Question about contact lens....

[thelittlemermaid]

My family will be taking our first WDW trip in August. I know how hot it gets down there in July and August since I have been to Daytona twice when I was a teenager.

But this time I have a problem. Since I'm older and now have to wear glasses, I really don't want to have to wear them when I am at WDW. When I sweat all they do is slide down my nose and I spend most of my time pushing them back up. My glasses change when I go out in the sun {get darker} but they don't get dark enough for me. Plus seeing all these *cute* sunglasses that are out, makes me sick that I can't wear them. Well I can, but then I can't see very well. LOL!!!

That's when I thought about contacts. But another problem there is, I have never had contacts. Can anyone give me any advice about contacts. I had an eye exam not even a year ago, so I know my insurance company will not pay for this visit. Is it possiable for my eye doctor to use my prescription for contacts also? I have read something on the internet that your eyeball has to be measured to get the correct fit????

Plus I have been looking at all the different contacts that are out there. I like the idea of the Night & Day ones, but know that the eye doctor determs what should be best for me.

What contacts does everyone like the best?

Any advice will be apperciated!!! I want to have as much info as possiable before calling that way it will seem I know what I am talking about. LOL!!!

Thanks!!
Ronna

 

[bananiem]

I wear rigid gas permeable contacts. You do have to get your eyeball measured for them. Also because of my stigmatism I see much better with my contacts than I do with glasses.
I've never tried soft contacts so I can't give you any info there.

 

[stinkerbelle]

I have worn Acuvue 2 soft contact lenses for the past 5 or so years, I just tried out Acuvue Advanced...I find the Advanced kinda tricky to get out at the end of the day - but they are very comfortable DURING the day.

both these are 2 week disposable lenses - I usually push it to 3 or 4 weeks (I know - bad) I take them out each night though and soak them...my eyes, personally, get REALLY dry if I sleep (even nap) with my contacts in.

Regardless of you having an eye exam recently - you need a whole 'contact lens' exam...some insurances bill this differently (this is where I get screwed - I have to pay for BOTH exams)

Yes - you have to go get your eye measured for the lenses and most likely the doc will give you a pair to try out right then and there. You slowly work up to wearing them all day.

example - the first day you wear them for 2 hours, the next day for 3, 4 the next, etc...building up to a 8-10 hours (I wear mine over 12 hours a day personall...been wearing them for 13 years now?)

SUCH a world of difference with contacts - just having periferial (spelling?) vision is the best - (side to side vision that you dont' get with glasses)

anymore questions - just let me know!

 

[mickeyboat]

There is a huge number of contacts on the market. You eye doctor will be the best one to recommend something for your partifular situation.

It took a long time for me to find the right one. My eyes were extremely dry due to hormonal conditions (infertility treatments) and we tried a lot of different lenses before I found something I liked.

Start now. Hope you like them. I love mine now.

Denae

 

[TTFN]

You will have to have another exam...they do have to determined fit for the lenses. BL (before lasik) my glasses prescription was not quite the same as my contacts. I wore Accuvues, which I loved. Very comfortable and I could sleep in them (and then see when I woke up!!!!). People who don't wear glasses just can't understand the sweaty nose thing, can they?

Beth

 

[poohtown]

yes you'll need another eye exam. He'll want to make sure the contacts fit properly. I would go for it though. I know I can see better with my contacts than my glasses and I love being able to wear sunglasses again. The only down side is my eyes get tired if I wear them too long - but that just might be me. I do wear the disposable ones but they have to come out every night. Check into what's best for you. My friend wears the ones that stay in night and day for (not sure how long) awhile then toss them. If you do get contacts - make sure you bring your glasses just in case!

 

[dianeschlicht]

I pretty much concur with what everyone else is saying. I like my Acuvu bifocal contacts (the 2 week kind that I sometimes stretch to 3), but I never wear them at night either. My eyes dry out too much for that. They are very comfortable though. I will tell you that if you think the sun bothers you now, it will bother you a lot more with contacts in. Get a GOOD pair of sunglasses to go with them. I like Ray Bans best.

 

[stinkerbelle]

Originally posted by dianeschlicht
(the 2 week kind that I sometimes stretch to 3)

ok - be honest...you're like me and just toss them when they are really really dry...be it 3 or 4 weeks..right?

