Should I get contact lenses?
June 28, 2006 3:00 AM Subscribe
Should I get contact lenses?
I've been wearing glasses for about 10 years, and mainly need them for driving. I don't need to wear them every day, but do if I have a pair of glasses I wear them. Currently I borrow my wife's spares but this has to stop because I have a poor track record with looking after spectacles, and I'm toying with the idea of getting contacts instead. In particular because I'd like not to have to bother with prescription sunglasses as well. Is it worth it?
I had quite sensitive eyes as a kid, and do a lot of computer work. Does this affect my decision?
Borrowing your wives isn't a good idea. Not only may she have a different prescription than you AND a different eye shape, but if either of you has any little infection in your eye, it will spread.
posted by k8t at 4:14 AM on June 28, 2006
posted by k8t at 4:14 AM on June 28, 2006
I've been wearing soft contacts for almost 30 years and I still love them. Most of the times you will get used to them right away, in my opinion the hardest thing for most users is putting them on and taking them off, but with a little practice and "patience" you wil get it. Make sure you pick a doctor that has plenty of experience fitting contacts. In my case I could go to an Opthalmologist for free ( my wife is his assistance) but rather go to my local Costco optician who has more experience with contacts and has many more brands to try on. I am very picky with my vision, ( also work with a computer all day long). You will walk out of the dr's office with the contacts seeing much better than the glasses.
Good Luck!
posted by FLHunter3006 at 4:21 AM on June 28, 2006 [1 favorite]
Good Luck!
posted by FLHunter3006 at 4:21 AM on June 28, 2006 [1 favorite]
Soft contacts are easy. "Back in the old days (get off my lawn)" I had hard contacts, and they were impossible. I decided I couldn't wear contacts at all. But now - they fit so well. I have an astigmatism, and they still work just fine. There are a lot of different brands. They feel & fit differently, and they affect your vision differently.
With contacts, you get the whole field of vision, not just what's in front of your glasses. I rarely ever even notice I have them in. Just be very meticulous about washing your hands before you put them in.
I would never voluntarily go back to glasses.
posted by clarkstonian at 4:43 AM on June 28, 2006
With contacts, you get the whole field of vision, not just what's in front of your glasses. I rarely ever even notice I have them in. Just be very meticulous about washing your hands before you put them in.
I would never voluntarily go back to glasses.
posted by clarkstonian at 4:43 AM on June 28, 2006
The contact lenses made today are incredibly comfortable. I have very sensitive eyes, but have found that I can wear daily disposable lenses without a problem.
posted by tastybrains at 4:55 AM on June 28, 2006
posted by tastybrains at 4:55 AM on June 28, 2006
I wore rigid gas permeable lenses for years, until I wore them so much I ulcerated my eyeball and had to stop. Now I wear glasses most of the time, and soft lenses from time to time, usually when it's very sunny or for driving, where the peripheral vision is better than with glasses. I have prescription sunglasses, but if I'm going somewhere where I'll need to keep going from light to shade, I prefer contacts so I can whip the sunglasses off and on.
I find soft lenses don't give me quite the sharpness of vision I used to get with the GP ones or with glasses, but then I'm very short-sighted (about -8).
I can't do detailed computer work in my soft lenses, so I never wear them for work.
In summary - glasses for indoors and close work, lenses for driving and sunshine.
posted by essexjan at 5:01 AM on June 28, 2006
I find soft lenses don't give me quite the sharpness of vision I used to get with the GP ones or with glasses, but then I'm very short-sighted (about -8).
I can't do detailed computer work in my soft lenses, so I never wear them for work.
In summary - glasses for indoors and close work, lenses for driving and sunshine.
posted by essexjan at 5:01 AM on June 28, 2006
I wear soft contacts, and work at a computer all day. I previously wore glasses for about 10 years. Maybe I was lucky, but I didn't have much of a struggle adjusting to contacts.
You put in contacts, and it's like having 20/20 vision. Caring for contacts is not that hard.
Do it! Make the switch!
posted by ibmcginty at 5:06 AM on June 28, 2006
You put in contacts, and it's like having 20/20 vision. Caring for contacts is not that hard.
Do it! Make the switch!
posted by ibmcginty at 5:06 AM on June 28, 2006
I've worn contacts for 13 years and I'm in front of the computer at least 10 hours a day. For me, they're easier on my eyes in front of the computer than glasses. With glasses, I'll frequently get headaches if I sit at the computer too long.
I have very sensitive eyes and they actually feel a lot better with the contacts in. My eyes usually feel a bit weird with fresh air hitting them after I take my contacts out at night.
If you don't need vision correction all the time though, you might want to look into lasik, as that will be even less of a hassle overall.
