Aaarrrrgggghhhh....new to contacts!

weldrwomn

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My work requires safety glasses and they actually cover the cost of prescription safety glasses. The problem is that the selection of frames is rather lacking IMO. The frames are all heavy and the glasses end up sliding down my nose. Also, the frames are not the type that are curved and stay close to the face so there is more chance for sparks and other crap to get to my eyes.

Almost 10yrs ago, I tried contacts for my astigmatism. They were horrible. They took forever to put in and then whenever I would blink, the lenses would spin. I just couldn't take it, so I stuck with glasses.

Due to this latest problem with safety glasses, I thought that maybe I should try contacts. I have been just wearing regular safety glasses for the past couple of years with no prescription, but it would really be nice to see what I am doing. So I went in for my annual eye exam and I explained my situation to the Dr. He said that I am so detail-oriented in my vision that they couldn't get the prescription close enough with contacts, but I could give it a try anyway. I went ahead and had them order a trial pair and they ordered trial pairs in two different brands.

Yesterday the Dr office called and told me that the contacts were in, so I went over there and picked them up. While I was there, I went ahead and put a pair in. After an hour I had to take them out.

This morning, I put the contacts in and kept them in for 4hrs. Before I put them in, I put a postcard on the bathroom mirror and looked at it from two different distances, when I put the contacts in, I looked at the postcard again. My vision within 6ft is no better with the contacts than without and beyond 6ft, everything is blurrier. I have had a tension headache all day (from the contacts, I guess) and when I have the contacts in, they really bother me. Do any of you have similar experiences? Should I even bother trying the other brand of contacts?
 

natalie_ca

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Contact lenses are contact lenses. They're all pretty much the same. I used to wear contact lenses back in the 1980's but stopped because my eyes produce so much protein that it built up really quick in my lenses and irritated my eyes, and no amount of cleaning was really effective in removing it. I tried disposable contacts, the kind you reuse for up to a week and then throw out and use a new pair. But the edges weren't beveled and my eye lid sits close to my eye ball and the lid was getting very irritated by the contacts. And also, there was that protein problem again. Because they were disposable, the protein that did build up was worse than with the others and despite cleaning, after 3 or 4 days my eyes were scratch and itchy and gummy with the contacts in them.

Pesonally I would stick with eye glasses, especially if you are not noticing any difference in visual acuity.

Perhaps you can invest in a pair of glasses that you can wear especially for work. The kind with a strap, similar to swim goggles. That way they would stay on your head when you have the safety mask on.
 
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weldrwomn

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I think that I will just have to suck it up and use my own money to purchase a really nice, grippy pair of prescription safety glasses that are kind of like goggles.

The form I got with the contacts said that I should try them for about a month before deciding, but if all I can look forward to is irritation and headaches, then I really don't want to wear them at all anymore.
 

natalie_ca

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Originally Posted by WELDRWOMN

I think that I will just have to suck it up and use my own money to purchase a really nice, grippy pair of prescription safety glasses that are kind of like goggles.

The form I got with the contacts said that I should try them for about a month before deciding, but if all I can look forward to is irritation and headaches, then I really don't want to wear them at all anymore.
You should be able to write off the glasses on your income tax as part of a work necessity I would think. Perhaps a medical expense? Also, if you have a Union, talk to them. I would think it would be dangerous and distracting to have someone bothered by their glasses being shifted around from safety goggles, and that would lead to a work place injury.
 

starryeyedtiger

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Contacts are great- they just take a little getting used to! Sometimes it's a trial and error situation too until you find the right pair for your eyes (There are soo many brands to choose from!)

I use O2 Optix and i LOVE them
They allow more air to get to my eyes than most other contacts and the small amount of silicon in those don't bother me so much (I'm really allergic to most silicones/coatings on some contacts).

My eye doctor always gives me several samples of different brands to try when i'm looking for a more comfortable fit. So far the O2 Optix have worked best for me.
It just depends on the person though! Keep in mind I don't wear my contacts all the time- I wear my glasses a lot too to give my eyes a break (I have chronic dry eye).

