Anyone wear contact lenses?

nist7

nist7

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So have been wearing glasses all my life and I think I'm ready to try out contact lenses. Some of the stuff that I hate about wearing glasses: limited visual field since i can still see areas of blurriness at the periphery where the glasses end, having to push up on glasses every so often also exacerbated since bridge of my nose is low/broad, losing them, broken/bent frame/glass, they get dirty, and they severely limit/hamper ability to wear head gear like sunglasses, paintball mask, and virtually not possible to wear motorcycle helmets, and inconvenient when going to the pool or if you're sweating alot (slip off easily) or if you're in a tight/weird spot and glasses gets in the way or fall off (ie, underneath my car, or overlooking engine bay, etc.)

So was doing some reading and talking to a couple of friends who do wear contacts and it seems that contacts offer more benefits than risks. The really bad thing about contacts is it will affect your eyes with reduced oxygen flow as well as increased infection risk, but there are new contacts that let lot of oxygen flow or can just use daily disposable ones and infection risk hopefully will be minimized by good hygiene

so any word of advice? what specific questions shall i ask the optometrist at my appointment tomorrow?
 
I wear contacts and glasses in about a 50/50 split, the biggest difference I see is decreased visual acuity when wearing my contacts.
 
yeah i was reading that regular soft contacts don't provide as much acuity since they are soft and more pliable and when you blink it loses its shape a ltitle, and then there are these newer gas permeable lenses where it's more rigid and aren't affected as much by blinking but downside is it may take some time to get used to
 
I've been wearing glasses and contacts for 16 years and the contacts available today are MUCH better than the first ones I had.
Personally, I feel that I need a few minutes to adjust the depth perception when changing between glasses and contacts. Also, wearing contacts make my eyes tired after a full day wearing them, like when I had classes at the university the whole day, by about 5-6PM I would be eager to take them off.
Other then that, there are many advantages, just be careful with cleaning and use those "semi-disposable" that you're supposed to throw away after using 10-20 times.
 
Stop wearing hipster glasses and you don't have to push them up all the time or fear you drop them :p I can't understand how people can live with glasses that don't stay where they are suppose to. I'd be annoyed. My second pair of sunglasses tried to do that, but the eye-glass dude told them not to and they've been rather fine since then.
 
I've been wearing contacts for at least 8 years now, aside from the 3 months I had to wear glasses (basic training) and I can't STAND wearing glasses anymore. Sure there may be some slight acuity issues, but I've never had any major problems with it. The infection risk thing seems silly too, as long as you keep them clean and keep your hands clean there shouldn't be an issue, I've never had an eye infection in my life. Up until I got a new prescription I usually kept my contacts in for days at a time, sometimes weeks, and the only issue I had was a noticeable increase in dryness near the end of the day, but I have noticed that if I take them out every other night or so it keeps them a lot clearer, lessening the acuity issue as well.
 
I wore contacts for years when I was younger. I didn't realize how much I hated them until I moved away and stopped wearing them (my mom has a "thing" with girls in glasses and pushed me into contacts the minute I needed corrective lenses as a teen). I was in pretty much constant pain ranging from annoying to "get these damn things out of my eyes" the entire time I wore them. I seriously put on my glasses in the morning and love them because they don't hurt and I haven't worn a contact lens full time in more than 5 years. Ugg those things were not suited for me at all. Part of my problem is that I have a severe astigmatism in one eye and no astigmatism at all in the other (that eye is 2-3x more nearsighted) so lenses that would be comfortable wouldn't correct my vision and vice versa.

I've found when my glasses start sliding down my nose I generally need to get them adjusted. Having someone who is very, very skilled in choosing frames can make all the difference in the world. There's an optometrist in my town with the worst customer service and medical care in the world but there is a woman who works there who can take 1 glance at you and pick the perfect glasses for you. I won't let them touch my eyes, but I think I may let her pick out my next glasses.
 
Ladamaha said:
Stop wearing hipster glasses and you don't have to push them up all the time or fear you drop them :p I can't understand how people can live with glasses that don't stay where they are suppose to. I'd be annoyed. My second pair of sunglasses tried to do that, but the eye-glass dude told them not to and they've been rather fine since then.
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I don't think I wear hipster glasses. I believe it's more to do with my facial anatomy. My nose bridge is low and flat, unlike other people who have a very steep and high nose bridge, so with almost any pair of glasses I have to push them up and most of them time they are riding a bit low. And it gets really bad if I'm sweating.

deathrazor said:
I've been wearing contacts for at least 8 years now, aside from the 3 months I had to wear glasses (basic training) and I can't STAND wearing glasses anymore. Sure there may be some slight acuity issues, but I've never had any major problems with it. The infection risk thing seems silly too, as long as you keep them clean and keep your hands clean there shouldn't be an issue, I've never had an eye infection in my life. Up until I got a new prescription I usually kept my contacts in for days at a time, sometimes weeks, and the only issue I had was a noticeable increase in dryness near the end of the day, but I have noticed that if I take them out every other night or so it keeps them a lot clearer, lessening the acuity issue as well.
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Yeah, I still have to decide with the DO whether I'm going for daily disposables or extended wear ones.
 
You won't know before you try them. I've tried the daily disposables and the extended wear ones - I don't really feel a difference.

