Contact Lens Question

[shafnutz05]

Thought I would pose this to the board before scheduling an appt.

I've worn contacts for about a decade, and have never really had any issues. About six months ago, I started having issues with my right eye. No matter which contact I put in my eye, whether it was brand new, in solution, whatever, it always started to get blurry and dry in the middle of the day. I went to the eye doctor for a contact lens appt, got a totally different brand, and sure enough, I'm immediately having the same issue. But it's only in one eye.

I tried wearing glasses for like 3 weeks to see if it was something that needed to heal, no dice. Has anyone ever had such a random issue with their contacts like this? Two causes I've read on the good ol' Internet thus far are astigmatism and a brain tumor, so hoping for the best

[eddysnake]

let me precede this by saying this will be absolutely no help at all, but I think you may need to wear a pirate eye patch at all times, don't even worry about making an appt.

[shafnutz05]

let me precede this by saying this will be absolutely no help at all, but I think you may need to wear a pirate eye patch at all times, don't even worry about making an appt.

I had a severely scratched cornea whilst in the military (I mean so bad I woke up in horrific, doubled over pain). The gov't treatment was an eye patch, but it was white. How lame is that?

[viva la ben]

This late summer/fall has been the worse time for allergies in quite a number of years, I imagine wearing contacts could make then even more pronounced.

[shafnutz05]

Yeah, I've pretty much discounted anything like allergies, because I've never suffered from them. It's just really weird that it's only the right eye, and it doesn't matter how long I go between wearing them, how new the contacts are, which contacts they are, etc. My left eye works perfectly.

[eddysnake]

let me precede this by saying this will be absolutely no help at all, but I think you may need to wear a pirate eye patch at all times, don't even worry about making an appt.

I had a severely scratched cornea whilst in the military (I mean so bad I woke up in horrific, doubled over pain). The gov't treatment was an eye patch, but it was white. How lame is that?

that's not lame at all, when I was younger, I ran into a tree and somehow a branch went into my eye and had to wear a patch

[mac5155]

Astigmatism? I dunno what that is but I hear people that have contacts have trouble with it.

[Kraftster]

I have astigmatism and contacts. Astigmatism, as I understand it, is just another in the category of nearsightedness or farsightedness.

I had this happen to me in one eye for a few weeks one summer and I finally got some drops that helped it. I don't recall exactly what the explanation was but I think it might have had something to do with allergies. Sorry, can't remember any more than that.

[llipgh2]

Is the scratched cornea in your right eye? Scar tissue from the old tear may be causing the problem.

I severely tore my left cornea. As I aged I noticed my left eye would get sore if I left my contacts (rigid gas perms) in for long periods of time.

Switched to disposable daily wear, haven't had a problem since.

[AlexPKeaton]

After wearing contacts for a decade, my eyes just couldn't take it anymore and I couldn't wear contacts much past like 5pm. I guess my eyes were not getting enough oxygen or something. I think disposables might have fixed it, but I ended up getting lasic instead.

[Spangler]

I have astigmatism and contacts. Astigmatism, as I understand it, is just another in the category of nearsightedness or farsightedness.

I had this happen to me in one eye for a few weeks one summer and I finally got some drops that helped it. I don't recall exactly what the explanation was but I think it might have had something to do with allergies. Sorry, can't remember any more than that.

astigmatism refers to an actual misshape in the cornea. For lack of a better term, they become more pointed than normal. It makes it hard to fit contact lenses, so you need special toric lenses.

The misshapen eye results in near/farsighttedness.

I wish I had new eyes.

[Sarcastic]

A doctor told me about 15 years ago that I had slight astigmatism in one eye and that it has to be taken into account when making glasses but it usually doesn't affect your contacts --- unless yours is really big then you do need special ones as Spangler says.

Shaf, if your contact gets dry, try Acuvue Oasis. What do you wear now anyway? Ask for a sample, because these are the moist-est and most comfortable contacts I ever wore. I had a very big problem with my old ones (and some others I tried) where I'd go into a department store and my eyes would dry out due to the fans on the ceiling. Or even some wind on the street - I'd close my eyes and walk blindly when it was windy. Then I'd rub some and they'd go back behind the eyeball...

If that doesn't help, then your doctor needs to run some tests on that eye.

[shafnutz05]

I'm wearing Oasis lenses :)

Time for an eye test

[Sarcastic]

See, if it started happening just now when there is a little allergy period in the fall (big one is in the spring and much more brutal), then I'd say it could be an allergy, but if it's been going on for 6 months and just one eye..... better have it checked out.

