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Semisponge posted:I work for one of those evil online contact stores. As said previously they do try to verify prescriptions before allowing orders to be pulled, within the bounds of the law. They also have a very generous return policy because they do understand that lenses don't always work out. The advantage of buying from my company in particular is they have a direct line with all the manufacturers and have the largest amount of stock on-hand so you get them faster and cheaper than if you order through your doctor's office, OTOH you don't get hands-on care. Contact Lens companies are in the process of getting out of doing business with online retailers. CooperVision, for example, has made their newest lens (Encore 100) unavailavle to be purchased online. This seems to be the beginning of a trend. and yes. TAKE THE LENSES OUT BEFORE YOU GO TO BED, AND THROW THEM OUT WHEN YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO!
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May 11, 2009 21:51
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OneZeroSix posted:Ok so I just bought glasses a year or so ago, and because insurance didn't cover me for lenses, but would for frames, I opted to get a nice looking pair of frames with the cheapest lenses available. Generally yes...the more expensive the lenses are they better they usually are. Lower quality lenses are usually made with a less then ocular grade material. Lenses from companies like Essilor, Nikon, Zeiss, and Hoya are great...and they also do not HAVE to be expensive. Shop around, but be sure to compare apples with apples. As for upgrades to your lenses....a scratch resistant coating REALLY does help with those fine and annoying wear and tear scratches. It won't help protect against gouges though...nothing will. Anti-reflective coating are a godsend if you work on a computer, drive at night, or are under fluorescent lighting. Some lower quality ones smudge like a motherfucker, but the new ones (Essilor Crizal or Nikon Ice) work brilliantly. If you've never had this coating before, you won't know what you're missing...but once you've had it, you can't function without it. It's difficult to quote prices for this like this. Wal-Mart in Canada sells top of the line essilor lenses and coating for no more then$199.00 for a pair...and thats a super thin lens. An average price would be arong $155.00. Lenscrafters sells those same lenses around here for $299.00 and $199.00 respectfully.
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May 11, 2009 21:58
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swordfishtrombone posted:That's good news for me, as I've never had any interest in bifocals or anything. Do you happen to have an opinion as to the different prescription strengths at which various lens indexes (1.57, 1.61, 1.67) start to look bad and/or function poorly. (Hope that made sense). For Rx's up to +/- 4.00 . Between +/- 4.25 to +/- 6.00 I recomment a 1.6 or 1.67 index lens. Above those numbers, I like 1.74 and anything higher. I'd rather remain impartial when it comes to recommending businesses as opposed to products. I'd I had PM ability, I'd let you know that way...but I'd rather not on a public furum....hope you understand.
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May 11, 2009 22:03
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What are your thoughts on Ortho-K contact lenses? Not many people seem to know about it and I have them and personally love them.
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May 11, 2009 22:03
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SydHed posted:Realistically, how long can I use my contacts for if I rinse/soak them every night? I use silicon hydrogels that are rated for 30 days continuous use. I've been using them for two and a half months already, 5 days a week and I have been replacing the contact lens containers every month to reduce microbe buildup. Your Rx from Hong Kong is valid in Canada. Get a copy faxed to them if it's possible and go from there. 30 day lenses are meant to be worn 30 times. Any more then that, and the protective layer disintegrates. Changing the case is great, and is something you should be doing...but you need to change the lenses as well. Why can;t you wear your glasses for a couple of weeks before you get your new contacts? Chances are, if you've been abusing your lenses this way and there IS damage being done, no one will sell you new contacts until the situation has cleared up. Throw the lenses away sir! It's not worth it for the potential damage you could be doing to your self. It's not anything that happens fast, but it slowly builds up and may get to the point where you just simply couldn't wear lenses ever again. 30 days = 30 times 2 weeks = 14 times daily = 1 time
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May 11, 2009 22:08
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Risx posted:What are your thoughts on Ortho-K contact lenses? You have to have fairly unique circumstances to qualify for OrthoK. The cause of your vision problem has to be primarily in the shape of the cornea. It's amazing and great for those that can benefit from them...though not many people can. That's not all that common. It gets the recommendation it needs from the professionals, but when only a very small percentage of the population can use them, it's a waste of advertising to promote I'd imagine.
