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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

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Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Older Adults

Summary

Eye wear protects or corrects your vision. Examples are:

• Sunglasses
• Safety goggles
• Glasses (also called eyeglasses)
• Contact lenses

If you need corrective lenses, you may be able to choose between contacts or glasses. Either usually requires a prescription. Almost anyone can wear glasses. Contact lenses require more careful handling.

Many jobs and some sports carry a risk of eye injury. Thousands of children and adults get eye injuries every year. Most are preventable with proper eye protection. Everyone is at risk for eye damage from the sun year-round. It's important to regularly use sunglasses that block out at least 99% of UV rays.

Start Here

• Contact Lenses for Vision Correction (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
• How to Choose Eyeglasses for Vision Correction (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Colored and Decorative Contact Lenses: A Prescription Is a Must (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Contact Lens Care (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Contact Lens Risks (Food and Drug Administration)

Specifics

• Eye Infections from Contact Lenses (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
• Recommended Types of Sunglasses (American Academy of Ophthalmology)
• Safety Glasses and Protective Eyewear (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
• Sun, UV Light, and Your Eyes (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
• Tips to Stay Safe in the Sun: From Sunscreen to Sunglasses (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Types of Contact Lenses (Food and Drug Administration)
• What's Your Risk of Eye Damage from UV Light? (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Contact Lenses (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Eyeglasses (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Reading through the eyes of a university student: A double-masked randomised...
• Article: The real-world effectiveness of defocus incorporated multiple segments and highly aspherical...
• Article: Biodegradable Contact Lenses for Targeted Ocular Drug Delivery: Recent Advances, Clinical...
• Eye Wear -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• How the Eyes Work (National Eye Institute) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

• Find a Doctor of Optometry (American Optometric Association)
• Find an Ophthalmologist (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
• National Eye Institute

Children

• Glasses for Children (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
• Protective Eyewear (National Eye Institute)
• What To Know If Your Child Wants Contact Lenses (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish

Older Adults

• Aging and Your Eyes (National Institute on Aging) Also in Spanish