| There are a few events I look forward to every semester, one of which is the independence-learning week. Besides the SHEER joy of not attending any classes, I look forward to the learning activities lined up for students during this week. This year we all got a special TREAT; Johnson and Johnson (J&J) Vision Care team was on campus. Benoit Siau, the Professional Affairs Manager at J&J, gave a presentation about the BENEFITS and RISKS of wearing contact lenses. Following the presentation there was a Q & A session. And that\'s not all; there was a free eye exam, including a free pair of contact lenses. Following the presentation students took the opportunity to get their eyes examined, while I sat down with Mr. Benoit Siau. Below is the Q & A session I had with him. My first question was why should people wear contact lenses instead of SPECTACLES? According to Mr. Siau, contact lenses typically provide better vision than spectacles for some visual conditions, such as severe shortsightedness [myopia], long-sightedness [hyperopia], astigmatism, and corneal distortion. Some people like the wider field of view provided by contact lenses, as side vision [peripheral vision] is often BLOCKED, obscured or limited by spectacle frames. Contact lenses do not FOG UP with changes in temperature - or from perspiration - and they are unaffected by rain. Many people choose contact lenses because they think glasses make them look less attractive or they find spectacles ANNOYING. Sports players and people involved in VIGOROUS activities often find contact lenses more convenient than spectacles, especially for water sports and contact sports. Teachers, physicians and many others also find that contact lenses avoid the BARRIER EFFECT that spectacles may cause, thus leading to more DIRECT EYE CONTACT. |