[mac5155]

Speaking of eyes in general, I'm going to the optamologist here in November. I havent been there in a while and I find myself holding my phone less than 10 inches from my face on a regular basis which is not good. I have glasses but was told it's basically optional if I want to wear them at the time. I have a feeling my eye sight is going bad from staring at computer monitors and cell phones

Anyone have any recommendations for non-nerdy frames? I can't do contacts. Long story short, nothing can get near my eye because of my childhood experiences with eye doctors lol. Had a lazy eye corrected at like 2 years old and it was the most traumatic thing lasting until 10 years old with regular exams and drops.

[shafnutz05]

I have a pair of Cadillac frames (seriously) that look pretty sharp. I recommend the frames that don't have a rim around the bottom, they are the new wave of eyewear fashion.

[Kraftster]

Definitely go with no-nose-pads glasses. I have Ray-Bans.

[penny lane]

went to a new eye doc; Dr. C Baker @ Heidi Optics, downtown Pgh. She was great. They have a wide and varied selection of frames.

[mac5155]

Definitely go with no-nose-pads glasses. I have Ray-Bans.

My uncle has RayBans and I like his. I guess it comes down to what the insurance will pay for. Which is usually the cheap junk wire frames.

[Kraftster]

Those are closest I could find to the ones that I have. I've been very happy with them. They weren't too expensive either - the frames anyway. I think for my appointment, frames, lenses, contacts I was under $400.

[newarenanow]

I had that same issue in left eye. It was an astigmatism, and they ordered me a contact that corrects that, and now I haven't had much issue.

Another issue I had a few years back, and it was sort of the same thing, they said I had an infection in my eye due to wearing contacts for too long. I guess there is a lack of oxygen and the blood vessles get infected. Nothng serious. I had to wear my glasses for a week while putting drops in, and it cured it.

Sucks, I wanted to get laser eye surgery a few months back. I was all excited to not have to wear contacts and glasses anymore, but due to my astigmatism, and also because the lense of my right eye is a little flat, they said I can never do it, or at least Lasik won't do it. They said unless technology changes and there are advancments for these issues, it is unsafe.

[Lt. Dish]

I had that same issue in left eye. It was an astigmatism, and they ordered me a contact that corrects that, and now I haven't had much issue.

Another issue I had a few years back, and it was sort of the same thing, they said I had an infection in my eye due to wearing contacts for too long. I guess there is a lack of oxygen and the blood vessles get infected. Nothng serious. I had to wear my glasses for a week while putting drops in, and it cured it.

Sucks, I wanted to get laser eye surgery a few months back. I was all excited to not have to wear contacts and glasses anymore, but due to my astigmatism, and also because the lense of my right eye is a little flat, they said I can never do it, or at least Lasik won't do it. They said unless technology changes and there are advancments for these issues, it is unsafe.

Same here, Shaf, except in both eyes to varied degrees, and same on all three of Nan's points of experience. That had to be painful, Nan. I didn't develop an infection from the vascularization (your blood vessels crawl toward the sclera to get oxygen). I still have ghost veins, though, from when they receded.

Shaf, my causes were astigmatism and aging. I typically stick to glasses Fri.-Sun. and contacts and readers the rest of the week (also bailed on laser surgery). Correcting for the astigmatism and a change in my eye shape, Acuvue Moist lenses, BioTrue solution, and regular (4x/day) application of artificial tears has allowed me to wear lenses more comfortably and more frequently than I have in about 15 years.

"What a drag it is getting old..."

[largegarlic]

I had the same problem about 4 years ago. I had worn contacts for about 15 years with no problem, and then I started having that feeling that something was in my eye, but I could never get it out. I was also told it was a lack oxygen getting to my eye. I switched to wearing glasses most of the time and just reserved my contacts for when I needed them (primarily for sports--it's just too hard to find good rec specs since the 80s ended).

Then I found out then-fiancé's insurance covered LASIK, and we've been happily married ever since (and I have 20/15 vision).

[yubb]

I had an issue with my eye once where I couldn't stand to wear my contacts. I forget what was wrong, but I had to take some drops for a few weeks and everything went back to normal.

I also have astigmastism. I wear torric contacts because of the astigmastism, which is supposed to help the blurriness. I've never had crystal clear vision because of the astigmastism, but I've just kind of gotten used to it.

[NeddieVedder]

I'd look into the astigmatism. I had the same thing with the contacts drying out. The eye was getting more tired/stressed than it would've been with a proper astigmatism prescription. They gave me the new shaped lenses and I had completely forgotten I used to be able to see that clearly. It started in my mid-20s and took 3 years to figure out.