Question for long time contact lens wearers

[TellerTuesday]

I've been pondering this for a few weeks but really interested on hearing from others.

I have worn contact lenses for around 20 years. Started with monthly ones and have had daily disposables for the last 10 years plus.

DD has just started using them. When she was having the 'training sessions' etc she was told how important it is not to swim in them, to take them out before washing her face etc, I have honestly never been told this.

When I first started wearing them, I am convinced that they were marketed as more convenient than glasses because you could swim in them and so on, even seem to remember an advert on the tv for lenses with a swimmer.

I've had yearly contact lens checks at the opticians and nobody has ever told me that I shouldn't be getting my face wet with them in. The lady in specsavers looked aghast when I said this. I put mine in on a morning and keep them in until late evening, swim with them in (although I don't actually go underwater) but now I'm worried I need to stop and it would take some major adjusting to.

Just wondered if any other long time wearers had totally missed this, did the guidance change at some point and I just wasn't aware? A quick google strongly advises against getting the face wet when wearing them but it's something I'd never thought about as I'd been doing it for years.

Nearly 40 years of high risk swimming showering and hair washing here…

@EternallyDelighted my kind of gal!

Honestly those saying “well I’ve been ok for xx years” please be aware. I could have lost my sight and I did have a very painful week.

I'm gobsmacked. This is beyond gross.

When I'm driving anything other than a short distance, I always have my glasses with me just in case, and most of the time my handbag has a spare set of daily disposable lenses tucked away in a pocket too.

Using spit makes way more sense than water, it'll be the correct ph, no added chemicals like fluoride etc and I assume it won't have any nasty parasites in it

I've used spit quite a few times to clean a lens when I've been stuck. I went through an angora jumper phase and I was always getting bits of fluff caught in my eyes and mascara

I've been wearing them for 30ish years. I can't remember when I was told, but I do know that I'm not supposed to swim in them. I do though, I can't bloody see without them how am I supposed to swim???

I was told that you can swim in dailies and throw them out after the swim. Tbh I'd be blind without them in the pool

One ml of saliva contains approx 1 million microbes of bacteria which can cause eye infections. Whereas one ml of tap water only contains approx 80k microbes of bacteria. So no, it doesn't make more sense to use spit instead of water.

I've been told many times not to swim or even shower with contact lenses in. I never took mine out before a shower.

Apparently a woman wore hers in the shower and lost her sight as a result.

Since the optician told me this, I've followed their advice.

@HundredMilesAnHour this article is an interesting read: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6855406/

It says: 'Importantly, saliva is crucial for defense against microbial species, as it is rich in antimicrobial compounds such as hydrogen peroxidee_, lactoferrin, and lysozymes'.

And ' it has become evident that saliva amasses an infinite wealth of beneficial protective and healing properties, particularly in its defense against microbial inhabitants of the oral cavity, commensals and pathogens alike'

Isn't hydrogen peroxide the cleaning agent in solution?

I recently specifically bought some to wear on a beach holiday! I told the optometrist this and she didn't say anything. I was saying how otherwise I can't watch the children in the surf.

I don't wear them often though. In my 20s and working in an office 20 hour days (magic circle law firm), I got terrible scratches on my cornea. Was properly scared by ophthalmologist about the dangers of contact lens -he was really against them. It was unbelievably painful and I still have scarred corneas 40 years later. Just wear glasses!

There is an opportunistic amoeba that will basically dissolve your cornea. My optician has never seen it as it’s rare.

Yeh this is why the consultant was so excited about my eye infection.

Luckily I was quickly passed on to his junior colleague :)

Jumping on this post to ask a question!

I wore them for years and one day stopped tolerating any form of contact
Eventually I can now wear acuvue oasys for a short time (4-6hrs ish), the hospital found no issue with my eyes

I've seen some I want to try that have brilliant reviews for comfort and dry eyes but no optician seems to stock them. Everything says you can't just buy online and try them and it's dangerous but how can I try a type of lens I want to if the optician doesn't stock them?

It's these I want to give a try so not a random brand

https://www.lenstore.co.uk/bausch-lomb/daily-disposables/ultra-one-dayp552?d=OXEWUKSGIO&cqqsrc=GOOGLE&cqcmp=71700000102239746&cqqcon=552%20-%20Bausch%20%26%20Lomb%20Ultra%20One%20Day%20%2830%29%20Daily%20-%20SBAU&cqterm=PRODUCTTGROUP&cqnet=g&cqqmed=UK%20-%20EN%20-%20Shopping%20-%20Product%20-%20552%20-%20Bausch%20%26%20Lomb%20Ultra%20One%20Day%20%2830%29%20Daily&cqplt=gp&gaddsource=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD3rBUvNLFUoHO5laKmjEqVcP9LE&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpdaMoveJiAMVZZZQBh1mxiONEAQYASABEgKWFPDDBwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Started wearing lenses in 1981 was told then never shower/swim get water in your eyes (except sterile water) I have followed that advice to the letter.

