Contact lenses

[Fruity-ya-ya]

Due to failing eye sight (not caused by that you dirty boys & girls) and the recent cold snap, my spectacles steam up.
I'm going for an eye test Friday & was thinking of getting contact lenses (for the bike & sports).

To those of you who wear lenses, anything I should be asking when I go to the opticians?

p.s. Got a foggy mask last week which has made things MUCH better but I can't wear it on the basketball court.

[Lazy Rider]

Defo get daily lenses, dont sign up to any monthly scheme unless you want to wear all day every day. 1 box of 30 dailys (15 pairs) will last you ages for occasional wear, very long useby dates on them.

Pete

[pookie]

Get them to check if you have dryness in the eyes. Most will give you a trial to see how you get on first.

[dizzyblonde]

Can they do contacts for your prescription?
Very important.

Even though Peg can't see jack without specs, and I can, my prescription is more complicated. He can have contacts and benefits greatly from them, I cannot have lenses because of my prescription. Both have astygmatisms.

My eyesight has got worse in one eye over the years, I used to have contacts a long time ago, but eventually my crap eye rejected them, they had their benefits on the bike, one downside though was the constant feeling of having a cat hair in my eye, or them drying up in summer. Also finding that after half an hour trying to fish one out of my eye, that there wasn't actually one there!!!

[Venom]

Tell the opticians how often you plan to use them and how long you'll keep them in. They'll probably give you a trial of dailies for intermittent use.


If you do suffer from dryness when using them, you can get eyedrops specific for contact lens users from chemists as the normal eyedrops aren't suitable.

Other thing is it takes a few goes to get used to putting them in but the opticians will show you how to do that.

[Gabriel2k]

Dailies are much easier to wear as they are thinner and they do take a bit of getting used to.

[MisterTommyH]

Oh, now that's an idea. Fogging up is starting to become a big problem. And lenses would also help rather than being blind at the gym.

Not sure how I'd feel putting them in though. Not sure my eyelids would stay open long enough to fit the lenses. Is it difficult or am I just being a big girl?

[dizzyblonde]

Its easy once you know how, if Batty the blind Pegasus can put em in anyone can!

[Venom]

Not sure how I'd feel putting them in though. Not sure my eyelids would stay open long enough to fit the lenses. Is it difficult or am I just being a big girl?

You use one hand to keep your lids open and the other hand to pop them in. :)

[MisterTommyH]

Any idea of rough costs?

[dizzyblonde]

30 days supply 35 quid. IIRC

[Spikenipple]

For £35/month you'll get the 'best' contacts that specsavers offer. I wear the ones that are £22 for 30 pairs and the only difference I've noticed is that the more expensive ones allow you a few more hours of usage before drying out.

[Gabriel2k]

First time you need to get them from somewhere in the high street, but now I get mine from here http://www.daysoftcontactlenses.com/GB/CountryHomepage.aspx?gclid=CNmL6_f9vKUCFQ1O4QodtSJ Fug

[speedplay]

Defo get daily lenses


Rubbish.

I tried dailys and monthly soft lenses and hated them.
The fit was rubbish and clarity wasnt good enough.
I went for the rigid gas permeable in the end.
The clarity was so much better but you have to get used to them more and there is cleaning and storage of them instead of binning but on the whole, they are the best for me.



30 days supply 35 quid. IIRC

I looked at this option and it is about £30-35.

The RGP ones are £230 but you keep them for 2 years so work out much cheaper too.

[Jordy]

Mine are £15 a month and that's only for one pair. I want dailys but becasue I've got astigmatism in my left eye and therefore need a toric lense I can't (apparently they don't make daily torics).

It was quite difficult at first to get used to putting them in and taking them out, but soon it'll become easy. As said, not everyone can wear them becasuse of dryness mainly, I had to upgrade at a price to ones that let in more oxygen and after about 8hours I feel the need to take them out.

[Littlepeahead]

Jordy, they do now make daily torics. But not for all prescriptions. Unfortunately I can't get on with lenses after many trials.

DO NOT get drunk at a mate's, then think in your stupor that as you don't have your solutions and lens case that rather than taking out your lenses and storing them properly you'll just put them in a saucer of vodka as it will clean them, then put them back in the next morning. I spent a few hours at an eye hospital with an ex boyfriend who did just this and he nearly blinded himself!

[Fruity-ya-ya]

Jordy, they do now make daily torics. But not for all prescriptions. Unfortunately I can't get on with lenses after many trials.

