[Welly Wu]

I'm seriously thinking about retiring my pair of eyeglasses as I have myopic vision and my prescription for my current lenses are already 2+ years old. I am due for an eye examination and I am seriously thinking about getting contact lenses. I have been searching for the better part of the day today for information on all the different brands, styles, and types of contact lenses, but I do have a few questions:

1. If you have worn eyeglasses, then did you find using contact lenses to improve your visual acuity for better or worse depending upon your usage?

2. Did you save money by going with contact lenses?

3. Do you find the cleaning and replacement of contact lenses to be difficult or annoying?

4. there are advertisements for contact lenses that claim to improve your eyesight to 20/10 vision without the different types of lasik eye laser corrective surgery: is it true and who makes such contact lenses?

5. Where can I get objective and accurate medical information about contact lenses on the Internet?

6. Where do you shop for your contact lenses? Did you find it difficult to convince your opthamologist or optermist to give you the written contact lenses prescription so you could shop around?

7. Does it make any difference to use one manufacturer's contact lenses and another's contact lenses cleansing solution?

Like I said, I'm due for an eye examination and new corrective vision stuff. I figure eyeglasses are going out of fashion and I will probably donate both of my old pairs of Giorgio Armanis to my local church since they don't do me any good anymore. I'd like to switch to contact lenses by next month in October 2005.

What would be great is if I could find an affordable pair of contact lenses that are clear and are replaceable each month. I'd also like something that is designed with UVA protection, has an indicator to ensure that I put them on correctly each time, and can be used for 18+ hours daily or overnight. Also, please remember that I work at Barnes & Noble so it is a very dusty environment and I use my computer for at least 1 hour each day to do web surfing, personal finance, and e-mail stuff so I'm in front of a LCD or CRT monitor daily. I have health insurance including dental and vision coverage.

I need some help because I know a lot of people here wear some form of corrective vision, but the contact lenses industry comes out with new products almost every 6 - 12 months! There are so many websites that I'm getting overloaded with information.

 

[zotjen]

As a contact wearer for almost 20 years, I'll try to answer these the best I can.

1. If you have worn eyeglasses, then did you find using contact lenses to improve your visual acuity for better or worse depending upon your usage?
Yes, contacts do improve visual acuity.

2. Did you save money by going with contact lenses?
Not really because I still depend on my glasses a good portion of the time. Even if you decide to wear contacts all the time it is still a good idea to have a pair of glasses. If you get an eye infection you won't be able to wear contacts and sometimes you just don't feel like wearing them.

3. Do you find the cleaning and replacement of contact lenses to be difficult or annoying?
It can be annoying but needs to be done to prevent infections, etc.

4. there are advertisements for contact lenses that claim to improve your eyesight to 20/10 vision without the different types of lasik eye laser corrective surgery: is it true and who makes such contact lenses?
I thought all lenses were supposed to do this.

5. Where can I get objective and accurate medical information about contact lenses on the Internet?
Try google

6. Where do you shop for your contact lenses? Did you find it difficult to convince your opthamologist or optermist to give you the written contact lenses prescription so you could shop around?
I buy them through my opthamologist. He always gives me an extra prescription though in case I want to buy them on my own.

7. Does it make any difference to use one manufacturer's contact lenses and another's contact lenses cleansing solution?
I think very few lens manufactures also make cleaning solutions. Most common brands of solutions should suffice. The instructions that came with my first pair of lenses insisted I needed to buy this special non-steril solution that was expensive. I switched to Bausch & Lomb shortly after with no consequences.

"I'd also like something that is designed with UVA protection, has an indicator to ensure that I put them on correctly each time, and can be used for 18+ hours daily or overnight."
I've never heard of lenses with UVA protection or an indicator. If you don't put them in correctly, you'll know either from the discomfort or bluriness.

"Also, please remember that I work at Barnes & Noble so it is a very dusty environment"
Like all contact users, you will need wetting drops so that the lenses don't dry out. Hope this info helps.

One other thing: your doctor should be able to provide you with a number of different brands to try out. After he or she fits you with the correct size lens, you should be given a few different pairs to take home so you can compare brands for comfort, etc.

