A HORSFORTH opticians is looking to open people’s eyes to the benefits of contact lenses.

A OnePoll survey of 2,000 UK adults, commissioned by Scrivens Opticians & Hearing Care to coincide with Contact Lens Awareness Month (June), looked at the top 30 myths people believe to be true but aren’t. Making the top 30 was the belief that contact lenses can freeze to your eye in cold weather.

Manager of Horsforth’s Town Street branch, Katie Fox said: “If enough people tell us the same thing, we’re inclined to believe it – even if it’s not entirely true. We find that many customers who would benefit from trying contact lenses due to their busy lifestyle or hobbies, such as sport, are reluctant to do so due to concerns based on myth not fact.

“We hope that our Contact Lens Awareness Month, which includes a free assessment, will help allay some of those misconceptions and make people more contact lens confident and see life through a different lens.”

When asked, almost half (46 per cent) of those surveyed are put off wearing contact lenses because they incorrectly think they are going to be too fiddly, for those who do use contacts more than half (55%) believe the biggest benefit is convenience. Almost half also prefer how they look, and just over a quarter (26%) cited playing sport as more enjoyable.

“There are some real benefits of trying contact lenses, which people tend to dismiss,” added Katie. “Today’s lenses are suitable for people of all ages, you are never too young or too old, and they are so soft and comfortable to wear for long periods of time and easy to look after.” Scrivens has produced a lenses guide on its website.