Contact lenses

William Morris2 said:I've been wearing soft contact lenses for about a year now.
Honestly, I usually just reach for my glasses—it's not exactly a perfect experience with the lenses. I always seem to "feel" them in there, if you know what I mean.
Do you think using something like artificial tears might actually make a difference?
My prescription is -1.5, -1.75.

Like they mentioned, there's really no harm in trying, though personally, I could never quite get used to soft lenses... it was an absolute struggle just having them in my eyes. And honestly, even artificial tears didn't change much for me.😢

I was wondering if anyone could give me some insight regarding how old you have to be to switch from hard contacts to soft ones—and also, which option tends to be more budget-friendly?

Hard and hybrid lenses are usually the way to go if your prescription is high enough..

..I ended up paying for some hybrid ones $267 ..just a pair..

..been wearing them for 6 years now..

..took about a week to get used to them, then things improved..but they still feel weird sometimes..and on days when they sting, I know it's time to get them professionally cleaned..it doesn't cost much..maybe $10

..eye drops help..I personally bought Bausch + Lomb contact lenses..they're fine if something gets in your eye..or if there's just a tiny bit of irritation, like if you're in a smoky room..

.I always bring my goggles to the beach. My prescription is -5.00 in both eyes. Towel colors don't mean anything to me because all the colors at the beach just blur together anyway..😁 ...with the goggles, everything is perfect!!!

I REALLY NEED TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU ALL!

My contact lens actually snapped in half this morning! Right inside my eye!
I've been wearing soft lenses for years now. I honestly never thought this could happen.

See, my left lens had been feeling a little irritating for a few days. I figured it was just some buildup, so I popped it in the case with a cleaning tablet. It seemed a bit better after that. I put it in normally yesterday, but while I was out in the evening, it started bothering me so much that I took it out and wrapped it in a paper napkin. When I got home, I soaked it and used it again this morning. After a few minutes, things felt... strange. Like something was fluttering against my eye.

When I finally took it out, I was in shock. There was only a tiny fragment on my finger???

I tried again and, luckily, managed to get the second piece out.
Unknown

I had no idea anything like this was even possible. This is a first for me.
I wear these soft ones that are rated for 12 months.

These were at the 11-month mark. I was planning to switch them out soon, but I never dreamed they could just crack.

😱 😱 😱 😱 😲

My biggest fear, seriously!!!!!!!!!!!! Even if I'm wearing soft contacts, I'm terrified of this... because if they were hard lenses, my halves would definitely get stuck in my eye. It's way better if it happens with a soft lens...

Oh man... what a nightmare... I actually fell asleep with my lenses in front of the TV today and woke up with one at the bottom of my eye and the other stuck way up high... but whatever, I have that suction tool..👍 everyone who wears soft contacts needs to grab one of those...

Andrew Hernandez said:I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU ALL!

My contact lens literally snapped in half this morning! And right there in my eye!
I've been wearing soft lenses for years, and I honestly never imagined such a thing was even physically possible.

Here’s the deal: for a few days now, my left lens had been feeling a bit irritating. I assumed it was just some protein buildup, so I popped it into the case with a cleaning tablet. It seemed to help a little. I put it back in yesterday like usual, but while I was out for the evening, it started bothering me so much that I had to take it out and wrap it in a paper towel. When I got home, I soaked it in solution and tried putting it back in this morning. Within minutes, I felt this bizarre sensation—almost like something was fluttering against my eyeball.

When I finally pulled it out, I was in total shock. All I found on my fingertip was a tiny fragment of the lens.???

I tried searching for the rest, and thankfully, I managed to fish out the second piece.
Unknown

I had absolutely no idea this could happen. This is a first for me.
I wear soft lenses that have a 12-month replacement cycle.

These particular ones were at the 11-month mark. I was planning to switch to a new pair soon, but I never dreamed they could actually crack.