 

[funnytimes]

Glasses are generally a one time purchase, while contacts need to be replaced (unless you get the hard ones, which may be clumbersome). Maintaining contact lenses is a breeze, when you get used to it it takes literally 10 seconds. The new generation of contact lenses allow more oxygen, and some may be fda approved for overnight usage a couple days a week/month. o2 optix is the only one I can think of off the top of my head, I might switch to that because it is the only new generation one that might fit me and is reasonably priced. I get the prescription from my doctor and buy the contacts online, I have been using visiondirect.com (drugstore.com) and used the 10% coupons from google. Aren't optometrists required to give written prescriptions? I have used the newest moisturelocking somethings from B&L as well as the BJ's house brand, and do not notice any difference.

I dont know if contacts can give you more accurate vision than glasses but they will give you more peripherial vision. I won't lie, I got them for cosmetic reasons.

 

[daba]

1. If you have worn eyeglasses, then did you find using contact lenses to improve your visual acuity for better or worse depending upon your usage?

Contact lenses make the feeling "fuller" if you wear slender glasses and in my opinion less strainful. Also, you won't have any weight on resting on your nose or worry about damaging or cleaning your glasses. Note that by purchasing contact lenses your eyes may dry out during the day so it's wise to carry around some rewetting drops. Make sure you wear them for at most 12 hours, and it is unhealthy to wear them to sleep.

2. Did you save money by going with contact lenses?

I pay about $250 for my glasses, which I replace every year or every other year depending on the wear. I pay ~$20 a box of 30 for Acuve daily contact lenses. So roughly $40/mo. for daily disposables. Monthly or weekly contacts should be cheaper if you don't mind wearing them. What was my justification? First, I don't wear contacts all the time, and secondly, due to my inconsistent/ineffective cleaning methods of regular contacts, I felt that dailies were the more healthy way to go. After all, you only have one set of eyes -- you don't to damage them in exchange for saving a few bucks. You know yourself and your habits best, so this decision is up to you.

3. Do you find the cleaning and replacement of contact lenses to be difficult or annoying?

Yes, cleaning them is a real pain. That's why I went with daily disposables. Not only that, dailies are more hygenic and you never have to worry about losing an expensive pair of biweekly/monthly contacts or carry around cleansing solution.

4. there are advertisements for contact lenses that claim to improve your eyesight to 20/10 vision without the different types of lasik eye laser corrective surgery: is it true and who makes such contact lenses?

Haven't heard about this.

5. Where can I get objective and accurate medical information about contact lenses on the Internet?

Try your optometrist.

6. Where do you shop for your contact lenses? Did you find it difficult to convince your opthamologist or optermist to give you the written contact lenses prescription so you could shop around?

Online. http://www.visiondirect.com

7. Does it make any difference to use one manufacturer's contact lenses and another's contact lenses cleansing solution?

I don't care about this anymore. I use daily disposables.

 

[Borat]

Welly,

I just made the switch from glasses to contacts two weeks ago. I should've done this years ago.

I hadn't had an eye exam for a while but found a good deal for one at Costco believe it or not. If you pay for an exam with the intent to wear contacts for the first time, they give you a free trial pair to see how it works out for you. My advice is to find an optical center that will give you a free trial pair so you can see if contacts are right for you. Then if it doesn't work out you can just order new glasses or new lenses for your current glasses with the new prescription. You have to get an eye exam anyway so it's not an added expense. I had concerns about contacts before, but the optometrist assured me that there is only a very small percentage of people who are unable to wear contacts comfortably.

I use the latest generation of contacts from Johnson & Johnson called Acuvue Advance with Hydraclear. They have UV protection and are so comfortable that I cannot even feel them on. They also retain moisture really well so they do not dry up over an entire day. But in the event that they do you just use special moisture wetting drops. I've never had to use these with these contacts and I've fallen asleep with them on! You are supposed to replace them every two weeks, but I've actually passed the limit and I'm experiencing no problems. A year's supply was $149, and I got two $30 rebates (1 from Acuvue and 1 from Costco) so it came out to $90. You can buy them from anywhere and at least get the $30 manufacturer's rebate (ends 12-31-05). I would guess if you buy designer eyeglasses like Armani then those would be more expensive than these contacts.