I hope you find something that works for you!
 

laureen227

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in my experience, contacts are great for myopia & hyperopia. not so much for astigmatism, tho. they keep trying to improve the ones for astigmatism... i don't think that they've managed to get to the ideal solution.

my astigmatism was temporary - from 10+ years of wearing hard contact lenses. i don't have it any longer.
my sister has a lot of issues with her lenses - her eyes seem to be much more sensitive to minute flaws in her lenses than mine are. she'd really like to get lasik surgery.

after wearing lenses for over 30 years, with over 20 years using the soft ones, i'm not at all interested in surgery. i haven't been able to see clearly for 43 years - it's really not that big of a deal to be able to see perfectly if i have to get up during the night to pee. i know where the bathroom is - i wouldn't even turn on the lights, except i might step on a cat!

currently, i'm wearing 2 different prescriptions - a 'near vision' eye & a 'far vision' eye. this is called 'monovision' & it's really great for people 40+ who've started to have 'old age' vision [presbyopia]. works quite well - at least, for me!
 

marianjela

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Her Supreme Welding Highness, Ms. WeldrWomn,


I wear contacts and they do take some getting used to. I remember the first time I tried wearing them I didnt think I would make it through the work day. They were so itchy and I must;ve went through a bottle of solution hydrating my eyes. But it did get better. I still cant wear mine all day, but I can easily go 8 hours with a fresh pair.

Of course, I dont have astigmatism.

My daughter does however, but hers isnt bad enough to require astigmatism lenses. Her opth. is trying to put them off as long as she can.

I have been told that my insurance will pay to have the astigmatism corrected. Basically to make her eye round again. She will still need glasses, but the shape of her eye will be better. I havent checked into it yet, but who knows...

Now, my husband has astigmatism and his contacts drive him crazy, although he is a bad example, he has been wearing glasses since he was 4 and the only reason he wants to wear contacts is to wear sunglasses
Also he cant put them in himself, I have to do it. Annoying.

My sister-in-law has a horrible astigmatism and she lives in her contacts. Probably all personal preference and based on the individual.

As long as you have them, at least give it a try.

When I first got used to mine, I eased into them gradually, like a comfy pair pf jeans
Just increase the amount of time you wear them a little every day until you can stand to wear them your whole work shift.

I hope you find what works for you!
 

kluchetta

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There are lots of different kinds of contacts - soft, hard, gas permeable (at least I thought those were the choices.)

When I was in high school my parents spent a lot of money to get me contacts, and since I had an astigmatism, I had to get gas permeable. I could never wear them for more than 3 or 4 hours, and constantly had headaches from them.

When I was about 21 I got soft contacts, and even though my vision wasn't perfect in my left eye, I was so much happier. It's like there's not even anything in my eye at all!
 

calico2222

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Are your contacts weighted? My husband has astigmatism and has to wear weighted contacts and they do take a while to adjust. Basically, the contact has to sit a certain way in the eye for it to correct the astigmatism. You can't see where the weights are (they are microscopic...just enough to position the contact correctly) so sometimes it only takes a few minutes for them to sit right, and sometimes it can take a few hours for them to actually turn. The older the contacts, the longer it takes. You may want to ask your eye doctor if they are weighted and if not, request a different brand that is. Off the top of my head, I can't remember what brand he uses, but I know they aren't cheap.

And, it does take a while to get used to contacts. Basically, your eyes have to develop a protective surface before they actually feel comfortable. And, it takes your brain a while to adjust to the different focus. If I wear my glasses all weekend then put my contacts in on Monday to go to work, I sometimes get headaches because contacts aren't as exact as glasses.

But, do what ever is comfortable for you. Is there any way you can put a strap around the pair of glasses you have to hold them in place?
 

sandtigress

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Are you using lenses specific for astigmatism? They're called "toric lenses" and are specially cut to fit the shape of the eye - I've been using them for years and love them. They actually help to correct astigmatism.

For me, they are fairly comfortable and I definitely see clearly, more clearly than in my glasses, actually. I'm pretty near-sighted (-7.5, -8.0) and have astigmatism in both eyes. It may take them awhile to find the cuts that best fit your eyes - I think it took my doctor a few tries to get it just right.

If they're not toric lenses, they're not going to sit right on your eyes, and even if you have the right prescription, the shape of your eyes is going to make everything look blurry.

