Tell me about contact lenses (not too off-topic)

[Mopsy]

Up until a few years ago, I only needed glasses for reading and distance. Now I need them all the time and there are times I find them frustrating, especially when I'm outdoors, hiking or biking in the rain (the on-topic part ) Even indoor workouts can be annoying if I'm face down on the mat.

So I need to check with my eye doctor first to see if I'm even a candidate, but in the meantime, what kinds are there? Pros and cons? I wore them about 30 years ago and I'm sure things have changed since then.

[donnamp]

Hi Louise,

I have worn contacts for decades - I find them so much more "comfortable" than glasses if that makes sense....less cumbersome or something particularly for working out.

I've worn them all - hard contacts, gas permeable, and now soft - I wear monthlies - meaning I switch out the pair every month. I don't sleep in them. For me they are comfortable and no issues whatsoever.

I think it is a your-mileage-may-vary thing b/c some people find that their eyes get dry etc. from contacts but I am fine with them.

I do need to wear reading glasses when I have my contacts in though - but I don't want to try the monovision thing (where they correct one eye for distance and one for reading).

Hope this helps!

Donna

[Pat58]

I used the Acuvue Oasys soft lenses for many years and found them to be very comfortable.

I had to stop wearing contacts due to developing dry eye syndrome (not from the lenses) and I miss them so much. They are an investment, and you need to be meticulous about cleaning them. I chose not to use the kind where you leave them in. I used the ones I was supposed to dispose of every two weeks, but I made them last two months by removing them at night and being strict about cleaning. My doctor agreed to that, all depends on what your doctor has to say.

PS - when I first tried the Acuvue my doctor ordered a test pair at no charge so I could try them out - ask about that.

[alisoncooks]

I’ve worn contacts for 26 years!
Actually, at this very minute I’m wearing glasses because I have a lasik consultation on Monday! (And I can’t wear contacts all this week leading up to it.)

All that to say: man! I hate exercising in glasses!

I wear Air Optix Night & Day, but I don’t sleep in them. That just feels gross to me (dry upon waking). I use Clear Care to “soak” them every night and wash them again with BioTrue before putting them in. It’s overkill but the BioTrue seems to help with dryness.

Honestly, I’m sure things have changed in 30 years but meh…not so much. Brands come and go, technology that makes them healthier for your eyes is common, cleaners are better. But overall, it’s pretty much the same old, same old.

[BunnyHop]

If your eye doctor gives you a free pair to try, make sure they've paid attention to the size you need.

My very first eye doctor's office did a great job teaching me how to use and care for them, and they fitted perfectly. I gradually gave them up because I had trouble reading in them (but didn't need correction to read at all).

Fast forward a few decades and I decided to try some of the soft disposables, and I honestly think the doctor's office just didn't do a good job with the fitting, or with making sure the samples were my size.

Somehow I was given a pair that wasn't sized correctly, never got that issue dealt with satisfactorily, and the whole experience was so annoying I gave up on the entire idea of contact lenses as part of my life. I was so trusting and naive that it took me a long time to realize that the lenses just weren't sized correctly, and that made them uncomfortable, which made me reluctant to wear them ... . It really didn't help that the eye doctor's office was so clueless.

Haven't looked back. I've got dry eyes now, so I'm assuming things wouldn't work well for me any more even if I did get a proper fitting.

[dianestjohn]

I've worn contacts for about 40 years - various brands. About 10 years ago my eyes began to feel drier, and I switched brands to Dailies Total One which preserve moisture and are very comfortable. You put on a new pair every morning and throw them away at night so no hassle with cleaning or disinfecting. My optometrist wears them herself even though she does not need vision correction - she has dry eyes and she wears them to keep her eyes moist. I love wearing contacts and would highly recommend.

[Rivercat]

I've worn contacts for 36 years--started with hard gas permeable that irritated my eyes so much people always said that I looked tired. (Gas permeable were supposed to work better at not letting your vision deteriorate as quickly. I don't believe that is the case anymore, but it depends on you specific situation and the technology has certainly advanced.)

I finally found an optometrist who switched me to soft monthlies and then a few years ago I developed optical rosacea which has a side effect of dry eyes, so my doctor switched me to dailies. They are comfortable enough that I have inadvertently slept in them overnight and not even realized it.

The Acuvue Moist have been the most successful for me, but I have some difficulty reading and seeing details up close so this year she switched me to multifocal Dailies Total 1 but I am not thrilled with them--it seems like reading up close is even worse now, so I will probably go back to Acuvue Moist.

Contacts are expensive and I don't have vision coverage so my doctor gives me a "professional discount" on my exam and there's always a rebate on the lenses of $50-$100. Ironically, when I did have vision insurance a few years ago, it ended up being a little more expensive because I didn't get the discount and they only covered new lenses every 2 years.