Has anyone switched to contact lenses after years of wearing glasses?

[luvflorida]

Can anyone with any eye prescription wear contacts? What if you have bifocals or progressive lenses in your glasses? Is it difficult to adjust to contacts after wearing glasses for most of your life?

I've worn glasses for over forty years and I'm really sick and tired of constantly cleaning the lenses, and I don't like the way they look. I have a strong prescription, especially for the right eye and can't read anything without my glasses. My entire world is blurry without them.

For some reason, I've just never considered contacts until recently. Putting something directly on my eyeball makes me a little nervous, but I think I'm to the point where I would like to get rid of the glasses if possible.

Any advice from those of you who have switched from glasses to contacts would be appreciated. Thanks so much!

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Skip the contacts and go get LASIK. It's the best thing I have ever done for myself!

 

[hemispheredancer]

I am 36 and have worn glasses for half my life. I tried contacts but my allergies make my eyes so dry I cannot keep them in for the whole day. I have been stuck with glasses up till now. I jsut got my eyes checked and have been fitted for the new Hydraclear Oasys lenses. They have the highest water content of any lenses on the market. In fact I just picked up my 6 month supply today. I try towear my glasses at least 1-2 days a week just to give my eyes a break. Check with your optician to see what lenses would be best for you. Lasik was not an option for me, therefore I got the H.O. lenses and love them!

 

[LindaR]

I used to have major astigmatism and initially could only go with hard contacts. Hated them and had major trouble putting my finger in my own eye! 15 years later, I got to try "soft" contacts for astigmatism. Hated them, too! Last summer, I had LASIK and I love, love, LOVE not having any vision problems. I wake in the middle of the night and can SEE the time on the clock!

DD17 has worn glasses since she was 4. She's been wearing contacts for 2 years now. She cannot wear them for more than about 10 hours and must then switch to glasses because "wetting" drops do nothing for her (and she has alot of astigmatism, too). As soon as she is old enough, she will have LASIK too so that she can enjoy the freedom that I do!

You might ask your eye doctor if you are a candidate for the surgery (they don't charge for that) and lots of LASIK places offer a payment plan (you have a monthly payment just like a car loan).

 

[wdw4us2]

I had worn glasses for about 13 years when I went to contacts. I had trouble at first, but my optomotrist tried a few different brands until we found one that would work for me.

I've been wearing contacts for 20 years now with no problems. I currently wear Acuvue 2 lenses. They've been great for me, and you'll get used to putting them in in no time!

 

[Servants of Evan]

I wore glasses for close to twenty years before trying contacts... the thought of touching my eye made me want to hurl... It was when I finally got sick and tired of my glasses fogging up each time I was going inside and out that I decided to try a change. Fortuately my perscription isn't that strong but it was tough getting over my squeemish-ness. It costs me around $10 a month in cleaning supplies, but I buy the alcon multi-packs at the wholesale club... Now, I love having them. It's nice not juggling glasses, and their comfortable for all-day wear.

 

[luvflorida]

I'm scheduling an eye appointment for February and plan on asking about contacts. I had no idea there were so many different kinds available.

I'm also interested, but leery, of LASIK surgery. I guess I need to find out more about it. Is it more for people who have relatively minor vision problems? What about someone who wears progressive lenses, bi or trifocals?

 

[golfgal]

I switched to contacts a year ago and I LOVE them. I wore them in college and they were never quite right. Now with the new disposables, they are great.

As for Lasik, I know of probably 50+ people that have had this done and none of them have had any problems (except for one friend that had an allergic reaction to some eye drops but she is fine and her eyesight is awesome). It is for all types of eye issues and it really depends on your eyes more so then what your vision is. Most places do a free consultation if you are interested.

 

[goodeats]

I wore glasses for about 8 years (from age 11 to 19), and then went to contacts. I was always somebody who hated eyedrops and touching my eye. But now I have no problem with it! I've worn contacts for 8 years now and it's so easy. My vision is so much sharper with contacts than glasses since it covers your peripheral vision too. I change my contacts monthly so that helps keep them 'fresh'. The eye doctor will show you how to put them in and take them out too.

I don't think I would ever do LASIK. Too much risk when the contacts are so easy for me. It sounds so tempting, but scary too.

 

[luvflorida]

I don't think I would ever do LASIK. Too much risk when the contacts are so easy for me. It sounds so tempting, but scary too.

I spent some time this afternoon researching LASIK on the internet. I'm not sure I could do this. It makes me queasy just reading about it! I'm going to keep all my options open, though.

 

[Kaybee]

I too absolutely hate wearing glasses...I wear the multifocal contact lens. It is for distance and close up in both eyes. I feel like I have "young" eyes again. I wouldn't hesitate to try them. These are not the contacts with one for distance in one eye, and close up for the other. These are the multifocal or bifocal contact lens. It takes some adjustment to use them, but give them a try.

 

[RangerPooh]

I wore glasses from the time that I was a toddler utnil my junior year of high school. I prefer contacts over glasses anyday. Although I have had issues concerning the last pack that I bought and the fact that they just don't fit right. Hmmm. I have considered Lasik but have read that if your eye sight is very bad then it might not as successful and you may still ahve to wear glasses.

 

[luvflorida]

I too absolutely hate wearing glasses...I wear the multifocal contact lens. It is for distance and close up in both eyes. I feel like I have "young" eyes again. I wouldn't hesitate to try them. These are not the contacts with one for distance in one eye, and close up for the other. These are the multifocal or bifocal contact lens. It takes some adjustment to use them, but give them a try.

This sounds encouraging. I wasn't even sure if contacts could be made this way. I'm excited now about the possibility of getting rid of these glasses!

 

[monkeyboy]

If I stopped wearing glasses..........everyone would know I was Superman!

 

[bettyann29]

I have worn glasses almost all my life.. I was at work a few months ago and broke my glasses.. it was going to cost me over $300 for a new pair, so I elected to get contacts.. I had a hard time adjusting but after about a month or so I was able to put them in and take them out with no problems.. I can do it much easier now.. The one piece of advice is if you do it, dont get frustrated and give up.. it takes a little practice..

 

[Aidensmom]

I didn't start wearing glasses till I was 20, and just could not get used to the way I looked in them, even after 8 years of wearing them. I have a lot of allergies, and when they act up it affects my eyes, so tons of people kept telling me contacts would never work for me. Well, I decided to find out for myself. I have been wearing them now for 10 years with no problems. I even sleep in them. And I see so much better in them than in glasses. To me, the only downfall is that I can't keep my eyes open on roller coasters or my eyes will dry and the contacts will fall out.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I used to wear contacts, monovision (one eye is for near and one for far - your brain figures it out for you so you don't have to). Then the differences got too great, so I went to progressive lens glasses full time.

Last summer I decided to try contact again, but now I find out I also have astigmatism in one eye. So I had to get one soft contact for astigmatism and one from non-astigmatism. They were good for just wearing (like when I went swimming), but not for reading. They couldn't give me the bifocal contacts because of the astigmatism at that time. I'd love to go back to contacts, but with the bifocals and astigmatism it gets harder.

LASIK won't work for me because of the bifocals. I'd stil have to wear reading glasses. And if I have to wear glasses, I might as well wear them all the time.

My vision is pretty bad - Coke bottle bottom lenses in my glasses without the sandwich plastic lenses.

It wouldn't hurt to check with your ophthalmologist to see if you are a candidate.