Contact Lenses?

Von Manstein

Hello all,

I have been wearing classes since I was 2 and am thinking about going for lenses. Ive never had them before and as such Im a little lost with them. Basically are they comfatable/ expensive/ or should I just go for a new pair of shades? I would like to get the Lazar eye surgery but I dont have the money.....but I do have a medical card - can contact lenses be got on it?

To be honest Ive never known what it was like to be "normal" and am kind of keen on trying them out. Ive noticed theres lots of different kinds from cheap ones to quite dear ones to ones that last a day to some that last a month....so what do u all think on the issue?


Could any ppl who wear lenses / classes give me some advice?

Cheers

mikemac

There are many different kinds of lenses: hard/soft/monthly/disposible and others

I suppose soft monthly disposable would be the most common kind. Thats what I got four years ago. Wore glasses from when I was 10-18. Wear the lenses about 6 days a week at moment. Bar one or two problems I haven't looked back since.

Go into Specsavers and they'll sort u out. You will have to do a full eyesight check and then another test to see if contact lenses are suitable for you. not everyone can wear them. They have special offers every now and again. They might let you do a free trial if you ask.

Cost is about €25 per test and €52.50 for a three month supply and solution. I've never had a medical card so not sure about that but if you pay PRSI you might get something off. Worth checking out.

Im looking into eye surgury as well as the cost of contact lenses does add up over the years. If you've any useful info on laser surgury or any further questions feel free to pm me

Loobz

I have glasses and have been consifering contacts also. Would like to know some pros and cons also. thanks.

D!ve^Bomb!

i actually prefer wearin my glasses cos i usually look like i have 2 black eyes for some reason, and i think the glasses cover that well..

however there are times i want to wear lenses, ie, when it's raining, in the gym(sweat and glasses don't mix) etc etc.. plus i'd rather be able to wear contacts and a nice pair of sunglasses rather than fork out for a prescription pair of sunglasses..

tk123

For me

Pros:
I don't have to worry about smashing my glasses when i put my bike helmet on or take it off
no more steamed up glasses
no more rain drops on glasses
They're pretty cheap cos I only have to wear one lense
I just need to carry sunglasses - not glasses AND prescription sunglasses

Cons:
It takes a while to get used to them
They sting if you fall asleep with them in or if you take them out wrong and they rip (ouch)
Sometimes I have to work in dusty places and the dust makes the lense itchy

Hoochiemama

i have ones called, Bausch & Lomb PureVision. with these ones you can wera them for a month without taking them out. this includes sleeping. so you only change them once a month. handy out esp after a night out and ur hammered. you dont have to take them out before you pass out! you forget you have bad eyesight due to lack of changing them!

L5

Hoochiemama wrote:

i have ones called, Bausch & Lomb PureVision. with these ones you can wera them for a month without taking them out. this includes sleeping. so you only change them once a month. handy out esp after a night out and ur hammered. you dont have to take them out before you pass out! you forget you have bad eyesight due to lack of changing them!

is that not bad for your eyes. Your supposed to let oxygen at your eyes, thats why i was told not to wear them more than 10 hours a day

kensutz

Purevision are they way to go, they're going to be re-released in the US this year

D!ve^Bomb!

do contact lenses fall out much? that would be a pain in the ass

spartacus93

D!ve^Bomb! wrote:

do contact lenses fall out much? that would be a pain in the ass

No not at all. Well never happened me anyway. Ive been wearing soft ( I think!) monthly disposibles for a while now and find them very good. You quickly forget that you are wearing them at all!

As another poster said go to specsavers and they'll sort you out. They will give you a free months trial. They even gave me 2 months because I got sick and wasn't able to go for a check up for a couple of months. Now dats a good service.

No problems with the lenses at all, go for it!

therecklessone

This site appears to have plenty of info on contacts. Bear in mind its a US site.

snappieT

I got GP lenses, and I hate them. Very uncomfortable, make me look like I'm stoned, and I don't have time to get used to them (leaving cert etc.)
Much prefer my glasses, but then again, my eyesight isn't so bad that I need them 24/7. When I'm clubbing or at a party, I can still see glasses (and contact) free

Hoochiemama

L5 wrote:

is that not bad for your eyes. Your supposed to let oxygen at your eyes, thats why i was told not to wear them more than 10 hours a day

no they're special type of contacts that are made for continuous wear. i used to work in bausch & lomb so if i they werent safe id know cos i worked in the place i make them! i try to only wear them 6 out of the 7 days of the week.

Pet

D!ve^Bomb! wrote:

do contact lenses fall out much? that would be a pain in the ass

Nope, they're like little suction pads, they won't come out unless you get some kind of a scraping blow to the eye, in which case you've a lot more to worry about than your lenses..They can come out if you swim or get a lot of water squirted in your eye though.

Lisapeep

Contact lenses are great - you should definitely get them. In fact, why dont you find out the pros and cons for yourself by getting them. If you dont like them you can just stop wearing them. Although, I expect that you will never go back on having perfect vision with no glasses rims in the way!
I cant think of any cons. There are many pros, including the fact that they're very handy when playing sport! They're no big deal really. In fact I think that they're as easy to put on as glasses now!

