Last Updated on October 16, 2024 by Aaron Barriga
While you might know that about half the population of America (150 million people) wear corrective eyewear, did you know that Americans spend more than $15 billion each year simply on corrective eyewear? Yes, it’s true.
While eye glasses and contact lenses might seem like a very cost-effective option, you would be surprised to know how much you actually end up shelling out while using glasses and lenses over your lifetime. Let us take a look at the different kinds of costs associated with the available methods of vision correction:
Cost of Eye Glasses
The cost of glasses includes the cost of your prescription plus the cost of frames and those wearing prescription glasses usually see a change in power every 2-3 years, which means either you’ll have to get your existing frames altered to match the new prescription or buy new glasses altogether. Either way, it means recurring costs.
On an average, a person will buy a new pair of glasses every two years if not every other year. This is because glasses aren’t as durable as perceived. You might be required to replace your glasses due to misalignment within the frame, damage or simply because you misplaced them!
While eye glasses cost about $200 on an average, the designer ones are even more highly priced. So, if you were to go by the estimate that an adult replaces his/her glasses, that cost say $200 every 2-3 years, over a lifetime this cost can range anywhere between $2000-$6000.
Cost of Contact Lenses
When estimating the cost of contact lenses, not only do you have to consider the cost of a particular type of lens, but you also have to factor in the type of lens used (single use contacts or multiple use contacts) as well as the cost of the lens solution required along with that.
While a conservative average of contacts per year can be estimated at about $240, this can largely vary on the need to wear the contact lenses as well as the material used. The daily disposable lenses cost about $20-$30 per box making the yearly average about $450-$650, whereas the long-wear silicon hydrogel contacts cost about $250 -$300 annually.
Cost of LASIK
On an average, the LASIK eye surgery cost can range anywhere between $1,000 to $4,000 per eye. This figure includes the pre-surgery consultations and post-surgery care. On average, it is estimated that you will spend $3,900 to $4,500 on LASIK in total for both of your eyes.
Now, at first glance LASIK may seem like a lot of money, but if you factor in the average cost of contacts or eye glasses, you will see that those costs may actually be higher than what you would be required to spend to undergo LASIK for your eyes.
What you must remember when speaking with different LASIK providers about their fees is that the costing of the LASIK procedure may differ from one provider to another depending on the type of pre-operative tests performed as well as the equipment used to perform such tests and the surgery.
So, be sure to carefully analyze the prices and check for the type of tests they will be performing to ascertain the right plan of action for the best possible outcome!
Pro Tip – Since the upfront LASIK eye surgery cost is high, many eye clinics also provide very lucrative financing options to help make the procedure more affordable. So, be sure to ask about the available financing options before making your decision!
For more information on LASIK eye surgeries in the Fresno area, contact Insight Vision Centre and book a consultation right away!
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.
