Contact Lenses

[Pita]

It's time for me to get new glasses and I'm thinking about going back to contact lenses. I haven't worn contacts in several years so I'm out of the loop on what is the best way to go. I've Googled and there is so much information! I know I want soft lenses, but do I want them to be conventional soft contacts, extended wear, or disposable contact lenses?

For those that wear contacts, what kind do you wear? Why do you like them? How much do they cost? Where do you buy your lenses at? How much does all the cleaning solutions cost? Any other info on the subject will be very much appreciated. :)

[Oldfart]

I just wear the non-contacts.

With glasses you don't have to worrry about how much liquid you can take on a plane, whether a dry patch on your eyeball will blind you and your partner can borrow glasses to read a menu when they forget their glasses.

[Outlaw]

I use the day and night ones, you can wear them for up to a month without having to take them out, when you do just toss them. I believe they are 60 a box here. My son has someothers that are 25 a box and he is supposed to change every 2 weeks.

[CunningLinguist]

I'm thinking of finally switching to contacts after 20 years of glasses.

I work in an environment that is just brutal on classes, and my $110 safety glasses I wear at work barely lasted 7 months before I could no longer see through them.

So now I think I will go to contacts rather than pay out of pocket for 2 - 3 pairs of glasses each year.

[flywater]

I have been wearing contact now for 2 years and love them. I have 2 week that I take out every night to clean. They are soft lenses. I get them 6 to a box and buy 2 boxes at a time(different perscription for each eye) and pay $30 each time. cleaning solution is about $16 and lasts me about three months. Also, as a carpenter, my work environment can be very dusty and I have little to no problem with the lenses drying out. Good luck!

[Neige]

I wear soft lenses that are monthly disposables (taking them out at night). I pay 75$ for 6 pairs, and I buy the no-rub drugstore brand cleaning solution which is about 5$ for a big bottle that lasts me months. I do have a pair of glasses too, because I find that my night vision when I wear contact lenses is no where as good as with my glasses (to the point that I very rarely drive wearing my contacts after dark). I love my contacts though because they make wearing sunglasses so much easier!

[IowaMan]

I rarely wear my contacts anymore just because glasses are easier and more comfortable for me. I'm one of the "lucky" ones who can't wear soft lenses though. I have a very bad astigmatism and have to wear gas permeable lenses. :boohoo:

I've worn the contacts more this summer than I have in probably five years, mostly for the sunglasses factor that Neige mentioned I guess.

[LixyChick]

They make lenses for astigmatism IM.

I wear bifocal contacts with different prescriptions for each eye. Monovision, I think, is what they call it. Anyway, I'm near sighted and now I am far sighted too. I used to wear regular contacts and carry those drugstore glasses to read. Kept losing, breaking or scratching the drugstore half-glasses so I got bifocal lenses. The right lens has my reg. prescription with a low strength bifocal and the left lens has my reg. prescription with a higher strength bifocal. When I'm reading and doing close work my left eye takes over. When I'm driving and looking up/at a distance my right eye takes over. I can't tell the transition unless I concentrate so it's just automatic.

I get my eyes examined and ask for a written prescription. I order my lenses online from VisionDirect.com. I comparison shopped many online contact places and found VD to be the best value for my prescription. There are a lot of online places so you can do your own comparison shopping to find your best value for you. I just know that other than going to America's Best (in Philly) I can get less expensive lenses online rather than buying from the doc/lens store where I get my exam. If you have an America's Best Glasses and Contacts store near you they might be a good value.

I wear disposable, extended wear...but due to some broken blood vessels at the bottom of my eyes I take them out nightly so my eyes can "breathe". I get the extended wear because they are more air permeable.

I pay approx. $80 for 6 pair. I extend them to a year period instead of 6 months. I tend to use a pair longer than recommended but that's because I try to take extremely good care of each pair and they seem to be in great shape at the time when I'm suppose to dispose of them. I can't justify tossing a perfectly good pair of lenses just because it's "recommended". I tend to think that's a ploy on the manufacturer's part to get you to buy more lenses sooner. But...to each his own!

I clean and store them in ®Opti-Free Replenish solution. I used to use ReNue till the bacteria scare a while back. Opti-Free retains moisture, is no rub, cleans, removes protein deposits, reconditions, rinses, disinfects and stores. No need to buy any other solution. It costs about $8 for 10 oz. That will last me about a month or more.

I've been wearing contacts since I was 17y/o (yes, all you smarty-ass-pants out there...they made lenses way back then!) and I'm now 49.

Hope this helps TT...and good luck!

[CunningLinguist]

I've been wearing contacts since I was 17y/o (yes, all you smarty-ass-pants out there...they made lenses way back then!) and I'm now 49.

So like you had a pair made by Ben Franklin, right?

[IowaMan]

They make lenses for astigmatism IM.
Yep they do make special soft ones for astigmatism now but unfortunately my eyes are so screwed up that they wouldn't work for me. Been told that by 3 different eye doctors. :banghead:

[CunningLinguist]

So right now I have my contacts, and Oh Great Gods! I can finally see without glasses on my face for the first time in 20 years.

And here is a list of things I can now do better:

1) Wear sunglasses.
2) Did you know that in addition to have blue eyes, I have white flecks in them that make them look all sparkly? I never noticed them obviously.
3) Now when I get into a fight I won't be blind.
4) I can get into a mosh pit and only worry about broken bones instead of broken bones and being stranded in Houston and blind.
5) I can go scuba diving and not feel ripped off.

That's it folks. This is actually a major accomplishment for me, and will be a huge surprise to people in real life becuase this was all a big secret. I think my brother was the only person I mentioned this to.

[Jude30]

I have contacts but I only really wear them on two occasions. Amusement parks and trout fishing. I like to actually be able to see whats going on during the rides, and when you go trout fishing it helps to wear polarized sun glasses. My tinted glasses aren't polarized.

[LixyChick]

So like you had a pair made by Ben Franklin, right?
Nope!

But you might know him. He was a hot air blower...er...glass blower named F.A. Muller from Germany!

LMAO!

[Mercury_Maniac]

contacts nowadays are much better then they used to be, the new Acuvue Hydroclears are vented better to let the eye breath but for longer use.

I have the 2 week disposables and they cost about 25 bucks a box.

[citrus]

I wear the ACCUVUE 2. Never a problem and perfect vision correction. Your optometrist or opthalmologist can help best in working with you on which particular application of contact lense will be your most appropriatet fit.