Just a bit of advice, do not get discouraged at the beginning if you are unable to put them on easily. I did because I never thought I would be able to touch my eye, let alone place something on it without blinking. It was especially frustrating to see my sister able to put hers in with such ease. But the thing is girls are able to adjust to contact lenses easily because they put on eye makeup and stuff like that. It takes a while longer for us guys to get used to them.

Good luck.

 

[saturnine]

I've been a contact wearer for 5 years now.

1. Visual acuity has actually gotten slightly better over the years. My vision still sucks though. I cant stand wearing prescription glasses anymore..

2. Heck no. I can wear a pair of glasses 3+ years, my contacts need to be replaced every 3 months.

3. At first I did, but it got easier once I got the hang of it. Now its second nature, I can do it in the dark or while totally intoxicated

4. I'm the wrong person to ask..

5. I'm the wrong person to ask..

6. I just get mine from the optometrist, I would only have around $10 by shopping at 1800-contacts. I require special contacts for my stigmatism.

7. Opti-Free no-rub has been recommended to me by 3 optometrists now, so its all I use.

 

[plainsong]

When I was in the 3rd grade I had an eye exam and was given bifocals. They gave me headaches, blurred my vision, and were generally a pain. I quit wearing them and my parents didn't force the issue. Future eye exams showed I had 20/20 vision with "eye strain". Fast forward to 15. I don't notice it, but I can't sit in the back of the class, and it annoys me that my teachers write so fuzzily on the blackboard. I go to get my learner's permit and I fail the eye exam. "Read the last line."....What last line?

So we found another eye doctor, obviously, and I was suddenly very nearsighted. I got some quality glasses in about an hour, and got my learner's permit and license. I could sit anywhere I wanted in the classroom and see the vcr clock in our living room even. At least, for a time.

I started getting blurred vision with the glasses, and headaches again, so I stopped wearing them. We went to another doctor, who said "Your perscription hasn't changed but you're seeing worse with the glasses on?? Wait a second...keep looking straight ahead..." And he tilted my glasses vertically, and bingo, the lenses were put in wrong. So much for quality glasses in about an hour.

So from the age of 17 onwards, I had good luck with glasses while mom had worse luck with contacts. We both have dry eyes anyway, and she tried hard, soft, extended wear, disposable, everything before giving up. She's since gone back to contacts though.

Reading this thread has made me ponder if now's the time to make the switch. Thanks guys!

 

[socrates63]

I only wear my contacts for playing sports. All other times, I stick with my glasses. This is what I've done for twenty years.

More than anything else, for me the biggest issue with contact lens is comfort. I guess I don't blink often enough, because the lens gets dry and I can't wear contacts for more than a few hours.

1. If you have worn eyeglasses, then did you find using contact lenses to improve your visual acuity for better or worse depending upon your usage?
Glasses provided the best vision for me. I started using toric lenses a year ago, and these are pretty good -- very close to glasses.

2. Did you save money by going with contact lenses?
I don't know. It was never a consideration for deciding to use contacts or not.

3. Do you find the cleaning and replacement of contact lenses to be difficult or annoying?
A big yes but with disposables so prevalent now, lens maintenance is becoming a non-issue.

6. Where do you shop for your contact lenses? Did you find it difficult to convince your opthamologist or optermist to give you the written contact lenses prescription so you could shop around?
If I ask, my optometrist provides me a written prescription. Because I have vision coverage, I've stayed with local providers.

7. Does it make any difference to use one manufacturer's contact lenses and another's contact lenses cleansing solution?
No, unless there's something special or peculiar about your lens.

 

[Canman]

see your optometrist.

I wear glasses but I have never been able to get the prescription right for contact lenses. I may try again someday.

They are also very uncomfortable if you are not used to them, especially when you are pulling on your eyes for a half an hour to get them in.

As already mentioned, Costco has contact lenses for dirt cheap.

One thing I recommend is a lens with UV protection.

 

[acs236]

Just a couple general comments.

I doubt you'll save money with contacts -- they probably will cost you more.

How long you can wear them per day depends on the your own eyes. You have to see how long you can go.

You really have to shop around for the best price. There are lots of online stores and prices vary so much by brand and by store.

