Contact lenses

[Amanda P]

I push them towards the corner of my eye first before the pinch, it seems to make it a little easier.

I had an optician spend ages with me trying to teach me how to remove lenses, and, yep, I went home with really red, sore eyes.

The next time I was there the office girl (who wore lenses herself) showed me how she did it. Like Stephen C, she pushed the lens off the centre of the eye to the corner, where the curve of the eyeball is less steep. This makes the lens ruck up, so it's easy to grasp. In fact, often it flips inside out which makes it dead easy to grasp it by the edge.

So much easier for me than just trying to pinch them off the centre of my eyeball. I've done it that way ever since.

Speaking of lenses flipping inside out, they sometimes do this in the packet before you put them on. They work fine inside out on your eye, but they just don't feel quite right - a bit like having your t-shirt on back-to-front. So if a lens doesn't feel quite right (like you say your left one didn't, MikeW-71), it could be because it's inside out.

 

[Brandane]

I should bookmark this thread - it's a mine of useful information for someone who is thinking apprehensively of giving contacts a try .

Do it! No more hunting around for glasses; no more cleaning off smudges; lenses don't steam up or slip down your nose; I could go on.....
My only complaint is that they do dry out after I've been driving for a while, and since I sometimes have to drive for up to 9 hours in a day, I usually just wear glasses for work. Eye drops can help; air-con can make things worse.

 

[MikeW-71]

I'm thinking initially of using them just for cycling, to avoid the problems of inserts in cycling goggles steaming up between the two layers. I have this silly old-fashioned idea that eyes weren't meant to have things like plastic lenses put into them on a permanent basis; 'asking for trouble' and all that (and I'm very squeamish about anything to do with eyes, even finding administering eyedrops to myself pathetically difficult).

It's the only reason I want to try them. Not everyone gets on with them, and not all eyes are suitable (the optician will check this). There are precautions to take - hands MUST be clean when inserting and removing, don't wear them too long, don't sleep with them in etc. If you follow these, you should have no problems.

The golden rule: If in doubt, take them out.

It took me 5 tries to get them in because the body wants to close the eye when something comes near it, but once in, they work great

I'm with Specsavers and the trial is free with whichever type of lens you want to try.

 

[potsy]

I should bookmark this thread - it's a mine of useful information for someone who is thinking apprehensively of giving contacts a try .

I wear them because I'm too chicken to have laser eye surgery, they really are easy after a few weeks.

Definitely worth a try.

 

[hopless500]

I'm thinking initially of using them just for cycling, to avoid the problems of inserts in cycling goggles steaming up between the two layers. I have this silly old-fashioned idea that eyes weren't meant to have things like plastic lenses put into them on a permanent basis; 'asking for trouble' and all that (and I'm very squeamish about anything to do with eyes, even finding administering eyedrops to myself pathetically difficult).

Mr Hop was exactly the same. Until about 5 months ago. Then chaotic glasses-changing, loss, and prescription changes made him give it a try. He now swears by them. Given that no GP, nurse, human being in general has ever been able to go near his eyes, this is a miracle.

 

[MikeW-71]

Contacts back in (eventually... lol) they feel a bit more natural this time and the left eye is not as bad. It can still feel the lens though even though it's definately not inside-out.

Time to go for a test ride

 

[MikeW-71]

Oooh, that went well!

I am sold! I don't ever want to ride with that insert in ever again.. woohoo!

Now, if I can get them out properly this time at about 5pm, I can wear them again tommorrow at Kielder on the MTB.

 

[mcshroom]

Another following your progress with interest. I had a bad experience when I tried a few years back as I scratched my eye trying to take the lens out, but that was probably bad luck. I'm just getting up the courage to try again.

 

[MikeW-71]

Got them out much easier this time. Tried moving them off-centre first and that worked a treat to "unstick" them from the eye.

 

[Plax]

How's it going now you've had them a few months?

I can't stand wearing glasses now. I use 2 weeklies all the time now (started off with dailies only when I was doing exercise etc) You'll become a pro at removing them one handed and putting them in without a mirror and what not before long. If you follow proper precautions shouldn't have any issues;
Always wash hands before inserting and removing,
Always rinse out case with something like saline solution and NOT under the tap.
Never wear them in the swimming pool without goggles (my optician has seen an increase in eye infections because people use them at the gym Jacuzzi)
Never use spit to moisten them (saliva has loads of nasties!)

Also if you forget to take them out overnight (it will happen to you if you become a long time user!), then use eye drops or a bit of solution in your eye to moisten the lens first. Makes them easier to take out, and considerably reduces the risk of any corneal abrasions due to dry contacts stuck to your eyeballs.

I also keep a pair of glasses in my car and in my desk draw at work in case I do stupid stuff like get halfway down the road and realise I can't see anything because I've forgotten to put my contacts in.

 

[Brandane]

Always wash hands before inserting and removing,

^^^^ This. Especially if you have recently used the same hand for applying sun screen. DAMHIKT.
I would imagine that the same applies after chopping chillies, but I have no wish to find out!

 

[MikeW-71]

How's it going now you've had them a few months?

It's going really well

I am getting the hang of getting them out now, last few times have been no problem, and I wore them every day on my tour. I was very glad of them on the first day as it was just drizzly rain and I didn't wear my sports glasses all day. If I had had to wear the glasses with the insert in, I would have been effectively blind.

For cycling use, I'm completely sold, though I'll still use my glasses otherwise.