Advice for contact lens first timer

[Zepth]

So as the title implies I'm seriously considering contact lenses to be my primary visual aid. Glasses are just a pain as any user knows. I received a lesson from the optometrist about how-to install, remove, clean, care for etc.

Unfortunately my brain has the common over-ride setting of "Oh crap! About to get stabbed in eye!" reaction. Not exactly uncommon from what I hear. Current recommendations are to wear them for increasing lengths of time daily before reporting back in 2 weeks to make sure all is well and there are no horrible reactions or side effects.

The clear answer is to just keep at it and it will come with time and experience. As a side note the "new prescription syndrome" only adds to the complications. Any advice out there to speed up the process on getting used to the process and procedure?

 

[chawn]

Good luck. I couldn't overcome that issue. My advice is to look into lasik.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

I can put them in your eyes for you for monetary gain. I'll be gentle, I swear. you're not worried about pink eye, are you?

 

[PGEduardo]

Lasik.

....or just practice and get used to it.

 

[YeastMode]

Make sure your lens and eye are on the same plane, and by that I mean to make sure the angle of your lens on your finger allows the lens to contact your eye around the entire edge. If one edge of the contact hits your eye first, the contact lens will sometimes fold on you finger or eye and then you will have to start again.

Also, try to keep your hand and the lens as lint free as possible, as any little lint or dirt can be very on comfortable when it is on the inside of the lens.

Finally, make sure you take care of them and have an extra set. One of the worst experiences of my life is when I had a problem with the lenses drying out from lack of care and the doctor had to pull it off like a sticker. It sucked.

 

[Beernik]

I got contacts when I was 12 and wore contacts until I was about 37. Then my astigmatism got to the point where the contacts were so heavy and uncomfortable I could only wear them 8 hours. Finally I gave up on them and got glasses and perscription sunglasses.

I love perscription sunglasses. Now I need perscription bifocal sunglasses.

My point is, glasses really aren't that bad. Contacts is trading one PITA for another PITA.

And I was a really bad candidate for lasik. The doc looked at me and said, "I wouldn't have it done to me if I had your eyes."

But as far as contacts go, this was my proceedure: put it on your middle finger. Fill it up with a drop of saline. Use both ring fingers to hold your eyeball open. Watch it all the way onto your eyeball. When you blink, the saline squirts out from under the contact and moistens your eye, reducing the "I just stuck something in my eye" feeling.

By the way, always... And I mean ALWAYS remove your contacts before cutting peppers.

You would think I wouldn't have been stupid enough to make that mistake twice.

 

[MaddBaggins]

NEVER! Dice serrano chilies then put contacts in an hour later.

Trust me.

 

[autobaun70]

What is your vision issue? If it is an astigmatism, I would skip contacts entirely. Astigmatism requires toric lenses, which are weighted to make the sit correctly. Issue is, they stay upright when you lay down, lean over, etc. I highly recommend Lasic if you are a candidate.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

I think you should just let me put them in for you on a professional level. I'll even start washing my hands more regularly. and if you hire me, you'll get all the free berry punches you can handle! unless you're a big guy. word around the camp fire is berry punching has no affect on big guys. us scrawny guys just don't know it yet.

 

[Beernik]

What is your vision issue? If it is an astigmatism, I would skip contacts entirely. Astigmatism requires toric lenses, which are weighted to make the sit correctly. Issue is, they stay upright when you lay down, lean over, etc. I highly recommend Lasic if you are a candidate.

Wearing contacts when my astigmatism was under 2.0 wasn't a problem. Then one eye got to 2.5 and the other got to 3.5. That's when I went back to glasses.

The trick with Toric lenses is to make sure the weight will hit your eye on the bottom side so you don't have to wait for them to straighten.