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May 11, 2009 22:10
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I'm -9.00 in both eyes. Well, that's probably wrong because one of my eyes is much better than the other but the guy doing my eye test did it really fast and generally sucked at it, suffice to say my vision is really horrible. I tried contacts out but whenever I had to look at an illuminated surface such as a computer screen or even just something light was shining on like a license plate at night it would be really blurry and I couldn't read it. Because I work on a computer all day I had to stick with glasses which are freaking thick as hell. What is causing this? Edit: Also, what do you think the chances are of me being able to benefit from laser eye surgery with my eyes being this bad? I have an astigmatism. Also, the eye doctor mentioned that the lenses I was trying had an anti-reflective coating as do the glasses I currently wear. Dragonsven fucked around with this message at 22:19 on May 11, 2009 |
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May 11, 2009 22:13
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Dragonsven posted:I'm -9.00 in both eyes. Well, that's probably wrong because one of my eyes is much better than the other but the guy doing my eye test did it really fast and generally sucked at it, suffice to say my vision is really horrible. I tried contacts out but whenever I had to look at an illuminated surface such as a computer screen or even just something light was shining on like a license plate at night it would be really blurry and I couldn't read it. Because I work on a computer all day I had to stick with glasses which are freaking thick as hell. What is causing this? Laser surgery has much more to do with the physiology of your eye then it does with your Rx. Go for a consultation! If you can't see clearly, then get your eyes re-tested. There could be many reason why you are not seeing great. Any more then that and I'd be just speculating...and I'd rather you get the eyes re-done seeing as that's what my hunch the problem is...and you feel it's not right. Don't be afraid to speak up to your Doctor/fitter if you feel something isn't right. Get them to explain themselves and ask lots of questions!
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May 11, 2009 22:20
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Thunderpussy posted:The power of the astigmatism is also corrected starting at -0.75 and adds an extra -0.50 thereafter, usually to max power of -2.25. Thanks. My astigmatism is -2.50 in both eyes, one with 20° and one with 165°. Am I hosed?
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May 12, 2009 01:24
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Mark Larson posted:Thanks. My astigmatism is -2.50 in both eyes, one with 20° and one with 165°. Am I hosed? If you try and figure it out yourself, I'd say you are. Go and get fitted properly.
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May 12, 2009 16:08
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So not exactly a glasses/contacts question but I was wondering about eye drops. i wear glasses and spend most of my day on a computer (both at work and at home). the last time I went to my doctor she said I had some minor scratches on my eye and gave me a perscription for Restasis eye drops. I used them for a while but I read a few souces and the person filling the perscription mentioned their is a chance of my eyes becoming dependant on them so I stopped useing them. So my questions are 1) is the whole eye can become dependant on them thing true, 2) one of the reasons she put me on them was I couldn't get drops in my eyes so once per day was appealing. Now I have no issues so are their any brands (OTC and perscription only) that your would reccomnd. I would ask my Dr. but she is closed every Sun-Mon and guess who is off every Sun-Mon.
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May 13, 2009 05:24
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Thunderpussy posted:If you try and figure it out yourself, I'd say you are. No, I mean like can I ever get contacts that fit properly? I'm batting 4-nil here.
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May 13, 2009 05:49
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My eyesight's really bad - almost -9.00 in my right eye and -5.00 in my left. I also have astigmatism. So anyway, the last time I tried contacts was about three years ago. At first I really liked them. I could see better with them and I actually had peripheral vision! However, my eyes never seemed to adjust. They'd feel comfortable but eventually it'd feel like there was an object poking my eyes. I also kept getting dry eyes. And whenever I did any close-up work for a long period of time (20 minutes +) and then looked up at the distance, my astigmatism got (or seemed to get) about 10x worse for a few minutes. I stopped wearing them after a month or two. Did I just get really badly fitted contact lenses or are some eyes just unable to wear contacts? Also, is it inevitable that a -9 lens will be thick regardless of the lens type you choose? I chose the thinnest lens type my optometrist had available, and it's still ridiculously thick. Thanks for making this thread!