 

[xilron]

1. If you have worn eyeglasses, then did you find using contact lenses to improve your visual acuity for better or worse depending upon your usage?

Better! I find that because the lens is closer to your eye, you can see better.

2. Did you save money by going with contact lenses?

Yes, a year of contact lenses will cost you about $200 (I think)

3. Do you find the cleaning and replacement of contact lenses to be difficult or annoying?

No, the only thing that I find annoying WAS putting them in (after about a month, you get used to it).

4. there are advertisements for contact lenses that claim to improve your eyesight to 20/10 vision without the different types of lasik eye laser corrective surgery: is it true and who makes such contact lenses?

I don't know. Sorry.

5. Where can I get objective and accurate medical information about contact lenses on the Internet?

I don't know. Sorry.

6. Where do you shop for your contact lenses? Did you find it difficult to convince your opthamologist or optermist to give you the written contact lenses prescription so you could shop around?

Nope, I go to Lenscrafters. I use http://www.visiondirect.com/la/promo...nses_online_us to buy them.

7. Does it make any difference to use one manufacturer's contact lenses and another's contact lenses cleansing solution?

Not really.

Like I said, I'm due for an eye examination and new corrective vision stuff. I figure eyeglasses are going out of fashion and I will probably donate both of my old pairs of Giorgio Armanis to my local church since they don't do me any good anymore. I'd like to switch to contact lenses by next month in October 2005.

You should have eye glasses anyway! You need to get glasses time in every day. All doctors will say that.

 

[kramer5150]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Welly Wu I'm seriously thinking about retiring my pair of eyeglasses as I have myopic vision and my prescription for my current lenses are already 2+ years old. I am due for an eye examination and I am seriously thinking about getting contact lenses. I have been searching for the better part of the day today for information on all the different brands, styles, and types of contact lenses, but I do have a few questions: 1. If you have worn eyeglasses, then did you find using contact lenses to improve your visual acuity for better or worse depending upon your usage? 2. Did you save money by going with contact lenses? 3. Do you find the cleaning and replacement of contact lenses to be difficult or annoying? 4. there are advertisements for contact lenses that claim to improve your eyesight to 20/10 vision without the different types of lasik eye laser corrective surgery: is it true and who makes such contact lenses? 5. Where can I get objective and accurate medical information about contact lenses on the Internet? 6. Where do you shop for your contact lenses? Did you find it difficult to convince your opthamologist or optermist to give you the written contact lenses prescription so you could shop around? 7. Does it make any difference to use one manufacturer's contact lenses and another's contact lenses cleansing solution? Like I said, I'm due for an eye examination and new corrective vision stuff. I figure eyeglasses are going out of fashion and I will probably donate both of my old pairs of Giorgio Armanis to my local church since they don't do me any good anymore. I'd like to switch to contact lenses by next month in October 2005. What would be great is if I could find an affordable pair of contact lenses that are clear and are replaceable each month. I'd also like something that is designed with UVA protection, has an indicator to ensure that I put them on correctly each time, and can be used for 18+ hours daily or overnight. Also, please remember that I work at Barnes & Noble so it is a very dusty environment and I use my computer for at least 1 hour each day to do web surfing, personal finance, and e-mail stuff so I'm in front of a LCD or CRT monitor daily. I have health insurance including dental and vision coverage. I need some help because I know a lot of people here wear some form of corrective vision, but the contact lenses industry comes out with new products almost every 6 - 12 months! There are so many websites that I'm getting overloaded with information.

1) My night time vision improved with contacts. I get glares off my glasses when I drive t night.

2) No, the opposite really since I always have glasses as a backup. I wear them both 50/50. I like contacts better for listening to headphones though.

3) Not really, its just like taking a bath or brushing your teeth... part of daily Hygene.

4) Not sure

5) Not sure

6) I just went to the same place... one stop shop for me to minimize the hastle.

7) I never noticed a difference.

I prefer the sound of my MS2 with contacts. The earhook on my glasses tends to lift the bowl foam out off my head and that tends to reduce the bass. With contacts the bowl foam compresses flatter.