Headaches are pretty common for me after getting a brand new prescription as my eyes adjust, but they usually go away within a few days. But the same thing always happened to me in glasses too.

Anyhow, I've had pretty great experiences with my toric lenses. I'm using a Bausch and Lombe brand now, since my prescription is strong and its hard to find companies that go up that high and don't go out of business. Let me know if you have any other questions though!
 
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weldrwomn

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Originally Posted by Marianjela

Her Supreme Welding Highness, Ms. WeldrWomn,


I wear contacts and they do take some getting used to. I remember the first time I tried wearing them I didnt think I would make it through the work day. They were so itchy and I must;ve went through a bottle of solution hydrating my eyes. But it did get better. I still cant wear mine all day, but I can easily go 8 hours with a fresh pair.

Of course, I dont have astigmatism.

My daughter does however, but hers isnt bad enough to require astigmatism lenses. Her opth. is trying to put them off as long as she can.

I have been told that my insurance will pay to have the astigmatism corrected. Basically to make her eye round again. She will still need glasses, but the shape of her eye will be better. I havent checked into it yet, but who knows...

Now, my husband has astigmatism and his contacts drive him crazy, although he is a bad example, he has been wearing glasses since he was 4 and the only reason he wants to wear contacts is to wear sunglasses
Also he cant put them in himself, I have to do it. Annoying.

My sister-in-law has a horrible astigmatism and she lives in her contacts. Probably all personal preference and based on the individual.

As long as you have them, at least give it a try.

When I first got used to mine, I eased into them gradually, like a comfy pair pf jeans
Just increase the amount of time you wear them a little every day until you can stand to wear them your whole work shift.

I hope you find what works for you!
That's awesome, I didn't think anyone would actually address me that way! You made my day!


Originally Posted by Sandtigress

Are you using lenses specific for astigmatism? They're called "toric lenses" and are specially cut to fit the shape of the eye - I've been using them for years and love them. They actually help to correct astigmatism.

For me, they are fairly comfortable and I definitely see clearly, more clearly than in my glasses, actually. I'm pretty near-sighted (-7.5, -8.0) and have astigmatism in both eyes. It may take them awhile to find the cuts that best fit your eyes - I think it took my doctor a few tries to get it just right.

If they're not toric lenses, they're not going to sit right on your eyes, and even if you have the right prescription, the shape of your eyes is going to make everything look blurry.

Headaches are pretty common for me after getting a brand new prescription as my eyes adjust, but they usually go away within a few days. But the same thing always happened to me in glasses too.

Anyhow, I've had pretty great experiences with my toric lenses. I'm using a Bausch and Lombe brand now, since my prescription is strong and its hard to find companies that go up that high and don't go out of business. Let me know if you have any other questions though!
Yes, they are the Toric lenses. I still have my headache this morning. The contacts will have to wait until my headache goes away. I have never had a problem adjusting to glasses the way I am with contacts. AAARRRRGGGHHH
 

wildfire203

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I have to wear soft contacts (Johnson&Johnson Acuvue Oasys) cause the hard ones are a pain. The first time I got contacts (diff brand) it took me three hours to get them in and then I could only keep them in for 10 mins before I had to take them back out. Now I have been wearing them for ten yrs. I know Acuvue has "Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism" and "Acuvue Toric"
They might just take a bit to get use to. Now after so much practice with my contacts it takes me less then one min to put both in, of cousre it take about 5 mins afterwards to get the contacts wet enough so I can see through them.
 

butzie

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Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

You should be able to write off the glasses on your income tax as part of a work necessity I would think. Perhaps a medical expense? Also, if you have a Union, talk to them. I would think it would be dangerous and distracting to have someone bothered by their glasses being shifted around from safety goggles, and that would lead to a work place injury.
That's a good idea about the Union. Not so sure about the tax deduction.

I needed glasses just to read now
after having had better than average eyesight. I got bifocal soft lenses that are good for 30 days. It really didn't take me long to get used to them. My biggest problem is that I seem to lose them far more than I would like. Well, I lose those Dr. Dean Edell's I wear to read at night, too.


I would try some different brands and would try them for a little longer, but definitely talk to your eye doctor, too.
 
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