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May 13, 2009 08:30
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Last time I saw my ophthalmologist, she did a refraction but then told me that since my blood sugar was high (type 2 diabetic), she didn't recommend that I get new glasses because my vision would probably fluctuate too much to warrant spending hundreds of dollars on new glasses. My blood sugar has vastly improved since then, but my A1c still isn't below the desired 6.0 (I just had it checked, and it was 7.6). I'm due for another eye exam but am not sure if I should have the refraction done or not (there is an additional fee for refraction, so if I'm going to be advised to not get new glasses, I don't want to pay for the refraction). I desperately want new glasses, as I've had this pair for over 6 years, and they are scratched/smudged to hell. Do I need to wait until my a1c is below 6 to go for the refraction? And how long does my a1c need to be below 6 before it is considered stabilized enough that I can feel confident in getting new glasses? Thanks for your help (and I understand if this is outside your field of knowledge)!
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May 13, 2009 10:00
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Okay, so I'm wearing 5-6 year old glasses and I really want to replace them, but well, my eyes are being problematic. Got a pair that matched my scrip, as checked by 2 different opticians, things seemed in focus, but if I moved my head rapidly, nausea. I could read with them, but large numbers of middle distance objects were also nausea inducing. Exact same scrip, pair of sunglasses from the same source, and no problems. Well, some chromatic aberration at the extreme left and right of the lens, but usable, and since I've never had any other prescription sunglasses, oh well. So, I go back to the optometrist, and he re measures the scrip, and while it's not precisely the same for being a couple of months later, it's certainly not different enough to account for what problem I'm having. He then takes all three glasses involved, my old ones (that I'm still wearing  ), the sunglasses, and the dubious new pair. He pulls out some old school instrument, and tells me that the problem is the "base curve" ? That the sunglasses are much closer to the old glasses, so I have less of a problem with them, but that the base curve of the dubious pair is so far off it's unworkable.So, how much is this going to cost me? I've now delayed getting new glasses for another year just because I'd despaired of getting a working pair.
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May 13, 2009 10:17
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Mark Larson posted:No, I mean like can I ever get contacts that fit properly? I'm batting 4-nil here. Hrmm....would it be possible for you to ask your fitter for your 'K' measurements and post them online?
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May 13, 2009 22:25
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im an orange posted:My eyesight's really bad - almost -9.00 in my right eye and -5.00 in my left. I also have astigmatism. It sounds to me like you were either fitten incorrectly, or you are needing to change the brand or material of your lenses. Both of those things can cause you to feel the things that you are feeling. A -9.00 lens CAN be made relatively thin...however you're going to pay an assload of money for it. If you are not happy with the resul,t ask them to send it back and make them thinner. If they won't do that, then get your money back. By choosing a plastic or a quite small metal frame you can hide most, if not all, of the thickness.
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May 13, 2009 22:28
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Sleepy Bear posted:Last time I saw my ophthalmologist, she did a refraction but then told me that since my blood sugar was high (type 2 diabetic), she didn't recommend that I get new glasses because my vision would probably fluctuate too much to warrant spending hundreds of dollars on new glasses. All of what your Dr. says makes sense. When sugars are out of control, a refraction is almost pointless. Once your sugars are under your control for say 4-6 months, then I'd go ahead and get the refraction done. It sucks, but its one of the things you need to do in order to get an accurate refraction. Also, when having your eyes tests, your input counts just as much as the Dr.'s. If you dont feel right, let him or her know. You could see 3 different Dr.'s on the same day and get 3 different results depending on how you feel and the time of day it's done.