Garrett

 

[MikoLayer]

didnt bother reading the entire thread, i will just provide my short answers here :

1. If you have worn eyeglasses, then did you find using contact lenses to improve your visual acuity for better or worse depending upon your usage?
->Definitely better. No matter how well the glasses were maintained, I always felt there is bound to be some grease leftover on the lenses. Moreover, glasses have very unnatural feel - in the sense which is analogous to staging in headphone terms. Contacts are like R10 or electrostats boasting natural and wide soundstage, whereas glasses are like congested pile of **** like [insert the name of the phones you love to hate]. The very first time I tried the contacts on, it was literally an eyeopening experience. I kept cursing at myself for not realizing what I have been missing the whole time

2. Did you save money by going with contact lenses?
->Probably not. But I value improved vision/athletic freedom/aesthetics far more than the additional cost. Like I said above, contacts do provide clearer vision, and I just cant imagine playing basketball or sprinting with glasses on. Last but not least, four eyes look dorkey as hell

3. Do you find the cleaning and replacement of contact lenses to be difficult or annoying?
->Yes, I have tried ones that were supposed to last for 1 year, 3 months, 2 weeks and finally settled with one day disposables. The ones that were supposed last longer always had the lingering problem of contamination/pollution even when I tried my best to keep them clean. When I was with the 2 weeks plan, I was on varsity wrestling and it was not all too uncommon to get tackled hard and loose the conatacts in the process. The pair that was guaranteed to last intact for a year got destroyed after about 4 months or so of usage. Man, just how pissed off I was when that happened

Later I was told one day disposables can last a good few more days. It turns out I could even go on for a week or so on a pair of those...

4. there are advertisements for contact lenses that claim to improve your eyesight to 20/10 vision without the different types of lasik eye laser corrective surgery: is it true and who makes such contact lenses?
->I dont hav ethe slightest clue, but I would be kinda weary of outrageous claims of that nature.

5. Where can I get objective and accurate medical information about contact lenses on the Internet?
->No idea... keep googling and take things with a grain of salt?

6. Where do you shop for your contact lenses? Did you find it difficult to convince your opthamologist or optermist to give you the written contact lenses prescription so you could shop around?
->I was trying to shop around, but the place at my school claimed they had better deal than anyone else including 1-800-contacts. Indeed, they did offer a better deal so I had to look no further.

7. Does it make any difference to use one manufacturer's contact lenses and another's contact lenses cleansing solution?
-> I just use one day disposables now, so this is N/A to me.

EDIT : just a few things I would like to mention
1) keep a pair of glasses handy, you will need them.
2) dont ware the contacts for too long, take them out once you start feeling dryness after a prolonged use
3) never (or at least try your best not to) sleep with the contacts on. I heard this results in gradual and permanent dialation of veins in your retina, which may ultimately result in loss of vision. This is a very real threat, my sister has once gotten dangerously close to that status.
4)my eyevision was on a constant decline when I was using glasses only. once I switched to contacts, it has stayed the pretty much the same over few year's timespan. pehaps this is because I entered my adulthood and stopped growing, but I remember I used to squint time to time with the glasses.

 

[averydonovan]

I started wearing contacts back in either late April or early May and haven't looked back. I had had glasses at various times in my life and hated them with a passion. The fishbowl effect on my vision and them generally being a pain in the ass just did not do well with me. I tend to be squeemish about stuff in my eyes but I got used to it quickly. I really don't even notice that I have contacts in most of the time except for my vision being clearer. I just purchased my initial 4 boxes of contacts at the optometrist but will purchase them online next time to save money. The trial pair and solution that the optometrist gave me worked quite well so I'm sticking with those.

 

[Ticky]

I have a few friends and cousins who cannot wear contact lenses because their eyes are too dry. Your optometrist should be able to inform you whether your eyes are suitable for contacts.

I started wearing contacts back and in highschool so that I could play sports without the hassle of glasses. I used to wear them constantly in college. But now I spend lots of time before a computer at work, and my eyes dry out quickly, so I don't wear them other than when I go to the gym or on the weekends.

Welly, you'll probably find that your eyes can't wear contacts for long when you first started. After sometime, if you're eyes aren't predisposed to dryness like mine, you'll probably can wear them for much longer. Of course, the environs you are would affect the duration you can wear them. IMO, dusty environments makes it quite uncomfortable to wear contacts.