Can contact lenses cause eyesight to deteriorate?

The answer to this question is a pretty simple no. Contact lenses are a perfectly healthy option for those suffering from all kinds of visual impairments, no matter how old or young they might be.

Despite this it’s a question that does come up quite often, which is pretty understandable really. Putting anything in your eyes can seem like an alien concept at first, but over time it’s something you quickly become accustomed to. Lenses are built to be as comfortable as possible, allowing enough oxygen to reach your eyes while keeping them moist and healthy. Your optician will also ensure you’re wearing the perfect size for your eyes, so you barely notice they are there throughout the day.

Whether a link exists between the wearing of contact lenses and worsening vision has been the subject of numerous scientific studies.

In one major study - the Adolescent and Child Health Initiative to Encourage Vision Empowerment (ACHIEVE) - researchers investigated myopic progression, sometimes referred to as 'myopic creep', to try to establish whether contact lenses contributed to children's increased short-sightedness.

The study focused on a group of 484 children between the ages of 8 and 17 who had been clinically diagnosed to be suffering from myopia (between -1.00 and -6.00 Diopter) who had not regularly worn contact lenses.

The study - which lasted for a three year period - divided the participants into two groups. One half was given glasses to wear for the duration of the research project while the other children were given soft contact lenses.

At the conclusion of the investigation the myopic creep was measured in each participant and it was determined that there was no significant difference in the progression of the short-sightedness between those children who wore contact lenses and those who wore glasses.