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May 13, 2009 22:31
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Booklegger posted:Okay, so I'm wearing 5-6 year old glasses and I really want to replace them, but well, my eyes are being problematic. Before I even got to the Base Curve part, that was already my suspicion. Some people can be VERY sensitive to the change in the front curvature of their lenses, so much so that it can cause them enough grielf that they can;t leave the house with them on. It shouldn't cost you anything if you get a note from the Dr. that says the base curve is the issue. Whereever you had your glasses made should re-do them if its been a reasonable amount of time since you originally ordered them. (usually up to 3 months). It could also be that the lenses are made out of two different materials. Again, some people have a reaction when switching between materials...usually between regulat plastic and polycarbonate...however high index plastic and polycarbonate can do the same thing. I have this same problem, and it sounds fishy....but trust me, it's not. Sometimes if the frame isnt fitted properly it can have the same effect. Hope this helps!
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May 13, 2009 22:35
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Falconry tag? Thanks!
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May 13, 2009 22:36
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Sorry if you covered this already, but what kind of horrible things will happen if you generally abuse you contacts? E.G. use them past expiration date, don't clean them properly, etc. *awaits horrible stories of eyeball exploding and ulcers*
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May 14, 2009 18:13
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Wedemeyer posted:Sorry if you covered this already, but what kind of horrible things will happen if you generally abuse you contacts? If the OP doesn't mind me chipping in (I'm a Dispensing Optician/CL fitter in the UK) the worst CL complication is probably Acanthamoeba Keratitis. A lot of pain and potentially blinding. Only seen one case which I referred to hospital. The idiots there didn't recognise it for 3 very painful days. Luckily she only had a small reduction in VA. This is why you shouldn't rinse your lenses in tap water.
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May 14, 2009 20:58
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I first started using contact lenses in October 2007 with Acuvue Oasys and Opti-Free solution. I'll usually wear them for a few days then put them in my lens case overnight. If it's the weekend, I'll generally leave them in the case over the weekend. I think I replaced my first set after 2 weeks, which turned into 2.5 weeks, and then 3 weeks, and so on... I haven't had an eye exam since then but things seem to be okay so far. Am I'm slowly destroying my eyes? 
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May 15, 2009 02:28
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Are Freshlook Torics as bad as the Frequency 55's or whatever? I think I have been wearing this same brand for 10 years.
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May 15, 2009 02:58
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nah
AKP fucked around with this message at 15:26 on Mar 24, 2014 |
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May 15, 2009 03:29
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Why did Acuvue oasys create a circular indentation about 1 inch away from my iris. They made my eyes horribly blood shot and when I switched back to my trusty coopers, they feel fine, but this circular dent, or line circles my iris is still visible despite being off the acuvue for a while. It's only there when I put in contacts though..
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May 15, 2009 06:10
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I've been wearing contacts for ~15 years. I tell you, sometimes I still think my old F-55s were more comfortable than the Oasys' I wear now. I just really loved them but my opt said the same thing you said, they're just really outdated and the new stuff is just better for you. Question about glasses: I've got a big old head and most frames places have in stock just don't look right on me. Any brands or styles you think I should try out. Someone else mentioned Zenni, my brother got glasses from them and they seem okay, any opinions? I'd love to be able to afford a nicer pair of frames and support my opt, but my vision insurance covers contacts or frames not both and I just don't have the $200+ to get a good set.
