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whoknows87

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 8, 2012
676
31
S.Florida
A bit odd to post this here,but here I go I recently went in to get my eyes checked/fitted for Contact lenses , I have been wearing glasses for the past 8 years or so ... for those who have been wearing contacts for a while any discomfort? risks? feels a bit weird poking your eyeballs out and placing a foreign object on your eyes..... are they truly safe?
 

quagmire

macrumors 604
Apr 19, 2004
6,870
2,292
A bit odd to post this here,but here I go I recently went in to get my eyes checked/fitted for Contact lenses , I have been wearing glasses for the past 8 years or so ... for those who have been wearing contacts for a while any discomfort? risks? feels a bit weird poking your eyeballs out and placing a foreign object on your eyes..... are they truly safe?

I got contacts for the first time last year. I got the daily disposable where you just use a pair one day and toss.

No discomfort once they settle in. Sometimes I will have to take them out, re-rinse them and put the back in due to some discomfort, but when they are in right, can't tell they are there.

Risks are an eye infection. Just make sure you wash your hands before putting them in or taking them out. Or scratching the eye due to tearing the contact.

Overall, if you start feeling any discomfort in your eye( irritation, etc) go back to wearing glasses for a few days and give your eyes a break. Maybe change the contact solution you are using( a possible source for the irritation).
 

whoknows87

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 8, 2012
676
31
S.Florida
I got contacts for the first time last year. I got the daily disposable where you just use a pair one day and toss.

No discomfort once they settle in. Sometimes I will have to take them out, re-rinse them and put the back in due to some discomfort, but when they are in right, can't tell they are there.

Risks are an eye infection. Just make sure you wash your hands before putting them in or taking them out. Or scratching the eye due to tearing the contact.

Overall, if you start feeling any discomfort in your eye( irritation, etc) go back to wearing glasses for a few days and give your eyes a break. Maybe change the contact solution you are using( a possible source for the irritation).

Thanks for your reply, today was my first day I have no issue putting them on, taking them out is the problem takes about 20 minutes or so trying to pinch the lens out, eyes keep twitching and I definitely don't want to cause any damage to my eye... anyway I lost one of the lenses today trying to put it on after i successfully took it out , I assume it will take some getting used to one last question do your contacts lenses cover your iris and part of the sclera as well? are they supposed to be fitted to to cover the iris only or iris+sclera?
 

quagmire

macrumors 604
Apr 19, 2004
6,870
2,292
Thanks for your reply, today was my first day I have no issue putting them on, taking them out is the problem takes about 20 minutes or so trying to pinch the lens out, eyes keep twitching and I definitely don't want to cause any damage to my eye... anyway I lost one of the lenses today trying to put it on after i successfully took it out , I assume it will take some getting used to one last question do your contacts lenses cover your iris and part of the sclera as well? are they supposed to be fitted to to cover the iris only or iris+sclera?

What technique did your eye doctor show you in taking them out? While I found it tricky as well, but no where near 20 minutes..... :eek:

Just the iris.

Also, don't fall asleep with the contacts in. Then they will be a bitch in getting them out. :D
 

whoknows87

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 8, 2012
676
31
S.Florida
What technique did your eye doctor show you in taking them out? While I found it tricky as well, but no where near 20 minutes..... :eek:

Just the iris.

Also, don't fall asleep with the contacts in. Then they will be a bitch in getting them out. :D

looks like I'm going back tomorrow , maybe try a different fit? the ones I was prescribed definitely cover the Iris+more upon close inspection I can actually see the outline of the lens ... The technique was pinch them out lol, she mentioned pushing eyelids together I had better luck just pinching them out

first pair of lenses were Air Optics, but they were too tight she said switched me over to Oasis? oh well
 

ideal.dreams

macrumors 68020
Jul 19, 2010
2,374
1,073
I wore contacts for 2 years or so about 3 years ago and they didn't really bother me. I have a severe astigmatism, however, so no contact lens would really work well for me. I tried several different brands and the lenses would move on my eye each time I blinked. This caused my vision to go out of focus so I'd constantly have to realign the lens.

Taking them out was always MUCH easier and quicker than putting them in. I was actually able to use two hands, one per eye, and take them out at the same time. Just pinch the edges together and the suction will break. They'll come out really easy after that.

I have had a few incidents with contacts, though. There was one time where the lens went behind my eye. Really freaked me out. Luckily it came back around. I've also had a few lenses rip while in my eye, leaving half in and half out. There's no good way of getting those suckers out, either, and it hurt like crazy.