I don't really get it. I wear soft lenses too, and there is zero chance of them snapping. Mine are made of such thin silicone and sit right over the iris. Once you take them out, they are incredibly pliable; you can bend them, squish them, or do whatever you want—they aren't going to break! Maybe you're using a different type... I really hope your eye is doing okay!

Contact lenses can actually tear because they are made from such lightweight, delicate material. One likely scenario? Handling them with sharp fingernails, even if they aren't long.

They can also crack, though they would need to be dry first. 😉

Elizabeth Ruiz2 said:😱 😱 😱 😱 😲

My biggest freaking fear! Even if I'm wearing RGP lenses... I am terrified of this happening. Like, my lens halves would definitely get stuck in my eye if they were hard lenses... so it’s way better if this happens with a soft lens...

Oh my god... absolute nightmare... I actually fell asleep in front of the TV with my lenses in today and woke up with one at the bottom of my eye and the other one stuck way up high... but whatever, it's fine. I have that little suction tool thing...👍 you seriously need to go out and buy one... especially if you wear RGP lenses...

What suction tool? What even is that?
Explain.😕

William Morris2 said:Which pump are we talking about here? I'm not entirely sure what you mean by that—what exactly is it?
I suppose I should attempt to clarify—though, in my experience, clarity is often just an illusion we cling to when things get complicated. If you're looking for a breakdown, I can try to walk through the details, but please understand that my perspective is colored by a certain amount of skepticism regarding how these things usually play out. I’ll lay it all out, step by step, as best as I can.😕

It’s just this tiny little pump—maybe three centimeters long, I think—and it looks almost exactly like one of those little drain augers... what’s the word for that thing again? I can't quite wrap my head around it right now. 😳...you just press against the lens—it’s kind of a semi-solid thing, I suppose—and then you pull it right out.
Back when I was still wearing those semi-hard contact lenses—you know, the ones that always felt like they were trying to make a break for it—I used to rely on that little miracle whenever I felt like a lens might actually slip off my iris.

Frank Lee6 said:Soft lenses can actually tear because they're made from such lightweight, delicate material. One way this happens is if you're handling them with sharp fingernails, even if they aren't particularly long.

They can definitely tear, though they usually need to be dry first. 😉

Yeah, a lens actually did tear on me once. Maybe it was just bad handling? Or my nails.
I tend to pull them out of the case with my fingers, so maybe I'm catching the edge on something sharp?
Honestly, God knows—I have no idea how it happened, but it did.
My eye was fine, though, since it was a soft lens.

Anyway, I'm not giving up on them. I'll just be more careful. And I should probably grab a backup pair so I'm not stuck waiting for a shipment like I am now.

The best part? I can chop onions without a single issue!!! My eyes never sting like everyone else's because my Bausch + Lomb contact lenses have my back. Total lifesaver.
Honestly, I’ve been wearing these for 15 years now, so I'm so used to them that if I try reading a book before bed with glasses, my eyes just get exhausted. haha.

To the guy above complaining about dry eyes, you should check out those BLINK drops. They actually keep things hydrated for way longer.

Andrew Hernandez said:I HAVE TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU GUYS!

My contact lens literally snapped in half this morning! And while it was in my eye!
I've been wearing soft lenses for years. I never thought this was actually possible.

I put them in normally yesterday, but they started bothering me so much during my night out that I just took them out and wrapped them in a paper napkin...

I don't get why you'd put a lens in a paper napkin?!!😱 😱 🙂

That is NOT how you do it! At least not with soft lenses—I can't speak for others. You can't let a lens dry out or it'll be ruined—it gets brittle and hard (try leaving an old one sitting out on a desk and see what happens to it!). It either needs to be in your eye or in solution!

It's weird to me that you didn't have solution or liquid on you. I always carry some, because you never know when something might happen that forces you to take your lenses out...
For going out, grab a travel-sized bottle of solution, or at least some artificial tears. Or just pour some solution into a small sterile plastic vial (you can pick those up at any CVS for a couple of bucks).

You can just pick up one of those little suction pumps at any drugstore that carries eye care supplies... what was it called... 😁 maybe something like ExxonMobil...