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May 15, 2009 07:17
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qlat posted:I first started using contact lenses in October 2007 with Acuvue Oasys and Opti-Free solution. I'll usually wear them for a few days then put them in my lens case overnight. If it's the weekend, I'll generally leave them in the case over the weekend. Essentially, yes. beejay posted:Are Freshlook Torics as bad as the Frequency 55's or whatever? I think I have been wearing this same brand for 10 years. Yep. Try Air Optics for Astigmatism or Oasys for Astigmatism. AKP posted:If I have a perscription for regular glasses, could they be used for contacts? Absolutely, however you also need measurements to be taken to make sure that the contacts fit properly. Professor Skittles posted:Why did Acuvue oasys create a circular indentation about 1 inch away from my iris. They made my eyes horribly blood shot and when I switched back to my trusty coopers, they feel fine, but this circular dent, or line circles my iris is still visible despite being off the acuvue for a while. It's only there when I put in contacts though.. That's a tough one. if the lenses were fit EXTREMELY tight, it MAY cause this...however, without actually being able to see your eyes, I cannot say for certain. Lincoln`s Wax posted:Question about glasses: I've got a big old head and most frames places have in stock just don't look right on me. Any brands or styles you think I should try out. Zeiss makes some frames that may suit you. Wal-Mart also carries frames that are bigger then average for the hambeasts that shop there. To save money, I'd suggest you buy your frames online and bring them to an actual optical to have the lenses put into them. That way you'll have a warrenty and a place to go if there are any problems in the future.
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May 15, 2009 15:58
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Thunderpussy posted:Essentially, yes.
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May 15, 2009 16:40
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Thunderpussy posted:I met someone who PEELED OFF HER CORNEA while doing this. Ok, you scared the gently caress out of me. I've never slept with my contacts in(except for a cat nap very, very rarely) in the 14 or 15 years I've been wearing them. The once or twice I have fallen asleep(and this is really every few years) they have dried out completely. When that happens, how do you take them out? Wait awhile til your eyes naturally wet them? Re-wetting drops?
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May 15, 2009 18:56
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qlat posted:Is there any way to know if I'm damaging my eyes by trying to be frugal with contact lens replacement? It doesn't seem like a normal eye exam would reveal much. Any way for YOU to tell? No. You'd hav to have a slit-lamp evaluation done to be sure. There aren't really and tell tale signs that a patient would necessarily have. ZoneManagement posted:Ok, you scared the gently caress out of me. I've never slept with my contacts in(except for a cat nap very, very rarely) in the 14 or 15 years I've been wearing them. The once or twice I have fallen asleep(and this is really every few years) they have dried out completely. When that happens, how do you take them out? Wait awhile til your eyes naturally wet them? Re-wetting drops? Re-wetting drops or give it time...but really, you want to use the drops. Once they are in, try to MOVE the lens around on your eye before attempting to take it off.
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May 16, 2009 01:40
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OP, thank you for this thread. I have a couple of questions for you:. 1. I got new glasses about a year ago (prescription is around -5.00 diopters on both sides, lenses are either 1.6 or 1.67 R.I. with an antireflective coating), and I get a weird light-bending effect with these that I didn't have with my old glasses. Basically, at the edges of my lenses light gets smeared outwards; I've noticed this is most severe with blue lights. What the heck is going on here? 2. Longer question - the tl;dr version is, I might've permanently hosed up my eyes, should I even bother trying to wear contacts again? The backstory goes like this (long-winded eyeball E/N ahoy!): Got contacts in the mid-nineties when I was about 14 years old, and promptly did all the stupid things you've warned against. I slept in them, I didn't clean them thoroughly, I wore them too long before replacing them. This set me up for a nasty case of bacterial conjunctivitis. When I got to an ophthalmologist I found out that I also had viral conjunctivitis, and that Walmart had mis-fitted me with lenses that were too tight (seriously, gently caress Walmart, they did the same thing to my little sister). As a result, I had low-grade neovascularization, and still have it today, and also a IIRC minor corneal ulcer on top of the infection. He told me to stop wearing lenses for two years to let my eyes heal. Two years pass and I try contacts again, and I was never able to find a pair that were comfortable. They were itchy, made my eyes dry and red, and were generally unpleasant. Cue more trips to the ophthalmologist, first to get prescription eyedrops, later to learn that I have something akin to calluses inside my eyelids, and that if I really wanted to wear contacts, I would need hard lenses, with a smaller diameter. That was in 2001. When I got my new glasses, the (new, different) optometrist suggested that contacts may be appropriate for me, that there had been great advances in the intervening years. I think that I quit contacts before the silicone hydrogels became widely available, or at least before I would've been able to afford them, so he's probably right. I really like the idea of having acute peripheral vision again, and of not needing to worry about breaking/losing my glasses, but I'm also really worried about further injuring my eyes. If a patient came to you with my sort of sordid eye-health history, what would be your recommendation?