I've been wearing contacts and glasses for 5-6 years. I can't stay for long periods of time in front of a computer screen with my contacts. My eyes get very dry and I feel uncomfortable.
Also, wearing them all day long makes me tired. I probably shouldn't be wearing contacts anyways - one of my eyes gets bloodshot after wearing them for more than 5-6 hours. It's not an infection, it just doesn't get enough oxygen. The problem is less severe if I spend my time outside.

For that reason, I only wear contacts when I go out to clubs or when I play sports - just for a few hours.
I've also worn contacts in the ocean and in swimming pools - they don't fall off, and they don't really get infected.

My suggestion is - get a pair and try them for one month. They won't kill you.
 
nist7 said:
I don't think I wear hipster glasses. I believe it's more to do with my facial anatomy. My nose bridge is low and flat, unlike other people who have a very steep and high nose bridge, so with almost any pair of glasses I have to push them up and most of them time they are riding a bit low. And it gets really bad if I'm sweating.
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See that sounds to me like you need frames with slightly taller lenses so you aren't always looking over them. Of course it's a fine line between "slightly taller" and "hello 80's." Hum, I don't mean to come across completely anti-contacts, just saying because most people will end up with both so you may as well have frames you like for backup. If you don't have astigmatism you'll probably like your contacts. Most people seem to.
 
nist7 said:
The really bad thing about contacts is it will affect your eyes with reduced oxygen flow as well as increased infection risk, but there are new contacts that let lot of oxygen flow or can just use daily disposable ones and infection risk hopefully will be minimized by good hygiene
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Daily disposable contact lenses are the best way to reduce infection risk, along with obvious things like WASHING YOUR HANDS, YOU DIRTY BOY. The downside is that daily disposables tend to cost more than the equivelant period of time's worth of monthly lenses - last time I checked they cost about double.

I myself have fortnightly contact lenses - a new pair a fortnight. The cost is inbetween monthly and daily and risk is, too.

Others have nicely encapsulated the experience, so let me offer you this piece of advice. I've worn contact lenses for well over 10 years. In that time, due to contact lenses I got an eye infection that was entirely my own fault, which led to several weeks of agonising pain, a week in hospital and a further week wearing an eyepatch, as well as permanent slightly reduced vision capability.

Despite that, I'd go back to contacts in a second. I never want to give my contacts up. They're just so much better (for me) than glasses.


My suggestion? Get a month of disposable lenses as a trial. Some manufacturers will give you a week's worth for free, to see if they're for you. If you can get that, jump at it - a week's trial is a useful way of judging whether they're for you or not. Ignore the faff of getting them in or taking them out - that comes with practise. See what the day to day benefits are, and if you can see well with them.
 
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I'm using contact lenses now for about 9 years and to be honest can't imagine going back to glasses. They are more comfortable and you can wear sunglasses. :)

Apart of that what I can suggest. Don't use 3 months lenses, 1 month max, they are much more comfortable, because they are more flexible. Buy the best ones, which consists water and allows air to the eye (for example Air Optix Aqua). From couple months now I'm using night & day lenses, you can take them off when you go to bed, but you can sleep in them if you like. Of course eyes are a little bit tired then, but for example when you are going somewhere where taking them off is a problem this is very convenient.
 
Have you considered LASIK? It's really not that expensive anymore and is a well proven procedure. My only regret is that I didn't do it years earlier.

Steve
 
I know I am avoiding contacts and not a huge fan of glasses, Lasik or similar will definitely be something to look into in the future.
 
Stop having shitty eyes. Problem solved.

KIDDING!

I got my father's side's eyes. I can only think of 2-3 people who need glasses on his side. On my mom's side? Everyone. Every single person.
 
Steve Levin said:
Have you considered LASIK? It's really not that expensive anymore and is a well proven procedure. My only regret is that I didn't do it years earlier.

Steve
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Funny you should mention that...My father is an optical engineer and works with auto-refractometers all the time. He has been to several conferences in Japan, where they present all the latest equipment, including LASIK. All the doctors at these conferences wear glasses...how come? If it really was that safe and proven to work, how come they haven't done it to themselves?

It's just a though. Actually, I'm considering LASIK too...
 
Steve Levin said:
Have you considered LASIK? It's really not that expensive anymore and is a well proven procedure. My only regret is that I didn't do it years earlier.

Steve
Click to expand...

It's personally outwith my budget, but even if it were I don't think I could go through with it, since you have to be awake whilst it happens. Just me being squeamish.

Some of the UK's laser eye surgery providers sell off empty "slots" for eye surgery on eBay. I wish I was making that up.
 
I know LASIK is getting better and all, but I had to write 1 too many reports on it during school. I dunno it creeps me out. It's NOT permanent as your eyes will continue to change as you age. You're pretty much guaranteed to have halos. I dunno seems risky. Doesn't the US Air Force/Navy still have a ban on pilots who have had it? I want to say NASA too (although that may have changed).
 
The problem is my eyes will likely get worse as I age, anyway (based on my family members). Even now, without my glasses I am almost completely useless. I can't imagine what it would be like in 50 years when they are way worse. If surgery can help that, even if it's not perfect, I'm sure I will be looking into it later in life.
 
On the opposing side of contacts right now. Ever since I went to the eye doctor last Winter for new contacts, he hasn't been able to get any that fit properly. Lenses keep rotating and moving off place on my eye and I can't see. Having this problem for four months now, my opinion of contact lenses isn't high.

You may not have any problems. My doctor is quite old and grumpy. Getting ready to retire soon, I think.
 
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