 

[SharonaZamboni]

Always make sure that the lens isn't inside-out. That is very uncomfortable!
I started with contacts at 14, and never had a problem sticking them on my eyeballs, but maybe only because I hated my giant thick glasses so much.
Some issues were: lens torn while wearing, and trying to dig out the other half. Once I had a big piece under my upper lid for a VERY long time. Also, it seemed that every hair and piece of lint would stick to a lens.

Make sure to use moisturizing drops often. Dry eyes make contacts irritating.
Got LASIK at about age 40, and it was great results.
Transitioning between contacts and glasses can suck. I'd just do contacts only for a few days.

 

[Homercidal]

I used some for soem mild astigmatism. They were fine, but the left one always felt like there was something on my eyelid. I tried a few brands, but it never went away. (Well sometimes it would go away for a few hours.) The left one always seemed to go blurry on me after a few second. Like the contact had pulled away a bit or something.

It was still nice to have the option of contacts in some situations. I wear glasses at work to look at computer screens over people's shoulders, but I don't have to wear them to drive (yet).

I say just keep trying them and if you still have issues, see if you can try a different brand. They make all different kinds.

Just remember to clean them on schedule. You DON'T want an eye infection!

 

[Zepth]

NEVER! Dice serrano chilies then put contacts in an hour later.

Trust me.

According to my employer eating scotch bonnets then removing them an hour later is also not recommended. Side note: I saw a sign in a burrito shack the recommended washing your hands properly before using the facilities.

What is your vision issue? If it is an astigmatism, I would skip contacts entirely. Astigmatism requires toric lenses, which are weighted to make the sit correctly. Issue is, they stay upright when you lay down, lean over, etc. I highly recommend Lasic if you are a candidate.

I didn't think of the upright issue until you said it. I remember the doctor mentioning it but now it makes sense. I think I could survive not being able to lay down watching tv, probably for the best since I always tend to fall asleep on the couch that way. At work I often need to look over my shoulder while walking backwards carrying stuff. If my head is tilted on a 45 degree angle I could imagine where problems would arise. Thanks for pointing that out. Real test will be in about a week when I go to work with them for the first couple times.

I have not ruled laser out as an option. I just need to wait for a couple expense accounts to be paid off and a bit of a nest egg to warrant it. I should also mention that I have mild astigmatism and the optometrist did say that I was a candidate for laser should I decide to go that route. Just not financially ready quite yet.

Thanks to all. I think this evenings "break in period" I'll try the couple drops of juice in the contact before installing it to see if that helps things smooth out. Wish me luck.

 

[TheCADJockey]

I would give you advice, but I still get up in the morning hungover and scrape my finger across my eye to remove my contacts that in reality... I am not yet wearing.

Good luck. At least they are no longer made of glass.

 

[EHV]

Good luck. I tried and tried to get used to them and placing them but it just didn't happen. Poking myself in the eyeball just is not natural. I only wear glasses when I feel like not straining but I find myself more and more wearing them all day. I hated them but now I'm to the point I have forgotten bout them till I'm not using them, so my advice is try them out. Seek help until you are to the point of giving up then take a break from them, and revisit when you feel up to it. Glasses aren't bad like they were when you were a kid........four eyes!

 

[Hello]

You're gonna poke your eye out.


I hated it at first, but got used to it. Then I got Lasik.

 

[vanishingpint]

Got my first set of contacts in 1978.They were hard and expensive but so much better than glasses.Soft contacts and extended wear were a god send.Don't worry you will get used to them so very soon you will be

 

[vanishingpint]

Sorry. you will be amazed how great they are .

 

[dkwolf]

According to my employer eating scotch bonnets then removing them an hour later is also not recommended. Side note: I saw a sign in a burrito shack the recommended washing your hands properly before using the facilities.

I didn't think of the upright issue until you said it. I remember the doctor mentioning it but now it makes sense. I think I could survive not being able to lay down watching tv, probably for the best since I always tend to fall asleep on the couch that way. At work I often need to look over my shoulder while walking backwards carrying stuff. If my head is tilted on a 45 degree angle I could imagine where problems would arise. Thanks for pointing that out. Real test will be in about a week when I go to work with them for the first couple times.