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May 16, 2009 03:33
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So, you've explained why getting contacts online are a bad idea, but what about regular glasses?
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May 19, 2009 02:50
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I'd suggest getting frames online, but not lenses. You want somewhere that will be around for warrenties when you scratch the lenses, or will replace the coatings should they become defective. Also, this way you can actually deal with someone who will work with you if the Rx is incorrect, or theres any problems with the lenses.
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May 20, 2009 02:23
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This thread is really interesting, Thanks! I just got contacts about a week ago (after wearing glasses for 11 years- my vision is amazing now!) and it can take me a half hour to put them in. Either there are sticking to my fingers and not my eyes or they wind up folding the second i get them in. Any tips on making this easier? Plus how do you tell if they are inside out? Sometimes I can sometimes I can't. Are there any surefire ways to be able to know (other than they feel weird when they're in because like i said before, it takes forever to get them in)? btw i'm wearing acuvue oasis.
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May 26, 2009 15:56
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I have a question about sunglasses, can you help with that? Will any old $20 sunglasses work to offer at least some protection from the sun or is "making bright things dark" all they really do? I know that if I wanted ultraviolet, UVA and UVB protection that I would have to drop a pretty penny, can you recommend some non-Oakley looking shades that can do all three (polarization is a plus as I plan to use them while out in open water as well and they help you look through the water)?
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May 26, 2009 16:20
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I'm Asian and most frames fit the bridge of my nose very badly. What can I do? My glasses keep slipping off all the time! Thanks!
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May 26, 2009 17:16
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microwavedkat posted:This thread is really interesting, Thanks! They're probably sticking to your fingers because they are dry. Wet them with a drop of solution. To find out if they're inside out once they're in your eyes is to stare at a fixed point and blink. If you can feel them sliding as your lids go up or down, they might be inverted. My own contacts have the numbers '123' etched or something on the side of the lenses. If they're inverted I'll know as the numbers with be '321' instead of '123'. I guess your lenses might be different? v  v e: Thunderpussy posted:Just noticed this too, not sure if I corrected it before however. My mistake, that's the proper way to do it. I've not done it in forever, and wasn't sure. BTW, can I ask how you're putting them in? Straight onto the iris or below it and just blink it in? I do the latter and it takes just seconds. value-brand cereal fucked around with this message at 23:08 on Jun 27, 2009 |
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May 26, 2009 17:21
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Wedemeyer, I've been putting the drops on them and even thats hit or miss. I'll have to try the folding thing, thanks. Straight into the iris is a lesson in torture. I put them down below and blink (and pray) Insane Totoro, Have you tried getting the plastic frames and then making sure they bend the part behind your ear really well? it's always worked for me and i'm pretty bad with glasses falling off my face.
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May 26, 2009 19:15
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microwavedkat posted:This thread is really interesting, Thanks! What Wedemeyer said. When I instruct people for contacts, I have them put the lens directly on their cornea...it works 90% of the time. In those that dont, I have them look up, place then lens on the white part (the sclera) and then have them look down and into the lens. Everyone has a different way of putting the lenses on. I suggest using a drop of solution inside the "bowl" of the lens and to make sure that the finger you have the lens on is bone dry. Contacts want to stick to whatever is the most wet, so if your finger is wet, it will be difficult to transfer to your eye. Thunderpussy fucked around with this message at 23:04 on May 30, 2009 |
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May 30, 2009 22:57
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