Glasses/Contacts/Lasik advice, please!

[charbie]

Which variety do you all use and why? How often do you clean yours? Do you wear them while you sleep? Would I need to clean the monthly ones at all, or can I just wear them non-stop for 30 days straight? Maybe the daily ones would be better, since I would never have to clean them . . . just throw them out at the end of the day and put a new pair in the next morning. I''m SO clueless about this stuff! I don''t know what I''d do without you guys!

Sorry about the bad news! I''ve been a glasses wearer since age 10, contacts since age 11. The good news he might not have told you is that often, contacts will slow the progression of your eyes getting worse.

I have the Night&Days, which sound similar to what you have. I can wear them for 30 days straight without having to take them out at night, so yes, I do sleep in them. Since I''ve worn contacts/glasses for such a long time, it was nice to not feel guilty if I didn''t remove them at night, plus they were cost-effective. And I have dry-eyes, so it lets a lot more air in to keep them moistened (counter-intuitive, I know).
I don''t neccessarily "clean" my contacts. I take them out usually 1-2 times a week for a few hours just to give my eyes a break, and of course if I get something on them, I take them out and soak them a bit. You can get contact solution that will clean/disinfect them as well. I also have glasses though (2 pairs since my insurance pays for them once a year, and my prescription hasn''t changed for a long time) so just to switch it up, I''ll wear them occasionally, and wear them at night, when travelling, etc. because my contacts to tend to make my eyes "tired" occasionally.

My husband had Lasik done a few years ago and LOVES it. i joke that i never would have met him if he hadn''t had it, since he had some very nerdy looking glasses and I couldn''t imagine introducing myself to him at the bar if he was wearing them. Haha! I plan on getting the Lasik in the next year or so.

 

[Clio]

I''ve worn all kinds of lenses, and I found that the daily ones worked best for me. I can be absent-minded, so with the others I was always forgetting how long I''d been wearing them and end up using them too long. With the dailies, you just pop in a new pair every morning.

 

[LGK]

I had that kind, the 30 day disposable that you can sleep in. I slept in them. I got an ulcer on my cornea and could have lost my entire eye- very painful, though at least it didn't look hideous, just a white spot on the lens of my eye. I had to put in eye drops every 40 minutes for a couple of days, then it finally healed but with a scar they always comment on in my eye exam. Anyway, after that I rarely wear contacts, just for special occasions, and glasses 99% of the time- it kind of put the fear of contacts into me. (My DH loooooves girls in glasses, so he was thrilled

) The doctor who treated the eye ulcer believed it was from sleeping in my contacts, that something had gotten behind it and I'd slept that way.

I dunno how common it is to have something like that happen, but if I were to switch to contacts again, I'd go to daily disposables and not sleep in them. I guess if you do get the 30 day kind make sure to remove your makeup totally (if you wear any of course)- I suspect it was probably my waterproof mascara that was the problem, it's hard to get off completely.

(If you get glasses as a backup, you can get the kind that darken in sunlight, Transitions I think. I love them! Very, very handy.)

 

[Smurfysmiles]

I have contacts I can sleep in and I love them
Occasionally they will get dry though but that is fixed with eye drops
I try not to wear them overnight more than 2 nights in a row

I personally had a hard time with contacts because I was wearing them backwards the first 6 months

but that shouldn''t be a problem if you aren''t a dumb kid who can''t tell the difference like I was lol
When you get them they''ll take about an hour or so to teach you how to clean them, put them in, and have you do it a couple of times Obviously I didn''t pay attention to what they taught me lol

 

[niccia]

Date: 2/17/2010 11:30:59 AM
Author:Irishgrrrl
DH is getting an eye exam tomorrow night, and he''s dragging me with him to get my eyes examined too. I''ve never had my eyes checked, and I''m 31 years old. (I know, I know . . . I''m horrible!) I think I must be nearsighted, because I do have trouble reading things that are far away (like some fast food restaurant menus with smallish print that are posted on the wall behind the counter, street signs while I''m driving, etc.). However, my near vision is great. I''m fine when working on the computer or reading a book. So, I''m pretty sure that the eye doctor is going to tell me that I need glasses/contacts for driving and any situation where I need to be able to clearly see/read things that are far away.

The doctor that we''re going to see is able to evaluate whether I would be a good candidate for Lasik. I would DEFINITELY like to explore that option, but from what I understand, I would need to wear glasses/contacts for a period of time first to make sure my prescription is staying the same and not changing over time.