Try to get a brand that will let as much oxygen into your eye as possible. In my youth, I wore my contacts far too much (and left them in at night, which is not even really recommended for contacts manufactured for such a purpose) and basically suffocated my eye, causing blood vessles to grow into the cornea. After taking a year off contacts to allow my eyes to breathe and switching to a contact brand that allows a lot of oxygen through, my eyes did a lot of healing and my vision even improved.
posted by lynda at 5:38 AM on June 28, 2006
I have very sensitive eyes and they actually feel a lot better with the contacts in. My eyes usually feel a bit weird with fresh air hitting them after I take my contacts out at night.
If you don't need vision correction all the time though, you might want to look into lasik, as that will be even less of a hassle overall.
Try to get a brand that will let as much oxygen into your eye as possible. In my youth, I wore my contacts far too much (and left them in at night, which is not even really recommended for contacts manufactured for such a purpose) and basically suffocated my eye, causing blood vessles to grow into the cornea. After taking a year off contacts to allow my eyes to breathe and switching to a contact brand that allows a lot of oxygen through, my eyes did a lot of healing and my vision even improved.
posted by lynda at 5:38 AM on June 28, 2006
If you have a poor track record with looking after spectacles, I'd recommend daily disposable contacts, so that you don't have to worry about where you put the contacts, whether you have lens cleaning solution on hand, etc. Each one comes in a disposable blister package so you just have to remember to bring along as many as you'll need if you go on a trip. You also don't get too attached to one pair, so if a lens tears or falls out or if you drop it on the floor and lose it while trying to put it in, you can just open up a new one.
I've never worn any other kind of contacts, because my doctor scared me right off the bat with all of her talk about the bacteria/filth that can build up in contact lens storage/cleaning devices if you don't take good care of them.
posted by srah at 5:57 AM on June 28, 2006
I've never worn any other kind of contacts, because my doctor scared me right off the bat with all of her talk about the bacteria/filth that can build up in contact lens storage/cleaning devices if you don't take good care of them.
posted by srah at 5:57 AM on June 28, 2006
Got bored of contacts...and could never quite get rid of that hair in the eye feeling with wearing them.
I'm slightly short-sighted so only need specs for driving, live sports &c. I used to wear daily disposables but found it much easier to have a pair of glasses for when I needed 20/20. Try finding a men's bathroom with a mirror in a football stadium in the UK...
Currently I have a pair of prescription sunglasses that are great and will get a new pair of non-sunglasses when the winter kicks in.
posted by i_cola at 6:06 AM on June 28, 2006
I'm slightly short-sighted so only need specs for driving, live sports &c. I used to wear daily disposables but found it much easier to have a pair of glasses for when I needed 20/20. Try finding a men's bathroom with a mirror in a football stadium in the UK...
Currently I have a pair of prescription sunglasses that are great and will get a new pair of non-sunglasses when the winter kicks in.
posted by i_cola at 6:06 AM on June 28, 2006
I could never get used to the idea of contacts.
If having to buy a pair of prescription sunglasses is what worries you, buy a pair of normal glasses with Transitions lenses. They're a miracle. Sometimes I take my glasses off for a while, and besides being blind as a bat without them, I really notice how much they're shielding my eyes from.
The best part is, I never notice when they go dark, because it's gradual, but fast enough to make it in time to keep you shady. :)
posted by Glitter Ninja at 6:18 AM on June 28, 2006
If having to buy a pair of prescription sunglasses is what worries you, buy a pair of normal glasses with Transitions lenses. They're a miracle. Sometimes I take my glasses off for a while, and besides being blind as a bat without them, I really notice how much they're shielding my eyes from.
The best part is, I never notice when they go dark, because it's gradual, but fast enough to make it in time to keep you shady. :)
posted by Glitter Ninja at 6:18 AM on June 28, 2006
I wouldn't bother with contact lenses until you need corrective lenses all the time, then decide. Being in that boat, I have no trouble keeping up with my glasses. Prescription sunglasses are one of the greatest inventions of all time.
posted by JamesMessick at 6:27 AM on June 28, 2006
posted by JamesMessick at 6:27 AM on June 28, 2006
I have worn gas permiable contacts for about 25 years - no real problems with them. However I would say that you do really need to have some reasonably perscription glasses on hand as well - you are not really supposed to wear your lenses for every waking hour and having the alternative of glasses in an evening or for a long bout of computer work can be useful.
posted by rongorongo at 6:28 AM on June 28, 2006
posted by rongorongo at 6:28 AM on June 28, 2006
You can always get a trial pair after seeing your eye doctor. Try em out for a few days then decide if the benefits are worth the hassle.
posted by ngn01 at 6:37 AM on June 28, 2006
posted by ngn01 at 6:37 AM on June 28, 2006
I think contacts are one of the greatest inventions, and they were impossibly hard for me at first. But push through, and your vision is so much better with them then with glasses since you get peripheral vision. Also, and this may be psychological, but it feels like they make my eyes feel better in the morning, like a shield.
posted by visual mechanic at 7:03 AM on June 28, 2006
posted by visual mechanic at 7:03 AM on June 28, 2006
I work on computers all day/every day, have incredibly sensitive eyes, and have worn contacts for over 13 years. It will take a little while to adjust, and things will look very different. Your optometrist may need to try several brands - it took mine several tries to find ones that "fit" well.