I can make 1 box last 6 months. heheh

 

[dianeschlicht]

I doubt I have ever gone 4. My eyes tell me when it is time to change. The last pair tore in half and I checked the date, and I had been using them for 3+ weeks!

 

[browneyes]

I have UltraFlex. They're the disposable kind. A pair lasts me anywhere from 1-3 months. I rarely take them out, which says a lot about them. I have extremely sensitive eyes. I've worn contacts for 20 years and these are the first ones that I've had that don't make my eyes tired after 12 hours or so of wearing them.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Do you know if ultra flex come in a bifocal variety? I would love something like that!

 

[mckryan]

Originally posted by mickeyboat
It took a long time for me to find the right one. My eyes were extremely dry due to hormonal conditions (infertility treatments) and we tried a lot of different lenses before I found something I liked.

What brand do you wear? I have dry eyes, too, and find it difficult to wear a lot of soft lenses.

 

[browneyes]

I'm not sure, Diane. I tried to look it up but I didn't see anything about bifocals. I know some eye dr's recommend using a near sighted lens in one eye and a far sighted lens in the other eye to get the bifocal effect sometimes.

 

[Blondie]

As previously posted, you need a contact lens evaluation. You might find that you don't like putting them in or the way they feel after a while. Some people can't stand to touch their own eyeball!

One way to avoid having your glasses slide down your nose while you sweat is to wear a hat to shade your face, that helps tremendously!

 

[Fire14]

I love my contacts and actually went different route than most I got my contacts than 10+ yrs later got glasses that I hardly ever wear. I agree I see better with my contacts. I have had Acuve and loved them. I also had some other brands. I have daily wear lens that i take out each night and if perscrip doesn't change I've had them last 2+ yrs. I loved my colored ones but they are about double in price for me.

One thing I really recommend is getting lens with plenty of time to pratice before trip they aren't the easiest things in world to put in at first.

 

[thelittlemermaid]

Thanks to all that replied and for the great advice!!!

From what alot of you have said about your contacts and having to work up to find ones that work the best, maybe I might go the route of getting prescription sunglasses.

I'm not to fond of touching my eyeball, but if I have to, say to get an eyelash out, I will. I just don't think I could do it day after day.

I just hope they can make prescription sunglasses from my eye prescription that I already have on file. I have talked to my insurance company and they will not cover another exam and defintaly won't cover prescription sunglasses. Anything to be a pain in the butt!!

Thanks again!!!!
Ronna

 

[Rajah]

I use the Focus Night and Day disposables. I used to use Acuvue 2, but my eyes were always dry. These Focus ones don't last as long as I could make the Acuvue last (one month instead of 1.5 months), but there is a HUGE improvement in my eye comfort.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

Ronna, it's really not that bad touching your eyeball day in and day out. You get used to it and it's nothing after a while. I couldn't live without my contacts.

If one day you do decide on contacts, make sure you get disposables! That way, if a contact rips (something mine were prone to do at first), you have a fresh new pack.

I have monthly contacts and the only issue I've ever had is not changing them enough...eventually,the oxygen doesn't get through to your eye and it's not healthy for your eye. So I have to make sure never to sleep in them and to wear glasses for a few hours a day (I like to do that at night).

 

[WishingStar]

I worked as an optometric technician for years. Part of my job was to teach the INR (insertion and removal techniques) for contacts. If your prescription is less than a year old you will not have to have a full exam. You will have to have K readings, that is the reading that measures the eye. Acuvue makes a bifocal lens that most people find to be quite comfortable.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

New user here. I've been wearing glasses for about 10 years and this year decided to give contacts a try. I'm on my second trial pair (issues with the first pair). Why didn't I switch sooner? I love the freedom of not wearing glasses. I wore my glasses the other day 'cause I didn't want to bother with the contacts. I couldn't believe the pressure on my sinuses - and I have lightweight stainless steel/rimles glasses.

You must get a new exam and determine if you are a candidate for contacts. The doc must also prescribe the right type for your condition. I need Toric lenses because of atigmatism. I hoped to be able to wear the Night & Day lenses the OP mentioned (the idea that pushed me to get the exam in the first place). I am not able to wear that type of lense. I even took other trial certificates to the optometrist, but was inelegble for those as well.