Problems with contact lenses

[flumperoo]

I'm giving contact lenses a try and apart from the fact that I sometimes want to scratch my eyes out because they irrtate me (it's only been a few days), I'm also finding my vision pretty variable with them in. My vision seems to go between being lovely and clear to blurred regularly. I've found that, sometimes, sticking a (clean) finger in and making the lenses move slightly does the trick but I obviously don't want to keep doing this. What could the problem be? Could it be that they're not quite the right size/shape?

It depends what lenses you're on? Are they daily lenses? Daily lenses are very thin and in my experience very irritating - I found switching to monthly lenses much better and now I forget I'm wearing them. Bear in mind it does take a while to get used to having something sitting on your eye, try building up how long you're wearing them over a few weeks. If they're still a problem after that speak to your optician and try a different type

Thanks for the reply. It's monthies I have and I have 2 different types to try. I'll persevere and see if it improves.

I'm having a nightmare getting the right contacts.

I had monthlies that really irritated my eyes. I went back and now have different monthlies which don't irritate my eyes but I don't think the prescription is right as I end up with headaches and feeling nauseous - which is how i feel when my glasses prescription needs changing.

I think a lot of it with contacts is trial and error and you have to keep trying different things until it feels right.

Agree with Gooorooo it is trial and error and it feels pretty weird for a while from what I can remember. It took me about half an hour to get them in when I first got them and my eyes used to stream, now it's a two second job. Good luck

I started wearing dailies about 18 months ago and have a Toric on one side which is quite thick, easy to insert and doesn't turn inside out. The other eye is a standard one and very thin, at first I had problems with putting it in inside out. It was very scratchy and uncomfortable. Go back to your optician and get them to show you how to tell when you have it right way round.
I also found they dried out a little and found eyes drops ( designed for use with lens) helped tremendously.
I can now get them in and out without a mirror and rarely have to use eye drops.
I really didn't like the idea of reusing the same lens for a month and having to care for them. I also find the solution they come in is good to cleanse the skin around your eyes after putting them in. I struggle to see any left over mascara without them.

I struggle with mine if the water content isn't high enough. I'd go back and ask for a different type if they don't settle.

I've been wearing monthlies comfortably for 10 years but if I accidentally flip one inside out they are pretty uncomfy, I do it around once a month and that's with years of experience in handling them. My eyesight is sufficiently bad that I can take one out and tell from the writing on it whether it was the right way in, but as a beginner that's hard, I'd suggest popping back into the optician and getting them to check them. It is also possible to nick the edge of one with your nails which also hurts.

What brand are you using? It's annoying but the more you spend the better. Silicone hydrogels are the most comfortable. I use acuvue oaysis. Drops can help also looking around and making sure you blink fully.

I always struggled with monthlies - keeping them clean, preventing scratches etc. I use dailies and they are sooo much easier.

Thanks again for the repiles. I'm using Proclear Toric and I have a pair of AirOptix for Astigmatism to try in a few days. I'll see how I get on with the current ones over the weekend and then see if a swap to the other pair is any better amd then arrange to go back to the opticians if necessary. Is there a limit to how many I can try during a free trial?

Hi. I'm currently on a two week trial with toric lenses, also have astigmatism. I'm having a mare! Can t get them in out eyes red and itchy, keep poking myself in the eye....lol. when they r in I can see close up clearly but long distance is blurred which is making me feel sick n dizzy. Two week trials up Thursday, embarrassed to explain all this in case he thinks I'm daft xx

I'm getting used to getting the lenses in and out (although still a faff) but I'm finding that it strains my eyes to read close-up, which wasn't a problem at all without the lenses. Is this normal?

Possibly - how close are you talikng about? I am very short sighted and can read at normal arms length (say 30cm away from my face) with lenses, whereas if I bring my book up closer it does become blurry. Is it possible you've got used to holding your book, phone etc closer than you need? How does it compare with glasses? You should get reasonably equivalent vision to them with your lenses.

I've never had any problems with reading anything close to me in what I'd consider a normal place to hold a book/magazine etc, anywhere between, say, 30cm to outstretched arm. same with glasses. I'll see if I have the same problem with my 2nd pair of trial lenses and mention it to the opticians if needed.

This is going to sound silly but are you sure they are not inside out?

Also are you sure you haven't got them in the wrong eyes, assuming they are not tge same prescription, I accidentally switch mine from time to time.

Definitely not inside out, but worth asking I've just swapped them round to check they're not in the wrong eyes too. Nope.

The thing is, sometimes my vision is lovely and clear, it's just not consistent. Sometimes it's blured in one eye, sometimes in the other, sometimes both and sometimes neither. All in the same day during a single wear. Can't work out why that would be.