I have not ruled laser out as an option. I just need to wait for a couple expense accounts to be paid off and a bit of a nest egg to warrant it. I should also mention that I have mild astigmatism and the optometrist did say that I was a candidate for laser should I decide to go that route. Just not financially ready quite yet.

Thanks to all. I think this evenings "break in period" I'll try the couple drops of juice in the contact before installing it to see if that helps things smooth out. Wish me luck.

I've worn toric lenses for over 20 years now - started in middle school. Football, wrestling, 3 years on a construction/concrete crew - I've thrown everything at my lenses you could possibly think of. (On more than one occasion, the lens acted as a nice little 'barrier' to my eye -- got a drop of latex paint on it once, and once it caught a shard of metal from a saw before it hit my eye).

The rotating lens issue is a problem, but it's not like a pendulum; for me if I'm laying down on the couch watching TV, it takes a couple minutes for the lenses to rotate out of position. It's not an instantaneous change, so don't worry about tilting your head on the job (blinking helps 'push' the lens back to proper position as well)

I had soft disposable lenses that you took out and soaked every night, and didn't mind them - only switched to the extended wear lenses in 2011 when I joined the fire department. When the pager goes off at oh-my-god-thirty, you don't have time to put your lenses in, and glasses don't fit well under an SCBA mask. When I first got my lenses back in the early 90's, I had a terrible time putting them in - it would take me upwards of a half hour to get it done. Now, I can slap both lenses in in about 20 seconds.

Pay attention to what your eyes are telling you. If they're feeling stressed, take the lenses out for a night or so. If they constantly feel a little irritated, it's probably time to change the lens. Obviously, sharp pain, take them out right away - might be a torn lens. (That is one drawback, a ripped lens can be one of the most painful things you'll ever experience)


I'll be honest, I've never even mentioned Lasik to my doctor. The way I look at it is, in the last decade, I wouldn't need both hands to count the days I wore my glasses. I have no issues with my contact lenses, and the prescription can be changed as needed. Lasik is kind of a major thing, and despite everyone saying how great it is, there are still problems -- you still hear of people whose night vision is affected by it. I'll deal with the relatively minor inconvenience of caring for contact lenses instead of taking a chance on permanently screwing up my eyes -- you can replace contacts. You only get one set of eyes.

 

[Zepth]

Progress update: Today's session took less than 10 minutes to get them in and less than 5 to get out. Vastly improved from day 1. Day one was about 30 to get in, then 20 of failing digging in the eye to get them out, bailing, waiting an hour for eyes to be less puffed out then 10 of digging to get it done. As I said, vastly improved. Time and practice.

As far as laser goes with my lifestyle Lasik is not going to fit the bill. PRK or bust. So with the handling getting less and less time consuming each time things are looking good. Still kind of funky going from old prescription to new and back again. The "new prescription syndrome" just isn't dying down. If all continues to improve and they turn out to be the new daily wearer (original intention) that should calm down as well.

Thanks for the advice and support.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Progress update: Today's session took less than 10 minutes to get them in and less than 5 to get out. Vastly improved from day 1. Day one was about 30 to get in, then 20 of failing digging in the eye to get them out, bailing, waiting an hour for eyes to be less puffed out then 10 of digging to get it done. As I said, vastly improved. Time and practice.

As far as laser goes with my lifestyle Lasik is not going to fit the bill. PRK or bust. So with the handling getting less and less time consuming each time things are looking good. Still kind of funky going from old prescription to new and back again. The "new prescription syndrome" just isn't dying down. If all continues to improve and they turn out to be the new daily wearer (original intention) that should calm down as well.

Thanks for the advice and support.