It's been quite some time since I wore contacts, so I'm wanting to go get my eyes checked again and see if any new brands have come out that can adjust to my astigmatism without me having to manually realign them to my eye.
 

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,419
43,308
I've had glasses since I was 4 years old. I'm in my 40s with wicked bad astigmatism, that means for most of my life I wore glasses and I contacts were not really a possibility as they were insufficient to easily (or comfortably) correct my eye sight.

I know technology has changed and I probably could get contacts but for me at this stage, its too late. I'm content with what I have - YMMV on this but for me its not really an option
 

rdowns

macrumors Penryn
Jul 11, 2003
27,397
12,520
Been wearing glasses for about 30 years. Tried contacts several times and never could wear for more than 4-5 hours at a time. No biggie as I like wearing glasses.
 

lannister80

macrumors 6502
Apr 7, 2009
490
17
Chicagoland
I'm 33 now. Wore glasses from age 9 to age 14, and I've been wearing contacts daily from age 14 (1994) to now (more than half my life). I wear glasses very very infrequently (less than 1% of the time). So that's almost 20 years of contact-wearing. Started with the "original" Acuvue brand.

I LOVE contacts. I pop them in in the morning, forget about them for the entire day, and pop them out before I go to bed.

It takes me about 3 seconds to remove a contact from my eye, unless my eye is *really* dry (very infrequently) in which case the contact may be kind of stuck to your eye.

Don't pinch at your contact with 2 fingers to get it out. This is a one-finger operation. Instead, put your finger on the contact in your eye and pull the contact in one direction or another. Hopefully your finger can get traction on the contact and will cause it to "buckle" upwards and thus come off your eye. You don't even need to pinch it at this point; it should just kind of stick to your finger and come off your eye.

The brand I use right now is "Acuvue Oasys". I've also used "Frequency 55". Both are fine, and you can make them last a LOT longer than the 2 weeks they say you should change them at (2 months is easy).

Just FYI, my scrip is -3.0 and -3.5, no astigmatism.
 
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quagmire

macrumors 604
Apr 19, 2004
6,870
2,292
One finger and a thumb..... :p That was the method I was taught. Take one finger to slide the contact down and off the eye and then grab the bottom end of the contact with the thumb( sort of a pinching action) to remove it.

I see the contact if I look closely as well. My contacts( Acuvue moist) have a blue tint to them. It makes it very easy to tell if they not inside out or not. If I see the blue tint, I know they are the correct way. If it is clear, they are inside out.
 
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whoknows87

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 8, 2012
676
31
S.Florida
I'm 33 now. Wore glasses from age 9 to age 14, and I've been wearing contacts daily from age 14 (1994) to now (more than half my life). I wear glasses very very infrequently (less than 1% of the time). So that's almost 20 years of contact-wearing. Started with the "original" Acuvue brand.

I LOVE contacts. I pop them in in the morning, forget about them for the entire day, and pop them out before I go to bed.

It takes me about 3 seconds to remove a contact from my eye, unless my eye is *really* dry (very infrequently) in which case the contact may be kind of stuck to your eye.

Don't pinch at your contact with 2 fingers to get it out. This is a one-finger operation. Instead, put your finger on the contact in your eye and pull the contact in one direction or another. Hopefully your finger can get traction on the contact and will cause it to "buckle" upwards and thus come off your eye. You don't even need to pinch it at this point; it should just kind of stick to your finger and come off your eye.

The brand I use right now is "Acuvue Oasys". I've also used "Frequency 55". Both are fine, and you can make them last a LOT longer than the 2 weeks they say you should change them at (2 months is easy).

Just FYI, my scrip is -3.0 and -3.5, no astigmatism.

Been wearing glasses for about 30 years. Tried contacts several times and never could wear for more than 4-5 hours at a time. No biggie as I like wearing glasses.

I've had glasses since I was 4 years old. I'm in my 40s with wicked bad astigmatism, that means for most of my life I wore glasses and I contacts were not really a possibility as they were insufficient to easily (or comfortably) correct my eye sight.

I know technology has changed and I probably could get contacts but for me at this stage, its too late. I'm content with what I have - YMMV on this but for me its not really an option

I wore contacts for 2 years or so about 3 years ago and they didn't really bother me. I have a severe astigmatism, however, so no contact lens would really work well for me. I tried several different brands and the lenses would move on my eye each time I blinked. This caused my vision to go out of focus so I'd constantly have to realign the lens.

