Contact lenses?

[ConfusedLove]

I'm due to receive my first set of contact lenses next week after much anxiety about using them (fear of not being able to safely insert and remove them by myself/ infection) and I'm curious to know if those of you currently use them- any tips or recommendations for the best lenses that aren't too costly?

Also just how easy is it to remove your lenses?

I have a weird dislike about touching my eyes so I'm nervous that my lenses may get 'stuck', but is this actually a thing, and is it something that can happen often?

I've had glasses for 10+ years but rarely wear them as I find they slip off and also don't suit me. But I need something for my vision and can't afford laser eye surgery right now so hoping contact lenses will help.

Thanks in advance

They can't get stuck. Sometimes a lens can slide into a slightly awkward place at the edge of your eye but as they're soft, they can't get stuck. You just need to be patient and don't rush trying to get them out.

Your optician should coach you in inserting and removing them when you collect them.

It goes without saying to practice good hygiene - wash your hands thoroughly before handling the lenses - to prevent infection.

You mention your glasses slipping off - have you talked to your optician about this? It sounds as though they don't fit properly. If you have a narrow nose, you are better off with adjustable nose-pads (rather than a plastic frame) and you also need to make sure the ear-rests are curved to the right tightness. Your optician should be able to adjust them if they are slipping off.

I would recommend getting your glasses adjusted too as it's not normally recommended to leave your lenses in for your entire waking hours (your optician will advise the max wear time based on the type of lens and how naturally moist your eyes are).

Are they daily disposables OP?

I've only used the disposable ones so don't know if the monthly ones are more substantial, so this may not work with them.

I cannot do the 'pinch' thing to take them out, I'm scared that as the lens slides off I will touch the bit of your eye that hurts. So I put my finger on the lens and pull it downwards until it crumples up against my bottom lid, then I can get hold of it and take it out.

If you really have issues touching your eye, can you practice by touching the white? That's what I had to do to get over not being able to do it. Once I could do that, I could move on to dealing with lenses.

Hi OP, I've worn daily disposable contact lenses for 20 years without any problems.

I get bad hay-fever and sometimes if I itch my eyes too aggressively my contact bunches up and slips around the side of my eye, a lot of blinking and patience and it always pops back out.

I've never had an infection.

I wear silicon hydrogel as they allow more oxygen to the eye resulting in less tired eyes. I wear mine from dawn till bedtime. I loathe glasses and look ugly in them, plus no optician has ever made the arms sit on my ears comfortably.

Good luck.

Oh, and I find putting some contact lens friendly eye drops in before trying to take them out makes everything much easier.

Make sure theyre ones that are OK to use while the lenses are actually in your eye, some say they're friendly, but actually you have to take the lenses out for half an hour before using them!

Practice touching your eyeballs!!!!

I am also someone who has massive ick touching my eyes. I had leave-in monthly contacts for a few years when they were the new big thing, after a while the opticians all hated them (I think they caused a lot of issues) and it was difficult to get them prescribed, they were great for me though, but I don’t think you can get them any more. Eventually I got laser eye surgery done on monthly payments took me 3 years to pay it off. Worth every penny even though it was a terrifying day, now it’s like having proper eyes.

When I did put lenses in, I didn’t look at them as I did it like they told me to, as that freaked me out massively to see my finger coming towards my eye. Lens was on tip of my right index finger, I would use left middle finger to lift upper eyelid, right middle finger to pull down lower eyelid, look sideways, put right index finger with lens onto eyeball, hold it there while slowly moving eye toward centre then when you felt the lens float off the finger onto the eyeball take the finger away, stare/blink a few times and it would find the right place. It took a lot of practice not just at the technique but at not freaking out/coping with the sicky, panicky feeling that touching eyes caused in me.

Thanks for the info ladies

I do feel a lot more reassured that it's not as scary as I imagine it will be. I will practice touching the white of my eye aswell.
I can't remember what ones I chose honestly but I've had some good Rex one from here I'm going to look into

@ConfusedLove

Thanks for the info ladies

I do feel a lot more reassured that it's not as scary as I imagine it will be. I will practice touching the white of my eye aswell.
I can't remember what ones I chose honestly but I've had some good Rex one from here I'm going to look into

Good recommendations^*

@ConfusedLove go for the Daily disposable' lenses... they're already sterile and you bin them after each use, you don't need to bother with solutions and sterilising procedures etc, they're great for going on holidays as so light and unbulky... also another great advantage of the dailies is if you happen to have a mild eye infection such as conjunctivitis you just wear your glasses for a few days until it clears up then you can go back to wearing your dailies whereas with the monthlies or yearlies you need to dispose of the lenses completely as otherwise you can reinfect yourself even if the lenses are sterilised... Also with dailies you can have a break for a week or 2 whereas with monthlies they have to be disposed of if opened for more than 4 weeks so you'd have to then move onto the next pair... dailies seem a little more expensive but they're not when you weigh up all the advantages and also I'd advise you to buy a 3 month supply as most opticians give a discount for that amount...

Day soft lenses are the best and really cheap too. I've used them for years.
East to use and not a fortune if you drop them when you're first starting out.

I've been wearing the monthly leave-in type for 15 years (although I don't sleep in them as its not really recommended even though they are approved for it). They are silicone hydrogel which as a pp says allow mote oxygen to reach the eye than regular disposables, Before that I wore rigid gas permeables for 20 years.

I can touch my eyeballs easily, its really useful if you get an eyelash in your eye but I don't touch them to get the lenses out, I just pinch my upper and lower eyelids together with my first and middle finger and the lens pops out into my fingers. I love my lenses so much.

Silicone hydrogels for me too. I have both monthly and daily. The monthly ones are way better for wearing all day, they are more robust and remain moist and comfortable for the whole day. I find the daily ones dry out quicker and therefore by the evening they often make me rub my eyes and drop out!

I have worn contacts for many years, and do all the things you are not supposed to do, like swim in them, and shower in them. I can't see without them though, so little choice.

I have prescription goggles for swimming and shower with my glasses on if I need to see eg for leg shaving.

I've been using contact lenses for 10 years. There's nothing to it, don't worry. You will get used to them