Oh pfft... 15 years ago when I got my first contacts we walked into a shop in the mall. My dad got mad and went to the restaurant to have a beer while he waited. It took me over an hour to get one in. Almost an hour and a half later, I had contacts, red eyes and a shirt soaked in tears. No longer had those huge glasses though.

 

[Zepth]

Oh pfft... 15 years ago when I got my first contacts we walked into a shop in the mall. My dad got mad and went to the restaurant to have a beer while he waited. It took me over an hour to get one in. Almost an hour and a half later, I had contacts, red eyes and a shirt soaked in tears. No longer had those huge glasses though.

That would be me on the instruction day at the optometrist office.

 

[PGEduardo]

Just got Lasik today! Never again with those eye-drying lenses!

 

[dkwolf]

Just got Lasik today! Never again with those eye-drying lenses!

This is something I've never understood. Like I said in my earlier post, I've worn contacts for over 20 years, and the only times I've ever had issues with lenses drying out is when I left non-extended wear lenses in overnight (or over a week in one case) - but even then it wasn't an issue. I can pop my lenses out right now, and wouldn't be able to tell the difference in terms of moisture levels on my eyes.

I guess people's experiences vary.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

@Zepth you should let me help. the trick is using margarita salt.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

I've had contacts for a decade now Used to have astigmatism, now I don't.

It took me some time to getting used to it but I got it. Get extra lenses is the best advice.

 

[DrunkleJon]

OP, is your problem with inserting/removing your contacts a finger directly in the eyeball creepiness thing? If this is the case, can you touch the white part of your eye? If so I have been successful in looking up, placing the contact in the white of my eye below the part you see out of then look down into the contact. Seems less scary that way. As for removal, the pinch just below (in the white part) the colored part of your eye should get it out without trouble. It only sucks when your eyes are dry and it feels like the contact is glued to your eye. Putting your finger on your contact then 'looking' in a different direction will allow for you to get a little moisture under the lens if it is drying out and uncomfortable. Seems that this can help you in removal as well if the finger headed to your field of vision creeps you out.

 

[Zepth]

OP, is your problem with inserting/removing your contacts a finger directly in the eyeball creepiness thing? If this is the case, can you touch the white part of your eye? If so I have been successful in looking up, placing the contact in the white of my eye below the part you see out of then look down into the contact. Seems less scary that way. As for removal, the pinch just below (in the white part) the colored part of your eye should get it out without trouble. It only sucks when your eyes are dry and it feels like the contact is glued to your eye. Putting your finger on your contact then 'looking' in a different direction will allow for you to get a little moisture under the lens if it is drying out and uncomfortable. Seems that this can help you in removal as well if the finger headed to your field of vision creeps you out.

I've tried that method a few times with some success for installing. Removing them via that method came as accident once and I tried it again and it worked great. So that's the go-to for that.

Really strange thing is that in the right eye I almost (in the whole 8-10 times) always need to use the "white and slide" method. Left eye I can watch my finger right up into it touches the eye.

 

[dkwolf]

OP, is your problem with inserting/removing your contacts a finger directly in the eyeball creepiness thing? If this is the case, can you touch the white part of your eye? If so I have been successful in looking up, placing the contact in the white of my eye below the part you see out of then look down into the contact. Seems less scary that way. As for removal, the pinch just below (in the white part) the colored part of your eye should get it out without trouble. It only sucks when your eyes are dry and it feels like the contact is glued to your eye. Putting your finger on your contact then 'looking' in a different direction will allow for you to get a little moisture under the lens if it is drying out and uncomfortable. Seems that this can help you in removal as well if the finger headed to your field of vision creeps you out.

Oh yeah...something in this post reminded me of another mistake to avoid. It's only ever happened to me twice, and only when extremely stressed and/or exhausted. Take your right lens out, put it in solution....and then try to take the right lens out again.

Let's just say this: Grabbing the surface of your eyeball sucks in ways that are difficult to describe.