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Contacts

sledge

Ideal_Rock
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For most my life I had great vision. Then I noticed some blur. Got annoying. Went to eye doc and they slapped me into glasses.

Good in some ways. With glasses I could see in 4k HD again, lol. Actually I have better than 20/20 vision according to the eye doc.

But I loathed glasses. Felt like a nerd, not the good sort. :geek2: Always fighting them when playing sports, training, working in the garage, etc. Heaven forbid it's sunny outside and I wanted to wear shades.

Today the eye doc suggested contacts. I was hesitant. I don't like things in my eye. But what the hell, I was feeling froggy. Opted to try them. After a very patient teacher, I was finally able to seat them on my eyes, remove them and reseat in just a few minutes.

Now I'm back to better than 20/20 with no annoyances. Can't wait to get on the range and see how it effects me there.

Any tips or advice for contacts?

Don't worry I got the cheesy lines covered. Called my wife immediately afterwards and let her know I may get blue contacts so I can make her fall in love with me all over, lol.
 

telephone89

Ideal_Rock
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I never minded putting in/wearing contacts, but I hated taking them out lol. I also like to nap, and that's not good for them (so don't do that!). Congrats on your re-found 20/20!
 

OoohShiny

Ideal_Rock
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Apr 25, 2014
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Are you getting long-sighted? That happens with age thanks to the lenses in your eyes hardening, and there's not much we can do about that :( lol

Did you go with daily disposables? Or the ones you have to clean at night? The latter are a faff...

You can get ones with built-in UV protection, which is probably advisable in your country!
 

OdetteOdile

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Aug 8, 2019
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I find contacts to be much more comfortable and convenient than glasses. If you do happen to fall asleep wearing them, when you wake up do not take them out of your eyes right away. Let your eyes have some time to moisten before you remove them or you could hurt your eyes.
 

Arcadian

Ideal_Rock
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Sep 17, 2008
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I've had both. I went back to glasses. At this point in my life, contacts make very little sense. And I have a glasses wardrobe so I might not even wear the same pair every day..lol. I wear my glasses to drive, but have to take them off to read. I can now scarily read the smallest print without my glasses on.

My eye doc said best thing for me is to consider correcting with eye surgery (I hate progressive lenses) I'd still likely have to wear glasses though.
 

rockysalamander

Ideal_Rock
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May 20, 2016
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5,105
I preferred the long wearing contacts for everyday. I had disposable as a backup. Just take the time to properly clean them. Tap water=never. Keep some single use saline solution stashed around. I eventually got sick of contacts, so I had Lasix surgery. Best money ever spent.
 

missy

Super_Ideal_Rock
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@sledge enjoy your contact lenses and keep them clean if you aren't wearing daily disposables. And do not sleep with them. I prefer daily disposable contact lenses you don't sleep with but remove and throw away daily. They are always cleaner and safer to wear IMO. But if you are smart about it you can wear contact lenses that are not the daily disposables. Just wear them no more than 12 hours a day if you can manage it as it is healthier that way and always disinfect and clean them properly. NEVER use tap water with contact lenses. NEVER. You can get an infection from microorganisms in the water that can eat through your cornea.

These days I have gone back to glasses and the last time I wore my daily disposable contact lenses was beginning of March and that was only for a black tie gala. I just feel glasses are easier these days especially because I cannot see close anymore with my RX so I just take my glasses off to read or move them down my nose and with contact lenses I had to put on reading glasses to see up close so more of a hassle.

Plus I don't mind looking nerdy now. :geek: I didn't like it when I was younger but now I feel it gives me an air of intelligence somehow. Bawahaha I need all the help I can get. :lol:

And I love having many pairs to mix and match with what I am wearing and my mood for the day. It's just another part of my wardrobe. I have so many pairs of RX glasses and RX sunglasses. Love them.

My current favorite pair of RX sunglasses. No longer made so I have to be gentle with them and that is hard for me. Queen Klutz.

Screen Shot 2019-10-24 at 6.26.41 AM.png
As you can see my niece(s) also wears glasses. We are a near sighted family lol.


@Arcadian hold out til they perfect the surgery where you can see both close and far without the need for glasses. Too much can go wrong right now IMO. I would wait. But I am conservative that way and risk adverse. YMMV.
 

Daisys and Diamonds

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Apr 30, 2019
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22,496
i don't know how you guys can stand it
i feel queezy just thinking about it
i remember at high school when our first friend got contacts
we all wanted to watch her put them in
there was a lot of screeming !!!!!
 