Lisapeep

D!ve^Bomb! wrote:

do contact lenses fall out much? that would be a pain in the ass

It is impossible for contact lenses to just "fall out!"

D!ve^Bomb!

they seem like a good deal alright.. would contact lenses be dangerous in a situation where you were punched in the face?

Loobz

D!ve^Bomb! wrote:

they seem like a good deal alright.. would contact lenses be dangerous in a situation where you were punched in the face?

You wouldnt hit a guy with contacts would you :eek:

lol

mikemac

Nice one Loobz

Sundy

Quote:
Originally Posted by D!ve^Bomb!
they seem like a good deal alright.. would contact lenses be dangerous in a situation where you were punched in the face?

No there not, i play rugby an have taken many a fist to the face and fingers in my eye. They tend just to fall out in these situations leaving u half blind!
I got contacts about 2 yrs ago and there great, never goin back to glasses.

Actually has anybody got those links where u can buy contacts online?
im fed up of specsavers ripping me off for daily disposables

seamus

D!ve^Bomb! wrote:

they seem like a good deal alright.. would contact lenses be dangerous in a situation where you were punched in the face?

Why would your contacts be a concern? Getting punched in the face is the least of my concerns, unless it's something you make a habit of. It wouldn't have any effect except that your contact will probably pop out, if you were hit in the right place.
Mine pop out from time to time, but only if they've gotten dry and/or moved into the wrong position on my eye - and it's only the toric one that ever pops out because it's weirdly shaped.

When you get contacts you'll find the peripheral vision staggering. Anyone who's worn glasses full-time will have become accustomed to the rim around their world, and naturally compensated for the loss in peripheral vision, but when you stick in contacts, the clarity of your entire vision is the first immediate thing that'll strike you.

SantaHoe

D!ve^Bomb! wrote:

i actually prefer wearin my glasses cos i usually look like i have 2 black eyes for some reason, and i think the glasses cover that well..

Yeah same here... although sometimes people think I'm wearing shades because of it... I'm not joking either, my next-door neighbour commented one day I was walking past "hey cool shades", and I was like "lol omg, these aren't shades!!!".

Have to say though, I switched over to gas-permiable lenses from the old 'permanent' soft lenses I used years ago, and the fking things are huge in comparison... had a very hard time adjusting to them... and even though they're supposed to be letting more air in, I still feel strangely suffocated while wearing them... go figure tbh.

Crumbs

Sundy wrote:

Actually has anybody got those links where u can buy contacts online?
im fed up of specsavers ripping me off for daily disposables

VisionDirect are very good.

Lisapeep

Sundy wrote:

Actually has anybody got those links where u can buy contacts online?
im fed up of specsavers ripping me off for daily disposables

www.getlenses.com are a great company. They buy in bulk and give great discounts. Their shop is located just off the Stillorgan dual carriageway but you can also order online.

oasis18

Von Manstein,

What's your prescription? If you have any astigmatism, you will probably have to ask for toric lenses. I'd advise you get contacts if you drive, like seamus said, peripheral vision is much better. Are you shortsighted or longsighted?

dcarroll

Sundy wrote:

Quote:
Originally Posted by D!ve^Bomb!
they seem like a good deal alright.. would contact lenses be dangerous in a situation where you were punched in the face?

No there not, i play rugby an have taken many a fist to the face and fingers in my eye. They tend just to fall out in these situations leaving u half blind!
I got contacts about 2 yrs ago and there great, never goin back to glasses.

Actually has anybody got those links where u can buy contacts online?
im fed up of specsavers ripping me off for daily disposables

Theres an old thread somewhere in the Bargain Alerts forum, try searching for it there i'd say

Jaeger

Divebomb wrote:

i actually prefer wearin my glasses cos i usually look like i have 2 black eyes for some reason, and i think the glasses cover that well..

however there are times i want to wear lenses, ie, when it's raining, in the gym(sweat and glasses don't mix) etc etc.. plus i'd rather be able to wear contacts and a nice pair of sunglasses rather than fork out for a prescription pair of sunglasses..

Ditto to all of that.

I had the black eyes for YEARS. Came from smoking and not eating too well. It's gone away since I stopped and started eating regularly/better/more.

Pros:
No more fogged up glasses.
Better peripheral vision
No having to take off glasses and clean them every couple of hours.
I've been told I look twice as good with glasses as with them. Could be down to my crap taste but the last pair I bought was 6 or 7 years ago. Contacts solve the need to have good taste when getting glasses.

Cons - I've not worn contacts actively in a long time, so these are cons from lenses about 2/3 years ago
Sensitive eyes, can't put them in too early in the morning, when eyes are knackered.
No falling asleep with them in! NEVER!
Can't leave them in for too long
Wearing really nice ones for a while, and then being completely dependant on them (being blind when you take them out)