Contact Lenses

[woodbloke]

I'm fed up with me glasses :x so I went into SS on Saturday for a free trial (free consultation, lenses etc) I was seen by a very personable young blond lady who sorted me out with a suitable prescription and went through all the 'do's and don'ts' I was then passed over to another member of staff who very patiently attempted to show me how to put the damn things in my eyes...but I couldn't do it :x :x so I have another apt this coming Saturday for another shot at it.
Any tips worth knowing about before I go in next weekend? - Rob

 

[motownmartin]

Rob, the trouble is that you can't see what you are doing :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[woodbloke]

Rob, the trouble is that you can't see what you are doing :lol: :lol: :lol:

Martin - that's the problem...I can see what I'm doing for close work, like putting discs of plasic in the lamps. What I couldn't do was to get them in as I involuntarily closed the lower :evil: lid as soon as I could feel the lens touch my eye - Rob

 

[Peter T]

I wore hard contacts for years but now I've switched to daily disposables. These are brilliant, you just throw them away at the end of the day and there's no worries about sterilisation and storage.

I know it seems completely impossible at first, and rather unnatural to put something in your eye. It's like anything, you just have to persevere.

When I was taught how to do it, the guy had me doing the lens for the right eye with my right hand and the left eye with my left hand. I did it like this for a while but then found it easier to do both eyes with the right hand. I'm right handed, by the way.

Anyway, good luck, it's worth it, and you have a good excuse to keep going back to see your young lady!!

 

[Peter T]

Rob, the trouble is that you can't see what you are doing :lol: :lol: :lol:

Martin - that's the problem...I can see what I'm doing for close work, like putting discs of plasic in the lamps. What I couldn't do was to get them in as I involuntarily closed the lower :evil: lid as soon as I could feel the lens touch my eye - Rob

My technique is this -

1. Get the lens setup on the middle finger, right hand.
2. Hold the upper eye lid with the middle finger, left hand.
3. Hold the lower lid with the third finger right hand.
4. Look at the lens and slowly place it on the eye.

Easy!!! Good luck

 

[Steve Maskery]

I've worn lenses for 30 years. I'm just grateful to be able to see, cos if I'd lived a hundred years ago I'd be selling matches on street corners (which is, ironically, more of a career than I currently have...). I'd be blind even today if I wasn't fortunate enough to live in a developed country.

You just have to persevere. It's hard, but it really doesn't take very long, and modern lens material is so much more comfortable than the stuff that was available back then. In a couple of weeks you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.

I've just been to the hospital this morning for my routine eye checkup. All is tickety-boo for another 6 months

 

[woodbloke]

PeterT wrote:

My technique is this -

1. Get the lens setup on the middle finger, right hand.
2. Hold the upper eye lid with the middle finger, left hand.
3. Hold the lower lid with the third finger right hand.
4. Look at the lens and slowly place it on the eye.

Pete - many thanks for that, will give that method a shot on Saturday. Is is easier to have the mirror vertically or flat on the table (less chance of the lens falling off the finger?) - Rob

 

[Peter T]

PeterT wrote:

My technique is this -

1. Get the lens setup on the middle finger, right hand.
2. Hold the upper eye lid with the middle finger, left hand.
3. Hold the lower lid with the third finger right hand.
4. Look at the lens and slowly place it on the eye.

Pete - many thanks for that, will give that method a shot on Saturday. Is is easier to have the mirror vertically or flat on the table (less chance of the lens falling off the finger?) - Rob

Hi Rob, I find it best to have a vertical mirror at head hight. That way, when you look at it, the part of the eye you want to put the lens on is nicely centred.

If the mirror is on the table, you will be looking down at it and your eye is off centre.

Good Luck

 

[lurker]

I'm fed up with me glasses :x so I went into SS on Saturday for a free trial (free consultation, lenses etc) I was seen by a very personable young blond lady who sorted me out with a suitable prescription and went through all the 'do's and don'ts' I was then passed over to another member of staff who very patiently attempted to show me how to put the damn things in my eyes...but I couldn't do it :x :x so I have another apt this coming Saturday for another shot at it.
Any tips worth knowing about before I go in next weekend? - Rob

Rob,
:lol:

I'm soooooooooo pleased you have said that!!
Happened to me too and I've been too embarrassed to ever tell anyone.
I still cringe at the memory!!
I JUST CAN'T poke things in my eyes

 

[OPJ]

I can remember when I started wearing contacts about five years ago - what a nightmare when you're there "crying" in front of everyone at the opticians!! :wink:

With a lot of practice and experience though, I'm now able to put them in without the need for a mirror. :shock: :wink: Like Peter, I also find it easier to balance them on my middle finger.

I've never had a problem with getting sawdust in my eye - if anything, I've found they "help" to keep the stuff from getting stuck in my eyes... :? They changed my prescription a year ago for "softer" lenses (apparently...) as I was wearing them a lot. But, I don't always get on with them too well. My eyes sometimes feel tired when they're in and, sometimes, as soon as I take them out, I've got the tiniest unreachable speck of dirt in my eye that I cannot get out. It won't rinse out and it's very hard to see in a mirror! :x It's probably due to dirt on my finger or something but, strangely enough, I never had such a problem with my old prescription, which I think were harder...

I prefer to wear lenses when I'm working as I'm continually wiping my glasses clean otherwise. Having to clean them every night is the biggest drain though. Daily Disposables are great but, depending on how much you wear them, it can work out a lot cheaper to go with monthlies or similar and keep them clean.