Austina

Ideal_Rock
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Feb 24, 2017
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7,554
I wore contacts from the age of 17 till I was about 50. In the old days I had the hard lenses, which eventually became gas permeable, but eventually I wasn’t making enough tears to be able to continue wearing them. I couldn’t wear soft lenses because I had astigmatisms in both eyes and they didn’t correct them.

I opted for laser eye surgery, and it’s been fantastic not waking up and everything was blurry.

Back in the ‘70s when I first started wearing lenses, there were many times they’d slip and end up on top of my eyeball or round the side, and I’d have to manoeuvre them back in to place. Needless to say, I’m not squeamish about dealing with eyeballs :lol:
 

missy

Super_Ideal_Rock
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I wore contacts from the age of 17 till I was about 50. In the old days I had the hard lenses, which eventually became gas permeable, but eventually I wasn’t making enough tears to be able to continue wearing them. I couldn’t wear soft lenses because I had astigmatisms in both eyes and they didn’t correct them.

I opted for laser eye surgery, and it’s been fantastic not waking up and everything was blurry.

Back in the ‘70s when I first started wearing lenses, there were many times they’d slip and end up on top of my eyeball or round the side, and I’d have to manoeuvre them back in to place. Needless to say, I’m not squeamish about dealing with eyeballs :lol:

Austina, do you need to use reading glasses for near point work?
And LOL I remember the gas permeable contact lenses. I wore them from age 16 to 20 and when I switched to soft lenses I never looked (haha looked) back. Gas perms were so uncomfortable and I cannot tell you how many times they slipped behind my eye and lid. Ouch.
As a side note I have astigmatism (moderate amount) and I don't correct for it with my contact lenses but often depending on your entire prescription you might not need to. Plus they have soft contact lenses that do correct for astigmatism and they are called toric lenses. FYI
 

missy

Super_Ideal_Rock
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53,972
i don't know how you guys can stand it
i feel queezy just thinking about it
i remember at high school when our first friend got contacts
we all wanted to watch her put them in
there was a lot of screeming !!!!!

You get used to it. I remember when I first attempted putting the gas perms in my eyes at age 16 and I couldn't bear to touch my eye. The doctor said OK if you cannot do it you cannot wear contact lenses. That made me determined and yup I just held my breath and did it. And it got easier. You do what you have to (or want to) do. Generally.
 

Austina

Ideal_Rock
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Feb 24, 2017
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No @missy I don’t need glasses, although I do keep a pair of magnifying readers (only +1 strength) to hand, for things like threading a needle, otherwise, my sight is really good now.
 

stracci2000

Ideal_Rock
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Jun 26, 2007
Messages
8,342
I've been wearing soft contact lenses for 40 years.
I have no problem sticking my fingers in my eye!
Don't sleep in them, make sure you clean them properly and always wash your hands before handling them.
Also, always use name brand solutions. I used store brand solution once and ended up with a nasty eye infection.
Good luck!
 

Taylorbug!

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Sep 24, 2009
Messages
1,416
I have been wearing extended wear multi focal contacts for years and love them. Waiting for them to perfect the lasic for multi focal vision! :)
Definitely take them out and don't sleep in them. My DH didn't take his out for a while and developed an ulcer on his cornea (OUCH).......He ALWAYS takes them out every night now.
 

Arcadian

Ideal_Rock
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Sep 17, 2008
Messages
9,086
I wore contacts from the age of 17 till I was about 50. In the old days I had the hard lenses, which eventually became gas permeable, but eventually I wasn’t making enough tears to be able to continue wearing them. I couldn’t wear soft lenses because I had astigmatisms in both eyes and they didn’t correct them.

I opted for laser eye surgery, and it’s been fantastic not waking up and everything was blurry.

Back in the ‘70s when I first started wearing lenses, there were many times they’d slip and end up on top of my eyeball or round the side, and I’d have to manoeuvre them back in to place. Needless to say, I’m not squeamish about dealing with eyeballs :lol:

You know thats the good thing about contacts, I can sticking my finger in my eye and feeling around in there no problem.

@Taylorbug! Are they hard or soft contacts? I'd love to know more about them progressive lenses were nearly 400.00! thats crazy to me (and I can't stand wearing them!)

@missy, I'm totally holding out on lasix because The odds just seem so bad! I would still need to get whats called a custom corrective done which from what I heard is quite expensive. And to still need glasses after? :roll:thats irritating.
 

sledge

Ideal_Rock
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Apr 23, 2018
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5,791
Wow, can't believe so many comments on this. Thank you all for such great advice!