So, for those of you who are nearsighted, I have a few questions:

1. Do you have glasses, contacts or both? I guess I''m wondering, if you choose to wear contacts, do you need to have a back-up pair of glasses too?

2. Do you have to wear your glasses/contacts all the time, or do you only wear them when you know you''ll need to see things at a distance?

3. If you do wear them all the time, do they have any negative effect on your near vision (like do they make it harder to see things up close)?

4. Is it hard to get used to wearing contacts? (I think I would prefer contacts over glasses, but I''m not sure.)

5. What can I expect the eye exam to be like? Does it hurt?

I''m a little weirded out by all this . . . I''m really not looking forward to some guy poking around at my eyes and then telling me I need to wear glasses for the rest of my life.

I got my first pair of eye glasses last year at 30. Like you, I am near-sighted and normally can see things fine up close. I had blurry vision at a distance.
1. I have glasses only.
2. I wear them a lot of the time at home. I don''t like how they look on me, so I usually take them off if I am going out in public (apart from driving).
3. My eyesight seems worse without them now. My eyes feel much more comfortable on the computer, watching tv etc now with them on now, but my eye doctor says that is only because I have become used to having clear vision and notice a difference now. I wonder about that too.
5. Eye exam doesn''t hurt at all. It''s quick and easy.
Hope that helps...I definitely enjoy having glasses now. I used to drive my fiance crazy hitting the brakes every 5 minutes thinking I saw an animal on the side of the road when it was clearly (for him!) a mailbox lol. My friend had lasik last year and now has 20/20 so I may look into that eventually. GL!

 

[Lestat]

Sorry to be so late to this thread! I'm on Australia time

Here's my opinion, I work in the optical industry and I've tried almost every lens option for glasses and almost every brand of contact lenses and accessories on the market, so hopefully I can help a bit! Since you've already had your test, I'll skip the questions from your first post that no longer apply, but try to answer the rest as best I can. I type mini-novels, so be warned!

Re: Your first post:

I myself an slightly nearsighted, I have a pair of glasses and I wear contacts as well. Any decent optometrist will recommend that you at least have a backup pair of glasses if you wear contacts, even if you wear contacts full time. Contact lenses are NOT a replacement for glasses. Apart from just having a break now and then from contacts, things can happen where you'll need that backup pair, like infections for instance that may prevent you from wearing contacts for a few weeks, or a contact lens tearing or falling out. You need a pair of glasses as well as contacts. Contacts also don't do a great job of protecting your eyes from ultra-violet radiation (even if they are UV protected lenses, they just don't cover enough of your eye), so it's still a good idea to wear sunglasses.

I don't wear my glasses all the time because my vision isn't too bad. I have quite a basic prescription. I usually put them on when I leave home and I take them off when I get back home. Because I can see fine up close, and clear enough for short distances, I'm comfortable at home without my glasses. Do what is most convenient for you and what your optometrist recommends. It depends a bit on your prescription as well, if your prescription is quite complex, it make take time for your body and your eyes to adjust to it. Taking your glasses off all the time or switching between old glasses and new glasses can make the adjusting period a lot longer, or even cause headaches or make you feel a bit nauseous at times. After wearing glasses for a while, you may find yourself leaving them on more often, it might feel more comfortable than taking them off, never mind it being less risky to wear them rather than take them off and lose them or sit on them because they're not on your face

A lot of people are under the impression that when you start wearing glasses, your eyes become worse over time. There might be a few reasons for this assumption. The most likely reason is that quite a few people are born not needing glasses, so their first experience with glasses is when they reach the age of approximately 38-42, when reading starts to become a little difficult due to the eyes not being able to focus on near objects as well as they used to. This is likely caused by the lens in the eye losing it's elasticity, or the muscles that stretch the lens becoming weaker over time. Because it's an age-related problem, it gets worse over the next few years, and people assume that their prescription is becoming stronger because of their glasses, when it's actually just the body aging and will happen whether you wear your glasses or not. Normally the prescription for reading will start out quite mild, and progress to a point where it will slow down and likely stop until some further changes happen to your eyes, like cataracts in old age for example. Wearing glasses will correct your vision, not harm your eyes.