Ditto Sluggo ... except that after a decade or so, I've about given up on the contacts. My eyes are quite sensitive, and I used to read for a living (editor), so by the end of the day my eyes would be red and sore-looking, thereby defeating the "all is vanity" reason I got the damn things in the first place. I've learned to put up with glasses.
posted by scratch at 7:08 AM on June 28, 2006
Ditto Sluggo ... except that after a decade or so, I've about given up on the contacts. My eyes are quite sensitive, and I used to read for a living (editor), so by the end of the day my eyes would be red and sore-looking, thereby defeating the "all is vanity" reason I got the damn things in the first place. I've learned to put up with glasses.
posted by scratch at 7:08 AM on June 28, 2006
I wear both contacts and glasses, but most of the time, I wear glasses. I work on the computer all day too, and I find that my contacts either give me a headache, or dry out if I spend more than a few hours on the computer, so I end up just wearing glasses at work.
I wish I could get used to wearing contacts at work, since it's annoying to have to switch to prescription sunglasses when I go out. My contacts are great for everything except computer work and swimming.
I also have a problem where my contacts dry out after 10pm no matter when I put them in. I could put them in at 8pm and still have them dry out at 10.
BTW, I'm using Accuvue 2.
posted by nakedsushi at 3:40 PM on June 28, 2006
I wish I could get used to wearing contacts at work, since it's annoying to have to switch to prescription sunglasses when I go out. My contacts are great for everything except computer work and swimming.
I also have a problem where my contacts dry out after 10pm no matter when I put them in. I could put them in at 8pm and still have them dry out at 10.
BTW, I'm using Accuvue 2.
posted by nakedsushi at 3:40 PM on June 28, 2006
I've been wearing them for about 12 years and wouldn't go back. When I was a kid and had glasses, I also had sensitive eyes that I thought would never handle sticking a piece of plastic in them. I often said that to people who would comment I had good looking eyes and should wear contacts.
After trying several pairs, I found soft disposals to be perfect for me. Its like they are not even there when they are in and more then once over the years I've gone to bed only to look over at the clock and realize I can make out the numbers and need to take them out before falling asleep.
The initial problem of taking them in and pulling them out might take awhile to master. Now I don't think twice about doing it.
I throw mine out and replace every two weeks and wear glasses when I don't have them in usually early in the morning and late at night. I often work at a computer all day and haven't had a problem with that at all.
If you are like me, once you get used to them, you'll never look back (with glasses at least)!
posted by rfbjames at 4:26 PM on June 29, 2006
After trying several pairs, I found soft disposals to be perfect for me. Its like they are not even there when they are in and more then once over the years I've gone to bed only to look over at the clock and realize I can make out the numbers and need to take them out before falling asleep.
The initial problem of taking them in and pulling them out might take awhile to master. Now I don't think twice about doing it.
I throw mine out and replace every two weeks and wear glasses when I don't have them in usually early in the morning and late at night. I often work at a computer all day and haven't had a problem with that at all.
If you are like me, once you get used to them, you'll never look back (with glasses at least)!
posted by rfbjames at 4:26 PM on June 29, 2006
My contacts are great for everything except computer work and swimming.
If you're just doing laps in the pool alone for exercise, then goggles combined with contacts work great. I am currently using this combination with no problems. Being able to actually *see* while you're under water - including details like the individual tiles that make up the lane marker - is worth it.
If, by "swimming," you meant recreational swimming with your buds, then yeah, you're right. Goggles aren't really an option in this case.
posted by blackbeardrrr at 8:52 PM on August 10, 2006
If you're just doing laps in the pool alone for exercise, then goggles combined with contacts work great. I am currently using this combination with no problems. Being able to actually *see* while you're under water - including details like the individual tiles that make up the lane marker - is worth it.
If, by "swimming," you meant recreational swimming with your buds, then yeah, you're right. Goggles aren't really an option in this case.
posted by blackbeardrrr at 8:52 PM on August 10, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by sluggo at 3:54 AM on June 28, 2006