They gave me a Bausch & Lomb extended wear contact. Supposed to last 30 days. They also gave me a few bottles of solution to keep at home and with me. I am supposed to take them out nightly to clean. Sounds like these are just samples, as my eye doc wants to see me next week. She wants to make sure I am adjusting to them properly and discuss any concerns, etc. I assume after that visit I will get an actual supply.

Happy to report taking them out last night was a breeze. This morning, I only spent about 10 minutes or so getting them in. Still too long IMO, but considerably better than yesterday's experience.

Listening to several of you, one concern I have is I do take naps. Not long usually. But I normally operate on 4-5 hours of sleep. On a good night 6-8 hours. So that definitely puts me over the 12 hour mark mentioned. Should I be concerned, or look for a different type contact? I had a late AM appointment yesterday but still managed to get in about 16 hours before I took them out. I didn't notice anything crazy bad.

The biggest issues I noticed last night was watching TV and playing FIFA on the XB1 with my daughter. My eyes went blurry during game play and started burning a bit. Afterwards we watched a show on Hulu and no blur but I did have some burn. I have an 80" HDTV, but I didn't see to struggle with the eye glasses before.

With the contacts, she re-tested my vision and said I was seeing 20/10 which is better than 20/20. Is my vision too good now? Do I need to buy a new 4k HDTV? My wife will love to hear that. :P2

A friend mentioned she uses a 30 day contact that she can sleep in. I'm sure you still have to take out and clean, but I was wondering if that may be a better solution. They are called Air Optix. Anyone here have any experience w/ them? Brief Googling reveals pretty high reviews.

1571938926595.png
 

Arcadian

Ideal_Rock
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Sep 17, 2008
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9,086
I wore contacts from the age of 17 till I was about 50. In the old days I had the hard lenses, which eventually became gas permeable, but eventually I wasn’t making enough tears to be able to continue wearing them. I couldn’t wear soft lenses because I had astigmatisms in both eyes and they didn’t correct them.

I opted for laser eye surgery, and it’s been fantastic not waking up and everything was blurry.

Back in the ‘70s when I first started wearing lenses, there were many times they’d slip and end up on top of my eyeball or round the side, and I’d have to manoeuvre them back in to place. Needless to say, I’m not squeamish about dealing with eyeballs :lol:

You know thats the good thing about contacts, I can sticking my finger in my eye and feeling around in there no problem.

@Taylorbug! Are they hard or soft contacts? I'd love to know more about them progressive lenses were nearly 400.00! thats crazy to me (and I can't stand wearing them!)

@missy, I'm totally holding out on lasix because The odds just seem so bad! I would still need to get whats called a custom corrective done which from what I heard is quite expensive. And to still need glasses after? :roll:
 

missy

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Jun 8, 2008
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@sledge I highly recommend against sleeping in contact lenses. It increases your odds for infection/ulcer etc greatly. Just put on the contact lenses right before you leave the house and take them off as soon as you get home. And haha no 20/10 isn't too good. It's just right if you are comfy with that vision. That is what matters. Your level of visual comfort.
 

missy

Super_Ideal_Rock
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@missy, I'm totally holding out on lasix because The odds just seem so bad! I would still need to get whats called a custom corrective done which from what I heard is quite expensive. And to still need glasses after? :roll:

Exactly. I would wait until they perfect it some more. But as I wrote I am pretty risk adverse. If you are happy with your current situation (knowing there is no perfect solution) I vote for waiting.
 

missy

Super_Ideal_Rock
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No @missy I don’t need glasses, although I do keep a pair of magnifying readers (only +1 strength) to hand, for things like threading a needle, otherwise, my sight is really good now.

THat's great that you only need reading glasses occasionally. Cause that is what the magnifiers are basically. They allow you to see up close more easily. I wonder if you are under corrected distance wise in one eye and that is what is allowing you to see up close without a stronger RX. I am glad it is working out so well for you Austina. My sister had it done too and she also is still happy though she does not have as good DV or NV as she did when she first had it done decades ago.
 

missy

Super_Ideal_Rock
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The biggest issues I noticed last night was watching TV and playing FIFA on the XB1 with my daughter. My eyes went blurry during game play and started burning a bit. Afterwards we watched a show on Hulu and no blur but I did have some burn. I have an 80" HDTV, but I didn't see to struggle with the eye glasses before.

Just saw this Sledge. Sorry I just got in and am multi tasking. Wearing contact lenses can cause you to work harder to focus up close depending on your RX. Are you near sighted or far sighted?
 