Taking them out was always MUCH easier and quicker than putting them in. I was actually able to use two hands, one per eye, and take them out at the same time. Just pinch the edges together and the suction will break. They'll come out really easy after that.

I have had a few incidents with contacts, though. There was one time where the lens went behind my eye. Really freaked me out. Luckily it came back around. I've also had a few lenses rip while in my eye, leaving half in and half out. There's no good way of getting those suckers out, either, and it hurt like crazy.

It's been quite some time since I wore contacts, so I'm wanting to go get my eyes checked again and see if any new brands have come out that can adjust to my astigmatism without me having to manually realign them to my eye.

Thank you all for your replies, so today I tried them on again after getting the Right contact lens replaced lol, they felt great and was able to put them on quick and take them off, for some reason I felt they weren't focused enough and at night a bit of a glare not sure if this is a lens issue or possibly the script? anyway I took them out for the night let them soak in the solution and lets see how tomorrow goes, I'm assuming they might've gotten a bit dirty or something when I put them on earlier , man they will hate me if I show up tomorrow again and complained about the contacts lol , initially I was given Air optics but she said they felt too tight even the nurse couldn't pinch them out so they gave me Acuvue Oasys, does anyone complain of any glare/reflections at night? Thanks again
 

MegamanX

macrumors regular
May 13, 2013
221
0
Thanks for your reply, today was my first day I have no issue putting them on, taking them out is the problem takes about 20 minutes or so trying to pinch the lens out, eyes keep twitching and I definitely don't want to cause any damage to my eye... anyway I lost one of the lenses today trying to put it on after i successfully took it out , I assume it will take some getting used to one last question do your contacts lenses cover your iris and part of the sclera as well? are they supposed to be fitted to to cover the iris only or iris+sclera?

I would say it just takes practice. You are having to over ride your body not wanting something to touch your eye.in this case it is your finger.

When I first wore contacts years ago I had trouble taking them out for that reason and took a while. Now days I rarely wear them any more but I can and do take them out with out a mirror. Heck I will do it while walking. It just takes time.
 

lelisa13p

macrumors 68000
Mar 6, 2009
1,946
47
Atlanta, GA USA
Thru many years of wearing soft lenses, I've found that using a contact lens eye drop in each eye before trying to remove the lens makes it much easier to remove. The eye drop hydrates the lens and makes it much more pliable and easier to handle while also being more gentle on your eye. Drops also help with your comfort level during daily wear time.

renu-multiplus-drops.jpg


Also, don't worry about being a bother when going back to try different brands of lenses. It's a very personal fit and some people need more time to find their proper lenses than others. The goal is to have optimum vision correction and a comfortable fit. :)
 

whoknows87

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 8, 2012
676
31
S.Florida
Thru many years of wearing soft lenses, I've found that using a contact lens eye drop in each eye before trying to remove the lens makes it much easier to remove. The eye drop hydrates the lens and makes it much more pliable and easier to handle while also being more gentle on your eye. Drops also help with your comfort level during daily wear time.

Image

Also, don't worry about being a bother when going back to try different brands of lenses. It's a very personal fit and some people need more time to find their proper lenses than others. The goal is to have optimum vision correction and a comfortable fit. :)

Well I went back today and the Eye Doc a changed the script.... lol I think the old ones were a bit better or just the same I cant make out which is better, maybe my eyes are still adjusting to the contacts so it will feel a bit weird for a few days I'd hate to go back and say the old ones were better ...
 

jdechko

macrumors 601
Jul 1, 2004
4,230
325
Tip #1. Give your eyes a break. Don't sleep in them for months on end. I had a corneal ulcer about 10 years ago. It was super painful. Fortunately, no permanent damage was done, and I learned my lesson.

Sometimes newer lenses are a little bit slippery, which can make them a little difficult to remove. After a few days, though, they become much easier.

As far as specific brands are concerned, I like the AirOptix, but I'm currently wearing CooperVision Biofinity lenses right now. My optometrist recommended them, and I like them a lot.

Now days I rarely wear them any more but I can and do take them out with out a mirror. Heck I will do it while walking.

