I'm trying contacts for the 1st time ever--help!

Govtgirl

Govtgirl

Cathlete
Ok, I've got them in now....the good thing is I can see w/o reader glasses, the bad thing, it still feels like I've got stuff stuck in my eyes. which I do of course ;) but I can't wait for this feeling to go away. Yesterday was my first time EVER trying them, got them in and out OK, but only wore them 2 hours because of a headache. I'm trying them tonight for at least 2 hours, aiming for 3-4.

I'm 48, have worn magnification glasses for reading the past few years, and just got sick and tired of always taking my glasses on and off. I wanted to try the new bifocal contacts, so here I am.

So...how long does it take for this annoying "got-an-eyelash-in-my-eye" feeling to go away? Did anyone here try contacts late in the game successfully? Any advice or pep-talk would be appreciated!! Thanks! :D
 
I don't really have an answer for you, but wanted to wish you luck. I suspect that "eyelash" feeling will go away within a few days, as your eyelids adjust to having the contacts in.

I had worn glasses since I was in 5th grade and, of course, hated them. My very first purchase once I got my very first job when I was 16 was contact lenses. This was a very long time ago when soft lenses were very new and not very good. (Wow, there were sure a lot of "very" repetitions in those sentences!) I remember that even with the hard lenses it did not take too long a time to get used to them. If you can believe it, I wore the same pair for 16 years until I was lucky enough to have RK corrective surgery. My eyes were so bad that the measuring chart does not go that high. They measured them by how far in front of my face I could still count the number of fingers on a hand being held up. RK was incredible for me, giving me 20/25. I do now have to wear reading glasses some of the time, which is getting to be more often, but that is normal. Unfortunately, because of the RK they don't recommend wearing contacts or I would be all over those bifocal lenses (but don't regret the RK at all). I'm sure you'll be really happy with them very soon.
 
Yes, it will go away...it does take time to adapt, though. I remember having a helluva time initially just getting those suckers in. And the first few times one went MIA in my eyeball? Total panic.

But for most people, myself included, wearing them becomes second nature. If you DON'T get over that feeling, see your eye doc. It might just be a matter of trying a different brand. I use Optix 2 right now, and they are the most breathable contacts I've ever worn. Love 'em!

Good luck!
 
My eyelash in my eye feeling left after a few minutes. It never took a "few days" for the lenses to settle down and feel alright unless you have been fit with a less then ideal lens. If it doesn't feel better perhaps you should contact your doctor and suggest he try a different lens. There are several manufacturers that have bifocal contact lenses.
 
I never had the feeling that anything was in my eye when they were in correctly. do you have the lens inside out? I have done that and it is very uncomfortable.
 
make sure no lint or eyelash or other debris is on the lens when putting in your eye...this will definitely cause discomfort. i had no adjustment getting use to my contacts, but i've had friends that had difficulty. give it some time and wear them for a few hours at a time until you get comfortable.
 
WOW! Congrats on the contacts! I love mine, and have been wearing them since I was 13 (I'm 37 now, lol). I wear the disposable contacts that you toss after 2 weeks, although I do use them longer than that (not recommended by the doc, though). I can remember the very first day being a bit annoying, but I immediately got used to them and never feel like I have them in.

Like somebody else said, if that feeling doesn't go away soon (I'd say within 3 days or so), then I'd have them checked again. Be sure they're clean, not inside out (when they're inside they feel like they're floating above your eye and are about to pop out, if that makes sense), and slowly increase the time you're wearing them (as you're trying to now).

GOOD LUCK!

Gayle
 
I've worn contact for about 25 years and I recall that when I first got them I had to build up the time I could leave them in. Specifically I remember my eye doc telling me that they were an irritant in my eye and the inside of my eyelids had to build up little "callouses" over a few days before they would feel totally comfortable. So I aimed for progressively longer periods at a time and after 2-3 days they were fine.

As I said that was a very long time ago and I certainly don't know if today's contact lenses render that advice outmoded. I'd give it a few days and it should be fine. If not, take the advice and return to the doc to check. Good luck.
 
I wear daily disposables, and like them a lot. If you have never worn them, your eyes need an adjustment period. If it does not get better, try a different type. You don't mention what type you have, gas permeable, soft, disposables? The adjustment period varies depending on the lens.
 
Contacts

I think the key to contacts is in the fit. Soft contacts are much easier to get used to than hard. I wear the two week soft disposables and have for years. I remember trying several types before I got the right one. I really encourage you to go back to your eye doctor and tell him/her what you told us.
 
I wear soft contact lens.

The first two days are the worst.

I could not wait to get them out on day 1 and day 2 and the acute feeling of eye irritation I felt for EVERY second that they were inside the eyes is still fresh in my memory. I wore them at work as recommended by my optometrist and I think that somehow helps. It is a real effort to focus on what needs to be done, but being at work and having things to do makes it less likely that you will pull them out early.

I have worn them for 15 years now and I am so glad I persisted. After a week I felt absolutely comfortable.

I wore it for one hour more each day - starting with 2 hours on day one, 3 on day 2...and so on. By the second week I was wearing them for 8 hours with absolutely no sensation that something was in my eye.

Good luck!
 