OoohShiny

Ideal_Rock
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Starring at a screen intently and not blinking enough can cause lenses to dry out ;-)

Those sleep-in lenses are designed to be slept in because they have a different compound that is more oxygen-permeable and allows a lot more oxygen through than some of the ones you have to clean, but I would not be keen - if your eyes don't get enough oxygen then (IIRC...) your blood vessels increase in size in your eyeballs! :o
 

missy

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Starring at a screen intently and not blinking enough can cause lenses to dry out ;-)

True. I recommend something I call my 10/10 rule when doing any near point tasks. For every 10 minutes of close up work/computer/near point tasks look away for 10 seconds at something far away and refocus. This allows you to prevent spasming of the accommodative/focusing system and also allows you to/reminds you to blink.
 

amoline

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 11, 2018
Messages
341
As a contact lens wearer, would not suggest the "sleep in" versions.

My contact brand is Biofinity, and it is by far the most comfortable lens I've worn.

When my eyes get irritated, most of the time it is just a bit of dust or something that snuck its way into my eye, and maybe on the lens. Usually blinking tears will take care of it, but if nothing else have some solution nearby and rinse off the lens seems to always do the trick.

YMMV, though, as my lenses are toric versions to correct for astigmatism.
 

Taylorbug!

Brilliant_Rock
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Sep 24, 2009
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1,416
You know thats the good thing about contacts, I can sticking my finger in my eye and feeling around in there no problem.

@Taylorbug! Are they hard or soft contacts? I'd love to know more about them progressive lenses were nearly 400.00! thats crazy to me (and I can't stand wearing them!)

@missy, I'm totally holding out on lasix because The odds just seem so bad! I would still need to get whats called a custom corrective done which from what I heard is quite expensive. And to still need glasses after? :roll:thats irritating.


1571947391454.png

They are soft contacts. I love them. I wore single vision (Mono vision-1 for near and 1 for distance for a while) but the multifocal are sooooooooo much better. I could never go back to single vision now. The multifocal are great for all distances unlike the single vision (Monovision) where you lose some of the vision at intermediate distances. I love mine because I work in an office and they are great for computer distance. Also, a lot of times with single vision contacts you can only get either good near OR good distance vision but not both and therefore still need readers on top of the contacts. With the multifocal, I can see good near and far without additional glasses. :)
 

whatamilookingat

Rough_Rock
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Jan 7, 2019
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86
Be careful while driving with contacts in and the air or heater on blast. I don't know how many people have this problem, but there have been times that the blast of air on my face has made the lenses slip while driving. It may also be a good idea to keep a pair of glasses handy while you are out for a drive. Sunscreen has seeped into my eye, and having glasses to switch into is helpful. Being able to switch into glasses because of any irritation (dryness, allergies) while you are out for extended periods could be useful.
 

VRBeauty

Super_Ideal_Rock
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11,209
I have pretty bad astigmatism and old age eyes. I wore gas permeable hard contact lenses for years - I loved them! They corrected my vision far better than soft lenses, and one of them was even a weighted bifocal lens, so I didn’t need reading glasses! Plus they were far easier for me to put in and remove than soft lenses. Unfortunately I developed a condition that made it hard to wear hard lenses, and switched to glasses. After a few years of glasses I got lasik surgery, which has worked out very well for me.
 

OoohShiny

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Be careful while driving with contacts in and the air or heater on blast. I don't know how many people have this problem, but there have been times that the blast of air on my face has made the lenses slip while driving. It may also be a good idea to keep a pair of glasses handy while you are out for a drive. Sunscreen has seeped into my eye, and having glasses to switch into is helpful. Being able to switch into glasses because of any irritation (dryness, allergies) while you are out for extended periods could be useful.
I agree with keeping a pair of glasses in the car (I think one should do that whether wearing contact lenses or glasses - the latter can disintegrate unexpectedly at the most inopportune times if a tiny frame screw has worked loose!) but I find the idea of contact lenses 'slipping' from a blast of air strange... :???:

Do you mean that they might be getting dry and then sort of stick to the inside of an eyelid when one blinks, meaning they get pulled momentarily off the cornea?

I have found that my eyes always water more when exposed to air movements, whether just walking outside the house or driving with the roof down or having a window open quite a lot, but I appreciate that we are all different :)
 

amoline

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 11, 2018
Messages
341
I don't think that the lenses themselves necessarily slip, but I do agree that with an inconvenient blast of air, especially if you've got the fan on high, it can be irritating to your eye and dry out your lens

In fact, it has been a good thing, health wise, because it just forces me to wear sunglasses in the car, which I should be doing anyway. :D
 
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