talk to me about red eys and contact lenses please

[piratecat]

Ok, for 3 motnhs plus my left eye has been red. Ihave been to the eye infirmary, who said they (thank god0 could see nothing wrong, and thought it was prob over use of contacts.

WHY is it only in one eye then? I wear daily disposables, and apparently the red eye is due to lack of oxygen to the cornea. I admitted I had prob had them in for more than 10 hrs each day, but had been doing so for 4 yrs with no probs.

Firstly they gave me drops for conjunctivitis, which i used for 2 weeks, refrained form using contacts. No change. Went back and they gave me an antibiotic drop, used this for 2 weeks, and still no contac use for a further 4 weeks.

slight improvement. Put contacts in for an evenign, and next day red eye was back. BUT only this one eye.

any advice?? Have been readng that daily disposables whilst good for cleanliness, are not as good for letting oxygen reach the eye.

What would be better? Also my eyes have been feeling drier the past 6 months or so, and it was geting to be a prob sometimes getting the buggers out, so may indeed have irritated them. Should I use drops to make my eyes more (yeuch) moist ?

btw, ther isn't enough difference between the two eyesfor that to be the cause.

Sorry , the second last post should be silicone hydrgels are the only ones recommended for extended wear, not daily wear!

hi, no, no swab was taken.

first guy i saw had a good look. said it was because extended wear of contacts (in one eye!) Prescribed pheny wotsit, i think its called, the drops u use for conjunctivitis.
Another Dr checked them 2 weeks later (after using drops and non use of contacts), and prescribed oxycin, which i had to use for a further 2 weeks.

sorry haven't read all the thread but i used to have problems with red eyes until i moved to more expensive 2 weekly lenses which have a high water content and very high oxygen content.

most daily lenses aren't very high quality so best not to wear them for as long as you are doing. (i put my lenses in when i get up and take them out when i go to bed, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year)

sorry haven't read all the thread but i used to have problems with red eyes until i moved to more expensive 2 weekly lenses which have a high water content and very high oxygen content.

most daily lenses aren't very high quality so best not to wear them for as long as you are doing. (i put my lenses in when i get up and take them out when i go to bed, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year)

where do you live?
i have the most amazing optician in Kingston (upon Thames) if you are anywhere close you should go and see him. He treats a lot of people referred to him from hospital with problems.

thanks amid, I live in Devon. so not near!!

which lenses do you have. How do they work, if you don't mind telling me a bit about them.

My guess pirate is that ami is using Acuvue Oasys which are also a silicone hydrogel. They do not transmit as much oxygen as Focus/air optix Night and Day but a lot of people find them more comfortable because of the lens design. They are suitable to wear from when you get up to when you go to bed but we don't recommend sleeping in them.

I'm with Throckenholt - I have really dry eyes and use the Night and Day ones, although have to take them out each evening (they are the best ones for dry eyes apparently).

I use special contact lens drops as well and they seem to help when my eyes are driest.

hi Polly, sorry if I am sounding a bit thick, but as they are designed for night use aswell, or to leave in for ages, what did you get to clean them in. or do these night and day ones HAVE to be taken out regularly and come with a specific/have advice for a specific solution.
are these yours?

here

Just wondered, are you taking them out becuase your eyes would get too dry, yet you pay that extra to use them just daily becuase they are in fact so good.

Asking becuase I saw some others called air optix, but they seem to be just for the day, which is what you described.but monthly iyswim.

http://www.visiondirect.co.uk/product.php?xProd=93&xRef=GL|GGL|0604&xCtry=0&xForce=Y these and as you were only using them for the day, would these be worth it, as they seem cheaper but still have this 5 times oxygen thing.

sorry are these the ones

[[http://www.visiondirect.co.uk/product.php?xProd=93&xRef=GL|GGL|0604&xCtry=0&xForce=Y here]

www.visiondirect.co.uk/product.php?xProd=93&xRef=GL|GGL|0604&xCtry=0&xForce=Y

better work

chipmonkey is right, i use acuvue oasys.

apparently i could leave them in for 2 weeks day and night. I have never slept in them (i tried once but couldn't get to sleep!). Even though they are designed for 2 weekly wear, my optician said he wouldn't recommend i do this on anything but very occasional basis.

i use the normal solution to clean/leave them in overnight. i am sensitive to peroxide so have to have the peroxide free one.

pirate, there are 2 types of air optix, the ones in your link and the air optix night and day.
The ones in the link are only for daily wear and are not as good quality as the Night and Day version but are fine for all-day wear. I find most of my patients prefer the Acuvue Oasys to the air optix in your link.
The only thing about silicone hydrogel is while they are fabulous for eye health, I do find that patients who suffer from allergies/hay-fever sometimes find them uncomfortable and you wouldn't know until you tried them.