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Well, my days of having perfect 20/20 vision are over.

I managed to do without glasses for the past twenty or so years, but those late hours on the computer finally caught up to my eyesight. During my most recent appointment, my friendly optometrist gave me a prescription to my first pair of glasses. Although I have been trying to deny my deteriorating eyesight for quite some time, I definitely noticed that my vision has been getting worse and worse over time. I used to be able to read the letters of the street sign from my bedroom window, but lately these letters became blurry and indistinguishable. It was only a matter of time before I had to wear glasses.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to me, since I have been spending hours doing overnight computer research for my medical internship. However, I am still getting comfortable to the idea of wearing glasses all the time. I guess I’m just not used to wearing something in between my ears, although my friends tell me that I’ll become familiar with the feeling after a while.

Shopping for new glasses was an interesting experience for me. I wanted something stylish yet affordable at the same time, but I never imagined that glasses would be so expensive. Luckily, a friend managed to refer me to a reliable online retailer that sells at reasonable prices. Note to self: take extra care of my glasses (and my eyes!) carefully so that I won’t need to buy another pair for a long while.

I am also shopping around for a pair of contact lenses for aesthetic purposes, but wearing contacts is like opening up a whole new can of worms. For someone like me, who does many prolonged hours of reading and researching, wearing contact lenses might put an unnecessary strain on my eyes. Nonetheless, I am careful about taking breaks in between my reading anyway, because I do not want my eyesight to get any worse.

Researching about optical ailments was also a very educating experience. I only have a basic understanding of optometry in my studies so far, but I read up on some pretty interesting fields like Ophthalmology (studying the anatomy of the eye), Orthoptics (treatment of eye defection) and the Bates method (eye exercise). This seems like a profession that I may be interested in learning more about. Perhaps I will pursue more into optometry after my residency.

The growing dependence on technology has provoked millions into considering glasses or contacts as a means to correct their poor vision. Typical in today’s culture, there are only a few individuals who use corrective lenses because they were born with poor sight. Millions however, have no other choice as they spend too much time in front of TV screens or on computers “socializing” with friends on the net.

Most of us often take for granted our ability to see. It is not until we completely lose our vision in blackouts or suffer eye pains till we come to realize the importance of our eyes. Even with knowing that we should take care of them, we still indulge in our unhealthy lifestyle.

An essential step into ensuring the health of our eyes is through visiting an eye doctor frequently. Most often people book an appointment with their doctor when they want to purchase some pair of women or mens glasses and therefore, desires an eye exam. Other times, they are there to check up on an eye strain they’ve been experiencing for the last couple of weeks.  The whole idea here is to make frequent check ups with your doctor before any problem occurs.  Visit them not for any reasons mentioned but solely to follow up with the conditions of their eyes. Additionally, when you’re looking for a reliable eye doctor, make sure they have the necessary credentials and experience. Ask other patients about their service to get unbiased opinions about them.

Frequent check ups are necessary but most often they are not enough from prevent you from grabbing cheap glasses. Modifying your lifestyle is necessary. Setting simple restrictions such as on the hours you spend in front of digital screens and cultivating a healthy diet is crucial for the health of your eyes. For your eyes to function well, you need to eat well. That’s why you shouldn’t forget about your fruits and vegetables in your daily diet.

Like always, Leonardo da Vinci was ahead of his time. In as early as 1508, with his power of brilliant imagination, his sketches depicted in detail of what is now known as the contact lens. Da Vinci was not the only person in the past fascinated with enhancing the human eye condition. In 1820, an English astronomer named John Herschel also made a similar proposal, suggesting that a lens be put and conformed precisely to the surface of the eye. Herschel adds that the lens must fit exactly to the person’s eyeball. Both Da Vinci and Herschel paved the way for A.E. Fick, who invented the first experimental contact lenses in 1887. While these lenses were clunky, heavy, and exerted too much pressure on the eyeball, it was the beginning of an innovative technology that would revolutionize the world forever.

Over the next century, there would be many researches and studies in order to understand the human eye condition. Finding the right material to make the contact lens was a problem. In its early development, glass-blown sclerotic lens were the favoured but ultimately ineffective solution. After many experiments and failures, including attempts with a material called polymethylmethacrylate during the 1930s, the real answer was discovered within the year 1949 when the first corneal lenses were developed. Smaller in size than the original sclerotic lenses, these contacts rested on just the cornea rather than the entire ocular surface. Furthermore, since it was so light and unobtrusive, the lens could be worn up to sixteen hours per day.

These enhancements increased the appeal for contact lenses, which was quickly becoming the convenient alternative to eyeglasses. However, the lenses were still somewhat costly and fragile, and it wouldn’t be until the mid-1990s before technology has made contact lenses affordable and easily replaceable.

Nonetheless, the design and development for contact lenses expanded over the next several decades. Manufacturers begin creating more elegant and sophisticated designs, such as non prescription coloured contacts. These became the perfect cosmetic accessories, especially for people who wanted to alter the natural colour of their eyes. Now it was possible to have baby blue eyes, jade green eyes, chocolate brown eyes, brilliant turquoise eyes, or even crimson red eyes if one so wishes. The possibilities for reinventing a person’s appearance and identity became almost endless.

Contact lenses also serve many practical purposes. Unlike typical eyeglasses, these contacts are less likely to steam up when moving in between contrasting temperatures. These lenses also give a clearer field of vision, because there is nothing obstructing the peripheral sight line. People who have previously worn spectacles their whole lives can now enjoy the freedom of wearing nothing in between their ears. It was a liberating discovery.

There are some disadvantages to contact lenses, however, such as the fact that they could not be worn for prolonged periods of time. In fact, it is highly recommended that the contact lenses are cleaned and disinfected for an ongoing basis. The process of putting contact lenses on and off is quite time-consuming. It also requires a person to develop discipline, for not following the guidelines can lead to an infected eye and hindered vision.

The silicon hydrogel has become the standard material for contact lenses since 1999. This cheap and inexpensive material has made wearing contact lenses so much more comfortable.  Unfortunately, they lack durability, which means contact lenses must be replaced more often. This, however, is not so much of a drawback, for it is recommended that you change contact lenses between time to maintain the health of your vision.