silly/odd contact lense question

N

Nomad

Guest
I wear contacts daily. I also have dry eyes. I also wear glasses when I read.
Anyway...
When I'm overtired, I'll fall asleep with- my contacts on. This tends to lead to trouble. Sometimes the next day, one of the contacts will pop out. The weird thing, I can't tell which one. My vision is blurry...but it is unclear where the blur is coming from.
So, I'll poke at my eye (s) trying to see if it is this one (right) or that one (left) that is missing a contact and causing my vision problems due to a missing contact.
What is the best way other than poking your eye with your finger to tell if you are wearing your contact (s)? What do other people do?
And second question...what is your favorite drop/remedy for dry eyes? Mine aren't severe...more of a mild problem.
Thank you.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
I hated this problem. I always put drops in before poking just to try to not scratch or further irritate my eyes. The last time I wore contacts they were always dry and scratchy. This was due to various autoimmune problems - I had no idea they could do that. Given my horrid eyesight there were not lenses available to address taht issue. So I went back to glasses. Anyway, I used whatever I could find for drops. Often for the dry eyes with no idea which had a lens in I would use straight saline. It seemed to soak in faster. I still keep bottles of saline around for rinsing out eyes when the kids get stuff stuck in them. Far cheaper than other products for that problem.

Keeping a bottle of fresh solution and a case by your bed might be a better idea than sleeping in them. You can really damage your eye by poking it to see which lens is in and which is out. Long term scratches and even infection that could leave permanent damage can be the result. DO NOT use alcohol sanitizer on your hands to get the germs off before poking. The alcohol gel will melt or damage the plastic of some lenses!!! This would be a LOT worse than many things. But do rinse your eyes with saline after poking them to get grit/irritants/germs/whatever out before you put lenses in. It will also help rehydrate your eyes.
 

Mattsmom277

Active Member
I've had this happen and I had to apply drops and give my eyes time to lubricate and usually then I can see in the mirror in the bathroom if I look up close and tell which eye has a lense in it. I don't think its a odd question at all, I think this probably happens more than people think.
 
H

HaoZi

Guest
A really good lens solution helps me. Ditto to looking the mirror for them. Do you use hard or soft contacts? Soft ones you should be able to see the edge of the lens outside the iris. Once I started wearing them I became pretty good at spotting them on other people.
Some drops can make the problem worse, you have to be certain you get the drops made for contacts. My eyes also dry out more if I use regular drops even when I'm not wearing my lenses. In a pinch I'll use my lens solution as drops, and it seems to work best.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
My optitian told me when this happens go to the mirror and look UP, blink and look left, right and look up again with your hand pulling the lid UP.....this should "refocus" your lense. My lenses (and most) are tinted blue around the edges so you should be able to look in the mirror and see which eye has the blue tint lense and which does not.

As far as solutions? For dry eyes and rewetting? Know this - as you get older? Your eyes literally dry out and need more rewetting. Age=dryness.

For occasionally allergies and/or that itchy feeling? NOTHING for me is better than Bausch and Lomb Alaway. Sometimes I feel like I want to pull out my eyelashes. I thought at first it was my solution. Opthamologist thought so too. I'm allergic to lots of stuff. I was using Bio-True. I figured since it conformed to the Ph of your eyes it would be wonderful. Nope. The other WONDERFUL ultra lubricant I use is called Systane. I have yet to find anything as good. Both are kind of pricey. However for regular daily use - Walmart Equate Lubricating and Rewetting Drops for Soft Contacts is a good less expensive alternative.

As Far as Daily Cleaner? Opti-Free Replenish. Love it! I also like this other stuff that is hydrogen peroxide and a basket (can't think of the name and don't have any on hand) I get it at the eye doctor) you can NOT use it unless you have six hours to 'wash' your lenses in because you do not rinse your lenses after cleaning - just take them out - and wear. but OH MY WORD if you try to use the lenses a minute before six hours - you will burn your eyes. I was trying to tell Haozi about this too - (rotten brain) Blue box - red writting.....ack!
 
H

HaoZi

Guest
Aosept weekly enzymatic cleaner? Used it all through high school and had to stop using it, it was the first brand I became overly sensitive to.
 

Marcie Mac

Just Plain Ole Tired
I wear Hard Lenses and they have a slight tint to them so on the rare occasion they go missing in my eye they are easy to spot. I just went and got a new prescription last year and thought I would try the soft lens -ugggg - I had so much trouble getting them in and out, I just said forget it - Have been wearing hard lenses for 50 years (I got them when I was 11) why change now

by the way, if I leave them in overnite, it messes up my vision next day. Can't recommend anything for dry eyes as I don't have that problem

Marcie
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
No it's not Aosept - (drats) lol - I can remember what it's NOT......Has a little basket.......hydrogen peroxide that fizzes when you put the basket into the cleaner......you can't get it at WM you have to buy it at the eye doctor.....(dratted swiss cheese brain) At least I don't think it's not Aosept....lol....(gosh that's not even funny)
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
I would forget mine were in..........or fall asleep with them in. And I had an issue with dry eyes. The combination gave me a scratched cornea........and I think I've worn them maybe a few times since. Never could tell whether they were in my eye or not.......never could see them there no matter what trick I used or even a good magnifying mirror. (my up close vision really is starting to hoover)

I decided I've worn glasses since I was 6. And went back to glasses. Less hassle no scratched corneas. lol
 

skeeter

New Member
My solution? Lasik.

Seriously. I was pretty bad off in the vision arena (I couldn't see the wall, much less the E). I'd worn soft contacts for years, and the capillaries of my eyes were coming to the surface, meaning they were starved for oxygen, even with the soft contacts. I was getting to the point on not being able to wear contacts, and my eyes were so bad that would mean loosing all my peripheral vision wearing just glasses. So I saved and had Lasik done about 12 years ago. Had to have the second generation laser (my eyes dilated more than 5mm) so it was a little more expensive, but worth EVERY penny. I "lost" my close up vision to be 20/20 far away (I had the choice and took that). I'm 20/15 far, and I only need magnifiers (just drug store variety) when doing something like threading a needle. I can read most everything without help except in very low light.
 
H

HaoZi

Guest
I looked into LASIK years ago and was told it could get me to a lower Rx (like -3.5 or so) but that none of the procedures available would get me out of lenses.
Star, Aosept does have basket thing with the enzymatic weekly cleaner, I've seen it several brands, they all use hydrogen peroxide. Those are the only ones I've seen in or out of doctor's office, but using dailies the Opti-Free to get an extra day of use out of them works fine for me. If you find the one you're talking about and it's not the enzymatic stuff, let me know, it sounds interesting.
 
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