Depending on your prescription, wearing distance glasses can make your near vision worse because you have to fight against the distance prescription, but it sounds like in your case, your prescription currently compliments your near vision, so you're lucky. In my case, my lenses actually will make it harder for me to read, so there will be a time when I'll feel more comfortable reading with my glasses off, until that doesn't work anymore and I need something like a bifocal or progressive lens to provide extra magnification.

Regarding contacts, it's not hard to get used to wearing them, depending on you. Some people are very squeamish about touching their eye, some people actually can't make themselves do it, it can even make them shake or feel sick in some cases. If your optometrist is recommending lenses to you, they probably think you're able to do it. Usually they'll place a trial lens on you for a short time, see how you go, and if you react well, they'll teach you how to insert, remove, clean and store them properly and order you some retail boxed lenses. Contact lens wearing takes some effort, if you're a lazy type of person, they're probably not for you. It's much easier to take your glasses on and off compared to contact lenses and they're usually less hassle. If you're usually short on cash, contacts are also a bad idea because cleanliness and hygiene are very important, so if you can't afford to replace lenses, cases, cleaning solution, etc at the recommended times, they're not for you. Contact lenses involve more regular eye checks than glasses as well, because there is more risk involved with placing something directly on your eye instead of just sitting a pair of glasses on your nose. If you're prepared to make extra effort and follow the rules (remember you only get one set of eyes, so it's important to take care of them!), then contacts can be a great addition to a pair of glasses.

Moving on to the post after your test:

It sounds like your test results weren't too bad, most people don't have the same prescription in both eyes, and astigmatism sounds a lot worse than it is, it's not a horrible disease of the eye, and it's easy to correct. If it's not exceptionally strong, it's nothing to be concerned about. If it's fairly strong, you may have to get contact lenses designed with an astigmatism correction, which are usually a bit more expensive, but still no big deal. Most people these days can be fitted with contact lenses, it's something over 90%. I've heard of premature babies wearing contact lenses to correct vision problems, as well as 95 year old and up. You can get lenses for people with astigmatism, or even multi-focal contact lenses for people that need correction for both reading and distance.

Really, there's probably not many good reasons not to wear your glasses (when do you NOT want to be able to see clearly?), and they can be a great fashion accessory just like bags, shoes, dresses, etc, so just find the right pair that suits your personality! Remember that just like shoes, you may like to have different pairs of glasses for different occasions (you don't go hiking in high heels do you?). Some people like to have a "work pair" and a "going out" pair. Throw in some contact lenses as well and you're set for any occasion.

If you hate wearing glasses (you'll still need that spare pair), contacts are fine granted you can live with the extra maintenance involved. I've tried almost every contact lens on the market at the moment, and used most of the products that go along with them. It sounds like you're getting what they call "extended wear" lenses.

Basically some of the new materials that are on the market at the moment allow so much more oxygen to get through the lens to the eye that they have been approved for overnight wear for differing amounts of time depending on the lens material. Not all lenses can do this, only a select few. I know you are thinking 30 days means you can just leave them in for 30 days without touching them, but this may not be the case, this is just good advertising. Every person's eyes are different. You may find that your lenses become uncomfortable after a few days and that they need a good cleaning to feel like new again. This is normal. You may also find them dry at times and need to use some lubricating eye drops (make sure they're suitable for contact lens wearers) to get them wet again. Some eye drops are made just for extended wear contacts, they help to clean a bit as well as lubricate. On the other hand, you may have no problems at all, you need to try to find out.

I personally have done 24 hour wear for 30 days straight without using eye drops of any kind or removing the lens for cleaning, but I don't think I'd like to do it regularly. Even the best lenses collect debris and buildup of things like protein over time, so they can become uncomfortable over a long period of wear. One optometrist told me it's like wearing one pair of underwear for a month. Yea, you can do it, but it's not quite as nice as having a fresh, clean pair! The time you can wear your lens without removing it will likely vary with brand as well, one brand of "30 day" extended wear lenses I could wear only for 4-7 days before I had to take them out, another I could wear for up to 30. The difficult thing with contacts is that there's no easy way to recommend a lens, as all eyes are different. Newer lenses or materials are not always better. Some people love lenses that have been on the market for 10 years or more, then switch them to the latest and greatest and they hate it. Some people may love a particular lens, where other people hate it. The trick is to be persistent and try lenses that suit your lifestyle until you find the one that works best for you. Don't believe all the hype online or get too hung up on the details of each lens, just listen to your optometrist and let your body tell you what feels good on your eyes.