I agree with others who said to be sure they are not inside out. It did take me a few days to get used to them but now I can't stand wearing my glasses! If you don't adjust to wearing this pair, go back to the eye doctor. It took my DH 3 or 4 different tries to get a pair that he was comfortable with. Good luck to you!

Carrie
 
I wore contacts for many years before getting Lasik. They shouldn't hurt like that if they are in correctly. Make sure they are squeaky clean and not inside out (to check for this, when you are not wearing them, they flare more when they are inside out and are more of a cup shape when right side out). Also, make sure they aren't folded over. Don't give up if you feel frustrated with getting them in or out. It takes some practice but with time you will perfect your technique. If you still have pain, it's possible you got the wrong size or something, so you should go back to your eye doctor.

Amy
 
I am 49 and just got contacts for the first time a few months ago. My glasses have progressive lenses so I need correction for reading and distance. I have one of each contact. One eye has a lens for reading and the other eye has a lens for distance. I think it's called mono-vision.

I asked my opthamologist why he didn't give me the bifocal lenses and he said that very few people wear them successfully so he doesn't prescribed them.

I have a thing about eyes and so was very apprehensive about putting the contacts in. But I was quite suprised that I am able to do it easily.

As far as the feeling that there is something in my eye, for me it only takes a few minutes for the lenses to sit where they are supposed to be. There was one time the feeling that something was in my eye would not go away though. I took it out and cleaned it and put it back in and I was fine. I guess it was probably because I either had it in backwards or something was under the lens.

Not much help, am I?
 
Have a question for you?

Did you just have trouble with the reading part of seeing? I'm in that position right now, I only wear the readers and I get tired of taking glasses on and off. I asked about the bifocal contacts and they stated that although the reading would be good with them, the other parts of seeing may seem blurred. Do you find that occurs with you?
 
L Sass said:
I've worn contact for about 25 years and I recall that when I first got them I had to build up the time I could leave them in.
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I remember back to those days, when only 'hard lenses' were available. You had to adapt to them by wearing them first for 15 minutes (and tearing the entire time), then leave them out for an hour (or something like that), then put them in again for 30 minutes, etc.

You might try something like that with your new ones.

Last time I tried contacts (about 5 years ago), I noticed that the soft lenses are now bigger than they used to be when I wore them. After my trial period, I decided I didn't want to deal with them (and it seemed to me like repeated pulling on the eye area to remove these larger ones might add more lines around the eye).
 
Thanks everybody! This is my third progressive day with them in; I'll wear them for about 6 hours today. I don't feel like I have anything in my eyes anymore (YAY!), and I'm surprised how easily I can put them in and take them out.

These are the soft disposal bifocals...I used to think I only needed glasses for reading, but lately anything within 3 feet was a bit blurry. These are still a bit of a low prescription; the doc said she wants me to get used to these before going stronger.

I am willing to give up a bit of distance clarity in favor of close-up; I'm an artist, and I need to be able to see stuff close up, especially at the computer at work.

It jsut got so bad I couldn't even see whether I was putting shampoo or conditioner in my hair in the shower....and who wants to wear glasses in the shower! :p

Forgive the typos...still getting used to this!
 
Good job so far!

After following everyone else's advice, you might also want to engage in an activity which you are so busy you won't notice the contacts, while you are adjusting. Being on the computer is probably the worst one since often we "forget to blink" while on the computer. I'd suggest working out, and watching a very exciting movie, make sure that your eyes aren't directly near any fans, vents, stiff breezes, etc.

Enjoy the fact that you can wear cheap sunglasses!
 
Govtgirl said:
Thanks everybody! This is my third progressive day with them in; I'll wear them for about 6 hours today. I don't feel like I have anything in my eyes anymore (YAY!), and I'm surprised how easily I can put them in and take them out.

These are the soft disposal bifocals...I used to think I only needed glasses for reading, but lately anything within 3 feet was a bit blurry. These are still a bit of a low prescription; the doc said she wants me to get used to these before going stronger.

I am willing to give up a bit of distance clarity in favor of close-up; I'm an artist, and I need to be able to see stuff close up, especially at the computer at work.

It jsut got so bad I couldn't even see whether I was putting shampoo or conditioner in my hair in the shower....and who wants to wear glasses in the shower! :p

Forgive the typos...still getting used to this!
Click to expand...

Congratulations on your getting used to them. I'm 49, and I've been wearing bifocal contacts for 3 years. I had no trouble getting used to them, but normally have to take one out and clean it about once a week if it feels bad or is in backwards. If you can feel it in there, something is not right.

I could not live without them. I am a software engineer and read a lot, so I am like you in that I have been willing to give up some distance clarity in favor of closeup. I spend a lot more time reading or looking at closeup things than I do trying to see far away. I think because I have always had perfect distance vision, it is more obvious to me that it is a bit blurrier out there. But I CAN see perfectly well, and it's worth it.


Good luck,Sandi
 
My boys have been wearing contact lenses since they were 2 yrs old (medical reasons). We had to go from 2 hrs a day to 3 hrs a day etc for 2 weeks. Just to get your eyes used to them. And as simple as it sounds, you have to remember to blink often. If you are painting or reading you tend to keep your eyes focused and not blink. We also use preservative free natural tears to keep them wet. It has made a world of difference.
Make sure your doc looks to see that they are fit properly also.
Good Luck!!!

ellie
 
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