 

[Peter T]

If you buy enough of them the dailies work out to about 55pence/day.

Don't know how this compares with monthlies but, after years of cleaning and sterilising, it's just so nice to able to forget all that and simply bin them!!

 

[Steve Maskery]

I wish I could wear disposables. I have to get mine specially made. The hospital contracts out the job to some specialists dine sithe. That's fine untiol I need a replacement and have to wait ten days.

Currently my right lens is about 20 months old and my left about 3 or 4 years, I think.

Yes, cleaning is a pain, but if the alternative is not being able to see.....

S

 

[MikeG.]

dine sithe.
S

It took me a minute or two to work out!!

Mike

 

[RogerS]

Rob...just noted down how I do mine as it's so automatic now. I'm right-handed BTW.

Vertical mirror above the washbasin.

Wash hands.

Right eye first..lens on tip of forefinger of right hand. Upper eyelid held open with the forefinger of left hand and lower eyelid held open by middle finger of right hand.

They did tell you how to determine if the lens was insideout, I hope?

left eye .. lens on tip of forefinger of right hand. Upper eyelid held open with forefinger of left hand and bottom eyelid held open with thumb of let hand.

Now for taking them out!! Be bloody, bold and resolute.

Right eye - as above but hold bottom eyelid open with ring finger from right hand which leaves thumb and forefinger of right hand to remove lens.

Left eye - as above.

Get yourself a bottle of saline for rinsing the lens when you get something in your eye. You've got a wee cleaning container, I guess, unless they're dailies in which case I have no experience.

125ml bottles of saline still get confiscated at airport security even if unopened DAMHIKT but a real pain in the backside especially if the airline loses your suitcase. Also on a long haul it's nice to take the lenses out and pop them in some saline but sadly you can't do this anymore due to airline security regulations (hollow laugh...anyone see the Channel 4 documentary on what a farce that rule is?).

Keep your specs for when you take your lenses out at night (unless you've got the ones that stay in all the time). I've always had monthlies and because of the strength they need to come out at night although the latest generation are getting much better and could stay in...it's all about getting the oxygen to the cornea.

You may find that you need minor correcting glasses still for very close-up work ...seems to affect those of us as we get older...I've bought two sets from Tesco's...one for reading and the other pair that let's me get within a few inches of the object to be worked on.

DON'T.......cut chillies, garlic, onion just before removing or inserting your lenses. This is not a good idea.

DON'T put your lenses in your eyes when you though that you'd just rinsed them in saline but you'd actually used neat sterilising solution. This is not a good idea either.

Be prepared that, as formulations of lenses change over time....all about getting oxygen to the cornea...that the first time you try the lens with the new formulation, you find that they sting slightly. Simply carry on with your cleaning regime and all should/will come good. It's because your eyes are used to the pH or whatever of the cleaning solution/regime that you've been using.

Hope that hasn't bored you too much.

Contact lenses are great and don't get steamed up.

 

[OPJ]

I've noticed you can buy bottles of what claim to be "No Rub" solutions - and yet, my optician always tells me to clean my lenses properly. I once bought this solution that was almost acidic... Well, I may be wrong there, but it was the kind where you're supposed to put your lenses in and LEAVE THEM for eight hours! :roll: Stings like b****, I can tell you!! :shock: :wink:

 

[Steve Maskery]

Roger
When I go abroad, I find that someone has removed the label from the bottle showing how much it holds. It's a mystery to me, but it's happened several times. Only once has it been queried, and as the bottle was nearly empty anyway he didn't bat an eyelid.

The safest option it to buy a new bottle from Boots airside of course, but they are not open 24/7 are they?.
S

 

[woodbloke]

Chaps - some really excellent tips, I'll take them on board when I go into town on Sat, many thanks - Rob

 

[RogerS]

Rob - couple of more things come to mind.

Contact lenses make things look larger? (smaller? I can't quite remember which) because the correction is closer to the focal point of the eye IIRC. The first time I tried them and was told to go for a walk round town, I stumbled as I stepped down from the pavement to cross the road as my brain as expecting something different. Wandering into an off-licence, I ranted because all they had in stock were small bottles (or was it large bottles ).

If they are very thin then you can get tiny splits at the edge of the lens. You can't work out why one lens feels uncomfortable...you rinse it in saline..and again..but still something is wrong. It'll be a tiny tear, most like, and the solution is to bin it and use another.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I went to see my optician the other day and we discussed various things including new developments in CL technology.

Did you know you can now get bifocal contact lenses? They are a compromise, but the centre of the lens is focussed for close work and the outside of the lens focussed for distance. Apparently when we focus close up, only the centre of the cornea is used and the iris closes up a bit. When looking at distance, more of the cornea is used as the iris dilates (light levels being equal, of course).

Also they can now make CLs self-draining. If you suffer from watery eyes, that can keep the lens too far off the cornea, affecting fit, comfort and vision. They can drill tiny holes round the circumference so that tears can drain out from behind.

It's amazing really.
S

 

[p111dom]

Laser surgery if definately the way to go. My wife had it done in March after wearing glasses and contacts for 20 years. Her sight is now better than mine with a pescription of less than +0.5. She was 7.5 and 7.8 which is massively strong and glasses with thin lenses were costing £300+ every two years plus a £25 direct debit per month for contacts. It cost £1800 but will have paid or itself inless than 5 years. Don't let the scare mongerers put you off. Some people do have problems with it but the proportion is small when compared to the thousands who end up with problem free, very good results.