Carol Hill66 said:Good grief, the things you read on these forums. It’s not like eye doctors need to pass out from shock, but you might just lose consciousness yourself when someone finally tells you that you’ve absolutely trashed your eyes all because of some sheer stupidity.
I’m genuinely curious if this is how you handle other things—say, changing the oil in your car, where you decide to push it 31075 miles past the manufacturer's recommended interval.
I suspect you aren't even aware of the cocktail of bacteria you could be inviting in, let alone the potential retinal damage. For your own sake, stop doing this, and for heaven's sake, stop recommending it to others or acting like it's something to brag about.
Oh, please. ☕
I have various optometrists and fellow birdwatchers telling me all the time that I should be replacing my lenses every couple of years, especially since I send them in for a professional polish once or twice a year.
Then, I actually go see my ophthalmologist—my first checkup in seven years, which implies I’ve been wearing these same lenses for at least that long, if not longer—and he informs me that if I keep maintaining them exactly as I am, I can keep wearing them for another seven years.
And mind you, I have never once followed the instructions printed on those little boxes and bottles: I haven't tossed the solution or the soap after a certain number of days just because they supposedly stopped being sterile, nor have I ever let the solution sit for a few extra days. In fact, once I ran out of solution, I started storing my lenses in saline, or even just plain water, cleaning them with dish soap and tap water.
There are certainly reasons why manufacturers print specific instructions on their packaging, but that doesn't mean you're going to blind yourself by ignoring them.
For people with sensitive eyes, following those rules is vital.
For manufacturers, it's also important so they don't get sued and so customers keep buying their products more frequently.
But look, the eye is sensitive; if there's an actual problem, believe me, you'll feel it.
