Society & Culture5 mins ago
Contact Lens
16 Answers
I am going for my annual eye checkup tomorrow and would love to think about contact lens - I really can't stand anything in my eye - like an eyelash etc but can anybody speak from experience at how good they are. I will certainly try but if anybody has "tips" - I would love to know. Thanks
Answers
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I don't have a phobia of anything in my eye before I continue. I loved contact lenses and would still be wearing them if my eyes weren't too dry for them now.
It can take a little while to get used to getting them in right but like most things, once you have the knack it's fine. I went from monthlies (still taken out and put back in throughout the month though, never slept in) to dailies, tried the ones you have in for a month but couldn't get on with them (I have a medical condition with dry eyes though so had to stop wearing them not long after though).
Once a month might be more bearable if you don't fancy taking them in and out every day.
They used to do trials so you could always see if you can try some for a few days.
It can take a little while to get used to getting them in right but like most things, once you have the knack it's fine. I went from monthlies (still taken out and put back in throughout the month though, never slept in) to dailies, tried the ones you have in for a month but couldn't get on with them (I have a medical condition with dry eyes though so had to stop wearing them not long after though).
Once a month might be more bearable if you don't fancy taking them in and out every day.
They used to do trials so you could always see if you can try some for a few days.
I have worn contact lenses for well over 40 years. From memory perhaps 25 years of hard lenses, then gas permeable. Again from memory, there was a six week "running in" period. At the very start it was quite tricky to effectively make as if you are stabbing your eye with your finger (the lens sitting on its tip) but it soon became "normal". You are initially quite conscious of the lenses in the eyes but I recall the first time I couldn't feel them. I was driving home at the end of the day and realised I couldn't feel it - I had lost it (something that is distinctly possible with hard lenses, less so with soft), I was convinced. Later that evening I was in the bathroom and angry with myself I stared into the mirror and looked for the difference between they eyes - couldn't see it. I then touched the front of the eye with my finger - there was something in between ! The lens was still there and I simply could not feel it at all - I was nearly ecstatic.
Two of three sons of mine wore hard contact lenses but one of them went to a different optician and never was happy with them so gave up after maybe eight years or so. the third doesn't need correction (normal eyesight), the rest of us are near sighted. In the past 10 years or so, I had the correction halved (was never enormous) and in the last years have only worn them for driving and in the cinema. My eyesight has improved a great deal and I do not need reading glasses at all. My wife also wore hard lenses for 15-20 years but then had a growth of sorts at the edge of the eye together with astigmatism and had to give them up, much to her annoyance.
It is very important to ensure you get a good fit. As you will understand, I favour hard lenses over soft ones and never was seriously interested in the latter although they are apparently much easier to get used to and there are soft ones that are said to be safe for weeks at a time, even overnight. There was a period when soft lens users suffered infections due to pathogens colonising the material, that is much less likely. My optician told me that there were claims that hard lenses had a tendency to shape the eye and therefore halt deterioration. If so then I would be one of the beneficiaries of this effect.
I have used the same pair of lenses without renewal for many many years although this is frowned upon by the opticians and manufacturers - I have had a very low cost over this time and both optician and manufacturers have consequently made less money.
In short, I would encourage you to try contact lenses, but if you have difficulty please make certain it is not because you have a bad fit. Good luck.
Two of three sons of mine wore hard contact lenses but one of them went to a different optician and never was happy with them so gave up after maybe eight years or so. the third doesn't need correction (normal eyesight), the rest of us are near sighted. In the past 10 years or so, I had the correction halved (was never enormous) and in the last years have only worn them for driving and in the cinema. My eyesight has improved a great deal and I do not need reading glasses at all. My wife also wore hard lenses for 15-20 years but then had a growth of sorts at the edge of the eye together with astigmatism and had to give them up, much to her annoyance.
It is very important to ensure you get a good fit. As you will understand, I favour hard lenses over soft ones and never was seriously interested in the latter although they are apparently much easier to get used to and there are soft ones that are said to be safe for weeks at a time, even overnight. There was a period when soft lens users suffered infections due to pathogens colonising the material, that is much less likely. My optician told me that there were claims that hard lenses had a tendency to shape the eye and therefore halt deterioration. If so then I would be one of the beneficiaries of this effect.
I have used the same pair of lenses without renewal for many many years although this is frowned upon by the opticians and manufacturers - I have had a very low cost over this time and both optician and manufacturers have consequently made less money.
In short, I would encourage you to try contact lenses, but if you have difficulty please make certain it is not because you have a bad fit. Good luck.
Wow Mamyalynne, minus 20 - that is some correction.
I should maybe add that in the 40+ years I have lost four individual lenses (two of them in very extreme conditions), if memory serves me right and damaged one when putting it into the case. Additionally I lost a pair when I completely forgot to remove them when I went swimming (talk of not being aware of them) - I realised my mistake when I blinked while swimming submerged and felt them snap from the eye in the same way as when taking them out. You can imagine my "comment" to myself. However, the owner of the pool responded very well when I asked him to watch out for them when cleaning the filter. He did a "sweep" of the entire pool at the end of the day, then gave me the sweepings from the filter (lots of skin fat and hair) ! I went through it and recovered the lenses, cleaned them and thoroughly disinfected them (although the pool was of course chlorinated). It was that pair which was eventually replaced when years later I had the correction halved (I had become extraordinarily sharp-sighted and verged on needing reading glasses). This demonstrates the advantage of hard lenses - soft ones are quite delicate and considerable care must be taken during handling.
A correction to my earlier post: "......this is now much less likely." (pathogens entering the material of soft lenses).
I should maybe add that in the 40+ years I have lost four individual lenses (two of them in very extreme conditions), if memory serves me right and damaged one when putting it into the case. Additionally I lost a pair when I completely forgot to remove them when I went swimming (talk of not being aware of them) - I realised my mistake when I blinked while swimming submerged and felt them snap from the eye in the same way as when taking them out. You can imagine my "comment" to myself. However, the owner of the pool responded very well when I asked him to watch out for them when cleaning the filter. He did a "sweep" of the entire pool at the end of the day, then gave me the sweepings from the filter (lots of skin fat and hair) ! I went through it and recovered the lenses, cleaned them and thoroughly disinfected them (although the pool was of course chlorinated). It was that pair which was eventually replaced when years later I had the correction halved (I had become extraordinarily sharp-sighted and verged on needing reading glasses). This demonstrates the advantage of hard lenses - soft ones are quite delicate and considerable care must be taken during handling.
A correction to my earlier post: "......this is now much less likely." (pathogens entering the material of soft lenses).
I used contact lenses for a while about 16 years ago. I was very happy with them - except for when I got one stuck almost at the back of my eyeball and got a bit panicky, and when I fell asleep and woke up with dry eyes and semi-hard bits of plastic in them. As KARL says though, they seem to be better nowadays, and I wouldn't mind going back to them.
thank you for those lovely replies - must say I have been reassured in to giving them a go anyway.
Called friend who had them too but because of other complications couldn't go using them, however her daughter who is now 23 years old has been using them from when she was 11. Friend couldn't recommend them enough.
Oh to get rid of these things across my lovely face LOL.
Called friend who had them too but because of other complications couldn't go using them, however her daughter who is now 23 years old has been using them from when she was 11. Friend couldn't recommend them enough.
Oh to get rid of these things across my lovely face LOL.
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