DO NOT get drunk at a mate's, then think in your stupor that as you don't have your solutions and lens case that rather than taking out your lenses and storing them properly you'll just put them in a saucer of vodka as it will clean them, then put them back in the next morning. I spent a few hours at an eye hospital with an ex boyfriend who did just this and he nearly blinded himself!

Top tip!

Thanks all, I knew I could count on you. Nighty night.

[speedplay]

They make torics in all types now.

Even my RGP are toric.

[Tara]

mine are 22 quid for 30 days from specsavers

[Jabba]

I've worn contacts for years. Got on with 'em from day one :thumbsup:

Started with gas-permeable (hard) ones because of the job - they move on eye so dirt/grit can get washed away. They lasted a year or so per pair with daily cleaning.

I now have monthly disposables. Equally good and I was into the cleaning routine anyway.

Any idea of rough costs?

I pay about £16pm for the disposables. This includes solutions and a six-monthly check up.

IIRC, the daily disposables would have been about twice that, but I wear mine every day.

[johnnyrod]

Rigid ones are supposed ot be easier to wear for longer than soft ones, e.g. dailies you shoudkn't wear past 8 hours (unless they say otherwise) or you have the type you can sleep in. I've used occasional dailies for years and get on well. If you don't have a bad astigmatism (cyl power on your precription) it makes life a lot easier. They come in different diameters as well, the optician sorts this for you but e.g. I couldn't get monthly sleep-ins large enough for me so that idea was binned. You need to go for regular check-ups at the optician's, every 2 years I think. It takes a while to get used to putting them in and taking them out but once you've got it, it's easy. Do it, a set of 30 dailies isn't a lot and you'll get a free trial with a couple of pairs anyway before you have to hand any cash over. Boots have been good for me.

[MisterTommyH]

Booked in for consultation tomorrow. Apparently they do daily torics or something for astigmatism now too.

You should be going to a 2 yearly checkup if you wear any kind of glasses. And probably even if you don't. It's only £20 and most employers will foot the cost of that.

[Sally]

If you're wearing them all the time, specsavers do monthly lenses, but they're called day and nights.

My lenses stay in for a month, and I change them every month!

£16 quid or something! No issues with them, and I am nearly blind.. -6.50 :(

[dizzyblonde]

Booked in for consultation tomorrow. Apparently they do daily torics or something for astigmatism now too.



They do, just picked Pegs up. £35 for -4.25 on the strongest prescription. Unfortunately, they don't do them strong enough for me:(

I wouldn't mind, but I've only astymatism in one eye, and can see fine without specs, and as I've said, Pegs got it in both eyes, with lesser extent and is as blind as a bat!
Its to do with the complicated prescription type, he can have lenses I can't :(

[Tara]

If you're wearing them all the time, specsavers do monthly lenses, but they're called day and nights.

My lenses stay in for a month, and I change them every month!

£16 quid or something! No issues with them, and I am nearly blind.. -6.50 :(
you and me both -6.50 in the left and -8.50 in the right

[johnnyrod]

wow, anything over about -4 or +4 is pretty strong. This is the sphere power though (the main long- or short-sightedness) not the astigmatism (cyl power with associated angle), if you're reallllyyyyy interested. Had a go at swimming in mine wihtout goggles last night, managed not to lose them!

[Tara]

wow, anything over about -4 or +4 is pretty strong. This is the sphere power though (the main long- or short-sightedness) not the astigmatism (cyl power with associated angle), if you're reallllyyyyy interested. Had a go at swimming in mine wihtout goggles last night, managed not to lose them!
thats good i haven't actually tried that one yet

[Sally]

you and me both -6.50 in the left and -8.50 in the right

If my lenses come out, I am near enough blind :(

[Tara]

If my lenses come out, I am near enough blind :(
I know all about that :(

[MisterTommyH]

Christ, I thought I struggled without glasses and I'm only -1.25 CYL and -1.00 Sphere and vice versa in the other.

[danf1234]

I wear em. I use dailies, but don't wear them at work so they last ages.

I have an agstigmatism in my right eye, but I still get away with normal dailies. I tried the monthly ones at first but sometimes when I put them in it was like being poked in the eye with a stick.

I went to Tesco optician, and have never paid for a check up or the initial trial. I have only ever paid for the actual lenses. Brilliant really, as they only cost me £20 for a supply that lasts me 3 months.

[Fruity-ya-ya]

Flippin flip flippy flippers!
Got a free trail of monthlys.
Took me about 5mins to get them out!
Look like I've been CS gassed.