The fun thing is when one comes dislodged while sitting in a movie theater. Remove it, wet it in your mouth, re-insert the contact, all without missing the movie. :D
 

lelisa13p

macrumors 68000
Mar 6, 2009
1,946
47
Atlanta, GA USA
Tip #1. Give your eyes a break. Don't sleep in them for months on end. I had a corneal ulcer about 10 years ago. It was super painful. Fortunately, no permanent damage was done, and I learned my lesson.

Sometimes newer lenses are a little bit slippery, which can make them a little difficult to remove. After a few days, though, they become much easier.

As far as specific brands are concerned, I like the AirOptix, but I'm currently wearing CooperVision Biofinity lenses right now. My optometrist recommended them, and I like them a lot.

The fun thing is when one comes dislodged while sitting in a movie theater. Remove it, wet it in your mouth, re-insert the contact, all without missing the movie. :D

NEVER put a lens in your mouth and then into your eye. That is abysmally ignorant eye care hygiene.
 
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mscriv

macrumors 601
Aug 14, 2008
4,923
602
Dallas, Texas
Well I went back today and the Eye Doc a changed the script.... lol I think the old ones were a bit better or just the same I cant make out which is better, maybe my eyes are still adjusting to the contacts so it will feel a bit weird for a few days I'd hate to go back and say the old ones were better ...

Give it some time before you fully make up your mind. I've been wearing corrective glasses/contacts for almost 30 years now and I go back and forth between the two. For the past several years I've been glasses only as I tired of the daily maintenance and the expense required by contacts. I have astigmatism and have to wear the specialty "toric" lenses. However, recently I've been really thinking of getting back to wearing contacts on a more regular basis. I know the technology has probably improved since I last wore them and it would be fun to change my look up a bit. Find what works for you and your daily routine.

NEVER put a lens in your mouth and then into your eye. That is abysmally ignorant eye care hygiene.

Care to elaborate on this? I've had Vision Care professionals suggest this method be used when needed. Not that you should depend on it, but if you are caught in a situation where saline or drops are not readily available it gets the job done.
 
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jdechko

macrumors 601
Jul 1, 2004
4,230
325
Care to elaborate on this? I've had Vision Care professionals suggest this method be used when needed. Not that you should depend on it, but if you are caught in a situation where saline or drops are not readily available it gets the job done.

Please do. I'm not suggesting this be done on a regular basis, only in an emergency. But given the choice between losing a contact and sticking it in my mouth to wet it, I'll pick the latter every time.

Obviously sterile solution is the best, but there are times when it's not available. How does saliva compare to, say, tap water?
 

mscriv

macrumors 601
Aug 14, 2008
4,923
602
Dallas, Texas
Obviously sterile solution is the best, but there are times when it's not available. How does saliva compare to, say, tap water?

It could just be the special kind of lenses I've had to wear over the years, but I specifically have been told not to use regular or tap water on contacts. If I remember correctly the doc said it had something to do with the minerals and other things that are more concentrated in water as opposed to contact solutions which are designed to be "softer".
 

lelisa13p

macrumors 68000
Mar 6, 2009
1,946
47
Atlanta, GA USA
Your mouth is a breeding ground for bacteria which should not be introduced into the eye. Additionally, soft lenses are made of materials (including silicone-hydrogels) which are designed to absorb liquid in order to maintain pliability and once the lens is contaminated it is not a good idea to continue to wear it.

See here for more about lens hygiene.
 
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katelens

macrumors newbie
Jun 3, 2015
3
0
Contact lenses are safe and easy to wear, you need to take proper hygiene for contact lens, other wise your eye may get infections. Always buy branded contact lenses like bausch and Lomb
 

Mousse

macrumors 68040
Apr 7, 2008
3,468
6,670
Flea Bottom, King's Landing
What technique did your eye doctor show you in taking them out? While I found it tricky as well, but no where near 20 minutes..... :eek:

It gets easier with practice. The first time I wore contacts it was a pain and half removing them at the end of the day. After a year or so, it took less than 2 seconds to remove and fling a contact. One pinch and it's out. I used the light pinch technique (index finger and thumb both straight, pretend like you're pinching someone lightly).

Also, don't fall asleep with the contacts in. Then they will be a bitch in getting them out. :D

Yep, I slept in one for an hour. When I woke, I everything was foggy and it took a good hosing down with solution to get them moist enough to remove.:mad:

I hate contacts. I wore them for nearly a decade, plenty of red eye (I got dirty fingers:p), does nothing for my astigmatism. I'm not as active as I was in my youth. Glasses are cheaper and more convenient for a guy who polishes a chair with his (_!_) all day.
 
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