Any opticians around? Contact lens q.....

[edwardTheConfessor]

Struggling to get a contact lens prescription that works. Have worn specs for years without problems but thought contacts would be useful for active stuff...

so if myspecs prescription is
eye sphere cyl axis
r -1.25 -0.75 175
l -1 -0.5 175

...should I be able to get contacts that are as clear and in sharp focus as my specs?

the contacts the optician has given me are slightly blurry
and are:

r -1.25 -0.75 170
l -1 -0.75 180

help....I've been back and forth to the opticians for over a year on and off. At wits end.

Ta

I wear contacts, never had a problem. Change your opticians.

It sounds like your opt isnt very good at doing lenses. I'm much worse than you at -5.50 and -4.75 but I can see clearly with my lenses.

Are you wearing "brand" name lenses, or like specsavers own make? Why don't you have a look round online for lenses for astigmatism and see what there is? Usually cheaper too. Also, are they clean?

I'm not an optician but..

I wear contact lenses and glasses and my vision is better with glasses... When I questioned my optician he said it was because my glasses corrected for my slight astigmatism and my contacts don't.

ask your optom

could be blurry cos of your cyl - you are slightly astigmatic. (10 years in optics, me before becoming the fuzz....)

i have astigmatism and with lenses i am blurred, it really bugs me.

also, normally, they adjust the script a bit because the lens is worn ON the eye rather than near to it like your specs are.

if its the astigmatism you could try toric lenses that take into account astigmatism, but saying that your astigmatism isnt too bad. could be the rx needs adjusting.

rx = prescription
who worked out your CL prescription?

these are acuvue oasysfor astimatism lenses - brand new out the pack

both lenses are corrected for the astigmatism as per the prescription above (doers this mean they're toric?)

cl prescription worked out by the same guy who tested my eyesight

just wondering whether I can ever expect cl's to be as good as my specs - it's not like it's a strong prescription! And I have specs that are over 5 years old that are less blurry at a distance.

they're telling me that contact lenses 'are always a compromise' and will 'never be as good as spectacles' they say because they can move around- are they fobbing me coz they're getting bored of me coming back to hassle them?!?

specs can move around too right? Sit at different points on your nose, at different angles not to mention the muck that gets on them

If the cl are a good fit they shouldn't move about! In theory your astigmatism could account for the blur - those with astigmatism do tend to get better vision with specs. (me included) I would try a different brand of lens - and if you're still not happy try a different optom. Some optoms specialise in cl. I am resigned to specs , despite working in eyes for 10 years.

I know exactly what you're saying. I notice a big difference between wearing toric or not. If you've not been informed they are, they're prob not.

Oops - meant to say - they can still move if you're astigmatic, well fitted or not. Mine ride slightly higher than normal if I don't wear toric.

Ask to try a different make - they use different stabilisation methods

If its any consolation I have the same problem and have been told the same thing about them moving. And I've had this issue for about 3-4 yrs despite wearing contacts for nearly 20yrs.

I have recently figured out the difference I feel when wearing cl's...I'll try to explain it and hopefully it will seem clear.

For descriptive purposes I'll use an example of driving, (the task I find this issue most frustrating for) If at a roundabout and checking mirrors, lights all directions, sat nav etc, it involves a lot of 'eyes darting' about trying to process a lot of information in a very short period of time. When wearing my glasses, the lens is static, and away from my eye. I feel like I absorb and process the information much quicker than when wearing my contacts. It's only in the last 2 months or so I've figured out that each time my 'eyes dart', the contact lens has to resettle in the right position on my eye before my eyes can do their job of taking in and processing the info. While watching tv i never notice this to be a problem, because my eyes are generally looking at the same thing without changing direction.

But when driving, I feel I must be unsafe due to the length of time it takes me to focus. I even had an early eye test during the last check up I had, as I was convince my vision was below DVLA standards, but he assured me it was better than DVLA stipulate.

What the answer is I don't know, I think I would love laser surgery but its not an option due to finances. However having figured out what's going on, means I can think about whether I'll be more comfortable wearing glasses or cls depending on what I'm about to do, e.g. always now wear glasses on long journeys.

Maybe one day, when I win the lottery, I'll have laser treatment.

torics are weighted, so in theory they should always sit at the right angle.

doesnt work for me though - my vision is always better in specs, but my astigmatism is worse than yours.

despite working in eyes, despite getting free lenses, i gave up on finding a cl that suited me. they just arent for everyone!