Depending who you talk to, 30 day extended wear lenses may get mixed reviews. On one hand, they're great because you may be able to leave them in for that amount of time, no muss, no fuss. On the other hand, wearing one lens for 30 days in all sorts of environments is a larger risk for infection. Bacteria loves to stick to contact lenses, and because the lens is in the way, your tear film can't wash it away as well as normal. In a contact lens that you remove every night and clean, the risk for infection is much lower because if you happen to get a bit of contamination on the lens, it's disinfected every morning and every night. Daily wear lenses are less risky again because they're only used for one day and then discarded. With an extended wear lens, if you don't remove it and clean it, that bacteria will continue to breed and multiply until you get an infection. This usually isn't much of a problem as long as you follow the rules. For example, most optometrists will tell you not to swim in the ocean with your lenses, since there's all kinds of bacteria in the water. If you follow the rules you'll have no problems. Don't follow the rules at your peril.

There's quite a few options now with contact lenses, so you just need to decide how often you'll wear them and that will lead you to the right lens for you. The best person to ask is your optometrist. The more they know about your lifestyle, the better they can help you. People that wear contact lenses only a few days a week may be better off with daily lenses, whereas people that wear full time are more suited to a two week or monthly disposable lens. Extended wear lenses may be best for someone who has a very strong prescription, and likes to be able to see while they fumble to the bathroom in the middle of the night

or maybe for that person that is looking for convenience of not having to take them out every day.

Personally, I've purchased extended wear lenses in the past (which means I really liked them since I can normally get them for free), but I found that I actually like the way I look in my new glasses, so I never want to spend a whole month in contacts. At the moment, I've got a stock of extended wear lenses that I will probably hardly use (but they do last for years unopened, so you never know), and a stock of daily disposable lenses that I use quite often. I like the convenience of being able to wear glasses when I want, or contacts when I want depending on the situation, and not having to clean and store the contacts in between. The risk of infection is much less, and if I tear a lens or lose one, I've only lost a day's wear. Honestly, once you've put contact lenses in a few times, you'll get good at it and you won't have to try more than once or twice. I can get both lenses in my eyes in less than a minute, so it's no inconvenience to put them in when I want. Currently, I wear my contacts mostly on weekends when I want to wear my nice non-prescription sunglasses. A lot of people wear contacts on those occasions where you're being photographed, like weddings for example. Your glasses may be the latest style now, but in 30 years that may not be the case!

Daily lenses used to be made from materials which weren't very breathable, so they weren't usually recommended for everyday wear. Starving your eyes of oxygen every day is not a good idea in the long term. Typical daily lenses are only good to wear for a few days a week, giving your eyes a break in between. There are some brand new daily lenses on the market though, and they're made out of the same breathable material as the new lenses (only a couple brands, they're new). They're fine to wear 7 days a week, but I still wouldn't sleep in them. They are after all, a daily lens, not an extended wear lens. Daily lenses can be expensive, and so can extended wear lenses, but you're paying for convenience and you're saving some money when it comes to cleaning solutions as well.

Hope this helps and doesn't confuse too much, if I can be of any further help don't hesitate to ask! If you want some help deciphering your prescription or some recommendations on materials for your glasses based on your prescription, feel free to post it here for me to have a look at

Good luck!

P.S. Regarding Lasik, I was actually reading an article today in a popular optical magazine here in Austraila about how the FDA is finally investigating all of the huge numbers of customer complaints that have been received. Unfortunately Lasik is sometimes advertised as a "throw away your glasses for life" miracle cure, when it really isnt. Most people are lucky to get 5 or more years out of their treatment before a prescription change, and that's if the treatment is successful. Personally, I would probably only consider it in the case of a very strong prescription where it is very hard to get glasses made up that are wearable due to the thickness and weight of the lenses. If successful, they will have good vision, and even if there's a minor change, it's still better than legally blind without glasses. In their case, the risk may be considered worth it. Usually most Lasik clinics will only do one eye first, and then wait before doing the second, in case of complications. For very mild prescriptions, you need to weigh up the costs and the risks versus the potential benefit. Here in my area it costs around $5000 Australian dollars to have both eyes done, and if you assume your prescription doesn't change for 5 years (there's no guarantee that it might not change in a week or less), that's still $1000 per year which here could easily buy me glasses with some money left over. Granted, you could get more years out of it, but you might not. There are cases where the eye doesn't heal as planned and people end up with a worse prescription than they started with. Even if by some miracle your prescription doesn't change at all, your body will still age and you will need to get reading glasses in the future anyway. In my opinion, it's a waste of money and unneccessary risk in your case, but only you can judge that for yourself.