I'm very impressed though, can't feel them when in, no fogging up & I'm going to see if I can kick butt playing badminton Sat am as the last few months I've really struggled to the the shuttlecock.

Going back next week to have a consult & prob will end up buying some.

Specsavers, not sure they are the cheapest but for my first outing, as they are local, I think I'll go with them.

Thank you all VERY much for your advice, I bow to the mighty knowledge of the org.

[Venom]

Took me about 5mins to get them out!
Look like I've been CS gassed.


Nice one. You'll get the hang of getting them out, I just pinch the surface lens and pull them out in a couple of seconds now.

[Fruity-ya-ya]

Nice one. You'll get the hang of getting them out, I just pinch the surface lens and pull them out in a couple of seconds now.
Top tip - here's what they looked like aprox 45 mins after I took them out.

p.s. poking your eyes makes your nose run!

p.s.s. My boy loves your avatar Venom.

[Icanopit]

Couple of pennyworths from a very OLD user.
If having difficulty trying to see when putting them in, use a magnifying make-up mirror untill you get used to doing them.
IF you find your eyes get a little dry try these "Clinitas Soother" eye drops also from speckeled savers. can be used whilst the lenses are in also great for Hay Fever watery eyes.
I use monthly varifocal continious usage lenses and take them out once a week for cleaning but dont know for how much longer as my vision is worsening.

JOHN

[MisterTommyH]

Going back next week to have a consult & prob will end up buying some.



Lucky you. I spent 3 hours in Specsavers today. Two of which were spent trying to get contacts in to my eye. Only managed one eye for about 10 seconds. Got to go back and try again next week. Very very sore eyes.

[Gabriel2k]

If its worth anything when I first had them it took me 3 visits to get them in properly, I was on my last chance.

[madnlooney]

ive worn mine for about 12 years now, I started on the dailies then moved to the day and nights which you keep in wearing fo 30 days, but adviced to take them out once a week to clean. Now i have a new left on due to stigmatisam (sp) Ive had no problems with them, but they sometimes dont get on with everyone

[johnnyrod]

Glad you're giving it a go, Fruity. Nah they don't fog up, which is nice, but it took ages to get the hang of them, first time must have take an hour (like above) to get them in. Easy now though, you'll get used to it, can do it blind drunk and everything without removing my eyeball at the same time. They can be a pain for grit/ust though so try to be careful on that, it takes ages for it to get back out and might be irritating enough that you can't open your eye. if you get some crap in there, try this: Hold your eye open and slide the contact lens off your eye lens and onto the iris/white, then let go and blink/roll/squidge it back into place, usually anything underneath will come out fairly easily. had an entertaining time in Egypt riding a quad bike with only shades for protection, looked like I'd won an Oscar by the time we got back in the dark!

[allantheboss]

I wear dailies, it took me a week or two to get used to, but now I don't notice I have them in! I couldn't imagine playing basketball/biking with glasses, it seems like so much hassle, they'd get damaged etc. Also, now, when I put glasses on, people say "wow, you seem more intellectual".

I also used to do a lot of cadets, and camping, and after a dirty, dirty day the last thing you want to do it pull out your lenses and put them in solution and stuff, I'm happy knowing I can chuck mine away.

You can also get lenses that you can keep in for a month, and sleep in, but they're advised against unless you have a need for them generally, such as being a fireman or in the forces, and you need to wake up with perfect vision in the middle of the night.

[Mr EnDo]

Hi,
I wear biointfity lens which are month' but I take them out daily, but if you need to you can sleep with them in. I have no problem with them, I pay 18 a month from Vision Express. Its down to personal option and what the contact specialist recommends. He tried me on daily, didn't get on with them and now I am fine, only problem is if I stare at a comp monitor two long I need to blink a few times to wet the contact again but that is common.

[pookie]

i got my torics from lenstore.co.uk and solutions from costco. I had my eyes lasered recently but thats for a whole new thread :)

[MisterTommyH]

Another fail today. But better than last week.

Was told to go away, practice touching my eye without flinching and come back after Christmas.

[Gabriel2k]

I know it sounds daft, but after making sure your fingers are clean try poking yourself in the eye a bit as if your putting a contact lense in, get your eye used to the feeling.

[james160987]

havent read the whole thread however

specsavers ( im with) i pay £20 per month DD scheme, lenses are dropped through my door every 3 months , ( you can put a hold on the scheme if you build up loads of lenses as i did) i paused for 3 months,

One big advantage of the dd scheme is you get your checkups for free ( contact lenses checkup, not sure about the eye one,) someone else may be able to clafity if they havent already