I had a colleague who used to take her lenses out at work wet them with spit and put back in, apart from me wanting to throw up, she developed a nasty infection. Her eyes went yellow with a horrible discharge, and really could not see. She described it as looking through smeared glass with terrible pain, leading to her never being able to wear lenses again.

I am fastidious about cleaning of lenses and how I handle them given the places I have lived where its not recommended to let water into your mouth due to bacteria etc, I dread to think what nastys could lurk and get into my eye with lenses in.

I always have a spare case with solution, and a spare pair in my bag.

I started wearing them in 1978 and was told not to swim in them as I would almost certainly lose them. Nothing about an infection was mentioned.

I was also told recently that I should use saline to rinse them not tap water. As I've used tap water for over 40 years with no problems I won't be bothering with that.

For swimmers, you can get prescription swimming goggles for not that much money.

I’ve been wearing them for nine years and was told never to get tap water on them. Recently changed to a new option more locally and was told the same again. I have a piece of paper somewhere that I had to sign to say that I had been told all the rules etc. I will look later to see if I can find it.

Eesh, I've been wearing them 30 years and shower in them daily. And swim but with goggles. Might need to review!

I've been wearing contact lenses for about 25 years now and I can't remember what the advice was then. I have had (unrelated) eye problems about ten years ago and the optician was very firm about not wearing them in water etc and I have heard it at every check up since. I got my first ulcer about 2.5 years ago and am now especially careful.

I keep meaning to get some prescription goggles, this thread has been a good reminder!

I could write a book about my eyes & contact lenses. My prescription is around -5.5

I started wearing contact lenses in 1985 when I was 18. Started off with ones you took out at night and boiled once a week (in their case) to clean them. Then a few years later to daily disposables & then weekly ones which you could sleep in. I Heaven I thought. Took kids swimming in them (pool & sea) took showers etc.

About 10 years ago I got diagnosed with keratoconus (cornea changes shape to more Oval looking). I've had corneal transplants in both eyes and further surgery to stop blood vessels creeping across my eyes. I've also got dry eye syndrome.

I wear special scleral contact lenses - Hard lenses that you fill with saline before putting into your eye. At times I've had to put 4 lots of drops in 4x a day. My lenses HAVE to be worn with saline. I'm forever taking them out, putting eye drops in, and putting them back in again. I cant wear glasses. Something to do with the distance between my eye & the lens. I did read an article recently about Liverpool University doing a study on this and coming up with a solution. It would be heaven as when I go on the beach I have to leave my contacts the car.

I have been warned about eye parasites for as long as I can remember. Certainly 30 years ago as I was wearing them in a swimming pool & got an eye infection. I also had a colleague who would clean her lenses with her saliva.

Half my life now is spent without lenses in or without glasses on. With a prescription of -5.5 I "see" the world very blurry quite a lot of the time.

If anyone hasn't looked into it, prescription goggles are about £20 and really worth it. If pootling round toddler pool though I would just wear old glasses and shove them in my swimsuit when going under.

Yes, my prescription goggles were a bit more £30 because of high strength but well worth it, the last pair lasted about 10 years

@Biggaybear , that sounds quite a faff with your lenses, but how on earth do you cope with neither lenses in or glasses on?

My prescription is higher (both eyes almost -7) and I could not cope walking around or do anything really.

It must be really limiting for you.

Exact same situation.

My prescription is -11 so I need a lenses or glasses for everything.

I started wearing lenses at 13, 25 years ago. I've worn night/day (leave in for a month), monthly, daily. I've been abroad multiple times, visit the beach regularly to swim, swim in pools often enough. Always worn lenses, plus put lenses in before showering/washing my face. In fact I often splash my face at the sink with my eyes open and contacts in. Never has an optician ever mentioned anything about water to me over the years.

I was shocked when ds1 got contacts two years ago and was sternly lectured never to get them wet and especially never to swim in them.

I've carried on as normal. Literally just been in Greece for 10 days with lenses every day in the pool and several unexpected splashes to the face. I've been doing it for 25 years so i've decided i'm happy to accept the risk tbh.

I do exactly this for swimming. I have daily disposables for this sole purpose, with my optician's approval. I'm struggling to see what's risky about it.

I was told not to swim or shower in them. I do. But there is some bacteria in water that if it gets in your eyes can cause infection. In 25 years of wearing them I've been fine so I'm carrying on. Also for a while I wore a type that were designed to be worn continuously day and night for a month!! Now those were an infection risk. I don't know if they still make them. A bit contradictory though!