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Everyone, thank you so much for all this info (especially Lestat)! I''m slowly starting to feel better about this.

Lestat, I will definitely post my prescription here as soon as my new contacts come in. I believe the prescription should be printed on the box, right? And like you said, I''m not 100% sure that monthlies are for me. I''ll definitely try them for a month, but I don''t know that I''ll leave them in 24/7, especially at first when I''m trying to get used to wearing contacts. Daily lenses are looking more and more appealing to me. There are days when I don''t have to drive or look at anything far away, and I could easily go without putting them in at all on those days. So, if I have daily lenses, I can just wear them on days when I know I''ll need them, and pitch them at the end of the day. But I''m wondering if it''s ever OK to sleep in daily lenses? Are there some brands of dailies that are safe to sleep in and some that are not? I don''t *plan* to sleep in them of course, but I''m afraid I might accidentally forget to take them out and fall asleep with them in! Would that be a total catastrophe, or is it OK for that to happen every once in a while? (I definitely DON''T think I would do this often, or maybe never at all . . . I just would rather have contacts that are OK for sleeping, just in case.)

Thanks again, everyone!!!

 

[icekid]

Irish- I understand that going from nothing to contacts/glasses is scary and that a "monthly" solution sounds easy and convenient. However, I would STRONGLY caution you against wearing contacts for a month straight. It is not safe, if you value your vision (and I know you do!)

I nearly went into ophthalmology; all of my friends who are eye doctors generally wear contacts VERY rarely, opting for glasses. Even contacts that you wear for two weeks at a time (taking them out at night) put you at risk for eye infections.

Sleeping in contacts is not an option for me ever. In addition to putting you at increased risk for infection, you can wake up with severe corneal abrasions. It''s just not worth the risk. I''m not going to lose my vision over "convenience!"

eta- Just read LittleGreyKitten''s post. This IS fairly common if you choose to wear contacts constantly.

 

[Lestat]

The prescription you'll have for contact lenses should be on the boxes, but your contact lens prescription is not usually the same as your glasses prescription. When a lens is brought closer to your eye, the prescription changes, so it needs to be adjusted. Also, if your astigmatism correction is mild, the optometrist may have left it out on your contacts.

Some optometrists will get you to remove your contacts daily for some time at first just so you get used to the routine before you start extended wear. I don't think that's a bad idea, it's good to be well practiced in case you need to get the lenses in or out in a hurry. One of the big rules with contacts is that if something is wrong or doesn't feel right, take them out.

I wouldn't regularly sleep in any daily lens that's on the market at the moment, but the newest ones made out of the new materials "should" be safe if you accidentally fall asleep in them once in a while. Check with your optometrist because as I mentioned, everyone is different. The daily lenses made from standard materials are a definite no for sleeping. Best case scenario if you're lucky they will do no damage, but worst case you don't want to know.

There are some two-weekly and monthly lenses on the market that you can sleep in occasionally, they are made of the same type of materials as those new dailies and extended wear lenses. If you fall asleep accidentally in those, again it should be no problem.

Some brands to check out with your optometrist? Depends on your country, and the optometrist there will know the regulations on these lenses there, but I'd look into:

My personal favorites (these are all spherical lenses, no astigmatism correction, again, your mileage may vary):

Monthly Extended Wear:
CooperVison Biofinity (relatively new, not licensed for monthly extended wear here in Australia yet)
Ciba Night & Day

Two-Week:
Johnson & Johnson Oasys
CooperVision Avaira

Montly Standard Lenses:
Ciba Air Optix
CooperVision Proclear

Daily Lenses:
Johnson & Johnson Trueye (first daily lens available in the latest materials)
CooperVision BioMedics 1-Day
CooperVision Proclear 1-Day
Ciba Focus Dailies Aqua Comfort Plus

Again, these are just a few lenses from the many on the market, there are many many different lenses for all of the different eyes out there. These are just the more common ones that are prescribed in my area that seem to work well with many people. Your perfect lens may not be on this short list. If you need a lens with astigmatism correction (usually called a "toric" lens), most of these brands make a toric option as well. The only ones there that are not ok to sleep in (listen to your optometrist, they will tell you if you are suitable to sleep in lenses) are the CooperVision Proclear and the daily lenses. (check with your optometrist about the Trueye, I believe it should be safe in a 1 night accidental situation)

 

[panda08]

Date: 2/20/2010 7:34:00 AM
Author: icekid
Irish- I understand that going from nothing to contacts/glasses is scary and that a ''monthly'' solution sounds easy and convenient. However, I would STRONGLY caution you against wearing contacts for a month straight. It is not safe, if you value your vision (and I know you do!)


