with strong glasses prescriptions need to have thick, healthy corneas to be considered for laser eye surgery as their treatment requires the removal of more tissue.
Fortunately, for those who are not suitable, there are excellent alternatives offered by the Southern Eye Specialists team. These include Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) and Implantable Contact Lenses (ICL).
This is why our free assessment to check suitability is so essential. With a detailed picture of your eye shape and health in front of us, we can customise solutions based on your age, occupation, and lifestyle.
If it’s time to set sight on tomorrow, book an appointment to check whether a laser procedure might be suitable for you.