..once you create that vacuum and get it centered, it won't budge. You just press it against the lens and it snaps right back into place..

..or if it slides up, down, or sideways—which happens to me all the time 😁—that little pump is a lifesaver. I don't know the exact price, but I swear, whenever my lens acts up and I realize I forgot my pump, I lose my mind!!!!!!!! Then I’m just sitting there, stressed out and panicking at the same time, digging around in my eye like a total maniac...

..just the other day, a tiny speck got stuck in my eye while I was riding the subway.. I started crying. My tears were just streaming down 😁 I looked like my boyfriend had just dumped me... and nobody has any clue that my lens actually slid all the way into my tear duct 😁 I hate this!!

Ugh, seriously

I’ve been wearing hard contacts for years and I absolutely hate it when one of them pops out right in the middle of the street. You're standing there digging around, but there's nothing to grab, your eye starts watering like crazy, then everything else starts acting up—my nose starts running, it's a total disaster. I don't even know what to do. I can't just take it out right then because I'm stuck on a sidewalk in the middle of nowhere while people stare at me like I'm insane. It sends me into such a massive panic!!!😱

And sometimes it hurts so bad I can't even keep my eye open. My vision gets all blurry and tears are just streaming down my face everywhere!

Oh man, swifteagle18... what comes next in the song?

When things get like that, trying to pop out a RGP lens is basically impossible if you just try the usual eyelid tugging thing. Honestly, you're stuck using that tiny little suction tool and a mirror. I usually just keep mine tucked in my coat pocket.

It was such a moment when I went on that first date with my ex. We're walking around the city and something gets stuck in my eye, so I start blinking like crazy, the lens shifts, and my eyes start watering like mad. I played it off all cool and said—thank God you're a girl, you definitely have one of those little makeup mirrors in your purse, right? She looks at me and goes—I don't have a 👎

Anyway, correct me if I'm wrong here—that irritation from dust is actually kind of a "perk" of RGPs compared to softies. Since soft lenses are more comfortable, you barely feel the irritant scraping against your cornea until it’s already caused damage and led to inflammation. Am I totally off base?

......I don't know that song.....

It’s way easier for guys since they don't bother with makeup. For me? The second the tears start flowing, everything just runs everywhere. It looks terrible. And honestly, who has the time or energy to keep reapplying all that stuff constantly??

The only way I can get my contacts out is with a suction tool. That old-school method doesn't work for me anymore, and I have no idea why...

On my first day trying to get used to contacts, I wore them for maybe 15 minutes before ripping them out 20 minutes later!

Is it just me, or is this way harder for guys? Like, take morning shaving. If I put my lenses in, I can't wash my face properly, but I definitely need to wash up after I shave. But if I don't put the lenses in first, I can't even see well enough to get a decent shave. And you can't really wash your face beforehand since I use an electric razor. Super convenient, right?

I was out paragliding with a buddy once and my helmet visor popped open—I almost lost my glasses entirely. With contacts, at least I don't have to worry about that. Honestly, that’s basically the only reason I don't go all out with the one sport I actually love.

Matthew Morris2, why on earth can't you wash your face while wearing contacts?😕

Since I occasionally wash my face with soap, I naturally end up rubbing my eyes during my routine, which just doesn't sit right with my contacts. Sometimes I even take a shower with them in, or go for a swim in the ocean, though diving isn't really on my radar.

Anyway, I don't think I mentioned the weird paradox I've been dealing with over the last few months.

My right eye is pretty heavy on the nearsightedness with some intense astigmatism—somewhere around -3.5 sphere and -1.5 cylinder—so obviously, even with contacts, my vision isn't quite as sharp as my left eye. My glasses have the exact same prescription as my lenses, and everything was totally fine until about a month or two ago. Now, when I look through my glasses with my right eye, my vision is significantly worse than it is with my contacts. I'm not talking about that usual slight advantage contacts give you; I mean it’s drastically worse. Has this happened to anyone else?