I nearly went into ophthalmology; all of my friends who are eye doctors generally wear contacts VERY rarely, opting for glasses. Even contacts that you wear for two weeks at a time (taking them out at night) put you at risk for eye infections.


Sleeping in contacts is not an option for me ever. In addition to putting you at increased risk for infection, you can wake up with severe corneal abrasions. It''s just not worth the risk. I''m not going to lose my vision over ''convenience!''


eta- Just read LittleGreyKitten''s post. This IS fairly common if you choose to wear contacts constantly.

Ditto. I was really awful with my contacts and frequently slept in them for days/weeks (and these were the extended wear kind). Eventually, we''re talking several years later, I developed an eye infection, which made it so I could no longer wear contacts. At that point, it was glasses or Lasik. I chose Lasik. BEST. DECISION. EVER. After it was over, I wish I had gotten it sooner.

I asked my surgeon whether it is true that I had to get my prescription stabilized for a period of time before Lasik. He said that was fooey. I''m naturally skeptical and it could be that he said that because he''s only in the Lasik business, but he''s a very reputable surgeon who came highly recommended by a friend who specialized in medical malpractice litigation.

 

[somethingshiny]

Contacts that are DESIGNED to be slept in have a very low risk of corneal abrasion or any other problems. Lenses that are not meant to be worn overnight wreak havoc, these are different.

I know LOTS of people who use monthly lenses and have never had a problem. If I fall asleep for 20 minutes in an overnight lens, I always have problems. It''s really down to the health of your eye and if your eye can take it.

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Thank you, everyone! The more I think about it, the more I doubt that I''ll sleep in my contacts. But, again, I''d like to have some that are safe for sleeping, just in case I accidentally fall asleep with them in. I noticed that Coach makes a very cute contact lens case, so there''s a good excuse for me to take them out from time to time! LOL!

Lestat, my opthalmologist said that he''s ordering toric lenses for me, so I guess he wants me to have something that corrects the astigmatism, even though it''s mild. I''ll let you know what prescription I wind up with.

 

[feathers]

Irishgrrrl, some people have trouble putting in and taking out their contacts but generally it really isn''t a big deal at all. It takes me literally fewer than 30 seconds to put them in/take them out. I use the 30 day disposable contact lenses and clean them with the Clear Care System (I am just a consumer) every night. I just take the lenses out, put them in the case, fill the container with solution and put the lenses in. That is it. No rub, no fuss. It has worked well for me for 15 years.

My eye doctor does recommend that I wear my glasses at night time so my eyes can ''breathe''. (I typically wear contacts for 12 hours a day.)

 

[Lestat]

Date: 2/21/2010 10:25:16 AM
Author: Irishgrrrl
Lestat, my opthalmologist said that he''s ordering toric lenses for me, so I guess he wants me to have something that corrects the astigmatism, even though it''s mild. I''ll let you know what prescription I wind up with.

Toric contact lenses aren''t a big issue, basically they have two different prescriptions in them at 90 degrees apart. To make the prescription sit at the right angle, the contacts need some system to weigh the lens so it sits where it needs to. Different brands use different methods for that, so be aware that comfort will vary from brand to brand.

As far as I know, there''s no daily lenses here in Australia made in the latest materials (silicone hydrogel) that come in a toric variety as of yet, so you won''t be able to sleep in them. Maybe in the USA there might be some newer lenses, Australia seems a bit behind on things like that.

There''s plenty of other lenses that come in a toric option, including most of the extended wear lenses.

Re: Cleaning solutions, I think most optometrists generally start people out with a multipurpose cleaning solution just for the fact that they''re the easiest to figure out and very convenient, but I think most of them would agree that the best cleaning solutions in terms of disinfection and cleaning are the ones based on hydrogen peroxide, like the Clear Care solution mentioned by feathers earlier. There''s a couple brands that make these types of solutions. They''re also quite easy to use (more so recently than what they used to be like), but you have to be extremely careful not to get any peroxide from the bottle into your eyes or you''ll be up for a trip to the emergency department of your local hospital. Properly used, they''re the best cleaning solutions out there and they do the best job. Basically you just put the lenses into the solution and over the next few hours the peroxide is neutralised using the various methods different brands use, and then you''re left with a nice clean pair of lenses. Personally, Clear Care is my favorite as well, with a bottle of saline solution to rinse the lenses off in the morning.

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Feathers & Lestat, thank you!!!

I''ve decided to get a pair of glasses, just in case there are some days when I can''t/don''t want to wear my contacts. I''m going to call my optometrist''s office today and ask for my prescription, because I found a pair of glasses online that I really like. So I should know my prescription pretty soon, and I''ll post it as soon as I do. Thanks again, everyone!

 

[Arkteia]

Totally off the tangent...
I was reading your thread and to me it looked like "Classes..." I opened it being positive it was asking for some GIA classes or what not.
Time to start wearing my glasses. I have ordered them 2 years ago and can not get used to them.

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Crasru ~ LOL! Looks like you and I are in the same boat!

Lestat ~ I got my prescription, and here it is:

OD -0.75 -0.75 102
OS -0.75 -1.00 080

Now, I have NO IDEA what that means! What do you think?

 

[somethingshiny]

Your Rx means your eyes aren't all that bad at all. You probably see at leas 20/40 with no correction. (I can only be corrected to about 20/40). I saw that you said a toric lens has been ordered for you. While a toric will certainly address the astigmatism, it's really up to you if you want to spend the money or try a spherical lens (meaning no astigmatism correction.) I have similar astigmatism and do not wear torics, never have. My doc gives me a bit stronger spherical correction to sort of make up for the lack of astigmatism correction. Spherical lenses are TONS cheaper than torics and are available in the store as opposed to special ordering.

The Rx translates like this:

The first number is the amount of spherical correction required. Spherical correction is the same correction across the entire eye.

The second number is the astigmatism correction. This correction is only needed across one section of the eye.

The third number is the axis at which the astigmatism correction is oriented.



eta- OD means right, and OS means left. Oculus Dexter and Oculus Sinister

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Thank you, Shiny! Good to know that my eyes aren''t all that bad!

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Hi, everyone!

Just wanted to update this thread to let y'all know I picked up my contacts last night! I wore them for about two or three hours last night, and they were uncomfortable, but OK. I think they'll get better as I get used to them. I'm going to try to keep them in for a little bit longer today, a little longer tomorrow, etc. I go back to the eye doctor on Thursday evening to have them checked. I guess he wants to make sure they're working well for me and that they fit right.

Also, I ordered a pair of glasses online last night, as a back-up for whenever I can't/don't want to wear my contacts. Shimmer, I got the same Coach frames that you have!

ETA: While I was wearing my contacts yesterday, I was AMAZED at how everything looked! I said to DH, "Everything looks so sharp!" I was shocked to see how much I hadn't been seeing!

 

[waterlilly]

I have near perfect vision - so couldn't imagine what life was like for my husband who was nearly blind without his glasses. We lived in two different worlds in that respect. Having to reach for your glasses in the morning just to see who was laying next to you - or having to forever deal with contacts and glasses etc. just seemed like such an pain! So, finally convinced him to do lasik and it has changed his life! His vision is 20/20 in one eye and near perfect in the other. No more glasses, no more contacts - freedom!

I got to watch the procedure - very cool. Took less than a minute I swear - he said there was a lot of pressure, but no pain. It really is amazing and if you are fortunate enough to be a candidate and have it done - I recommend you do it.

He also opted for the "lifetime" guarantee package, so I believe if he ever needs it done again in the future, it is free.

 

[Haven]

Irishgrrrl--Your prescription is not bad at all! I think that''s good news.
Good luck with your contacts!

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Waterlily ~ I''m glad to hear that Lasik worked so well for your husband! It''s definitely something I''m considering, especially if my vision gets any worse, so it''s nice to hear a success story!

Haven ~ Thank you! I''m glad I have such a light prescription and that I don''t have to wear glasses/contacts all the time (just for driving or whenever I need to see/read something far away, like movie subtitles for example). The contacts aren''t exactly comfortable, but I''m hoping I''ll get used to them!