Don't extended wear your extended wear contacts.

MDeitch1976

MDeitch1976

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MattCanFly
Don't let your contact lenses take away from your flying. Apparently, extended wear can extend your flight training time. At first I thought my allergies were having an effect on me. Later in the evening, it felt like I had something in my eye. I took out my contact, and then bring on the water works all night long. Sunday afternoon, I took a trip to the emergency room. ER Doc thought it was a Cornea Ulcer. I went to an opthamologist today to find that it was an infection of the eye. Hopefully, I will be all good by next weekend. I missed some cross country training this weekend, and I probably will have a two week gap between flying last.

Moral of the story, extended wear, shouldn't be extended if you value your eyes! Your eyes need the oxygen, and the contacts need to be cleaned just like any other contact.
 
Amen. I wear lenses with a 90-day life, but only if I limit wear to 12 hours a day or so, clean them properly every night, and use in-eye wetting solution (Blink'n'Clear or the like) during the day. If I tell my optometrist I wore my lenses for 14-16 hours in a day, she rips me a new one.
 
MDeitch1976 said:
Moral of the story, extended wear, shouldn't be extended if you value your eyes! Your eyes need the oxygen, and the contacts need to be cleaned just like any other contact.
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You know that, I know that, for some reason the companies that sell them dont seem to know that.

Sorry you have to go through this.
 
I tried contacts..I just never liked them. They made my distance vision nice and sharp, but also made my computer monitor a bit blurry. No thanks.
 
I just had Lasik (one month ago). I was wearing soft contacts rated for 30 days of day/night wear - then pitch and put in new (Focus Night and Day, I think).

I think I had my last pair in for a year or so.....only drops of saline in the morning (and a gentle squeeze of the contact to get the lube under the lens).

About every 3-4 months I'd remove for the night and maybe wear glasses for a few hours the next morning. For that overnight, I'd let them soak in Renu, no other special treatment.

Yes, that was stupid. Yes, I was lucky (Two docs examining me prior to lasik and neither found any signs of blood vessel growth into the cornea)

So far so good. Waking up without the cruddy eye feeling is great.
 
After I heal, I am going to be a lot more vigilant with taking them out, cleaning. Make sure I spend more days wearing my glasses. Contacts are really convenient, until they are not. They are nice because then all I need is sunglasses as necessary. However, I do find when I am tired or it is raining or high humidity out, they seem to dry out very easily. Also, I was on a roller coaster, and one of them tore.

For people who do not like them, I understand the trepidation of putting something on your eye, and taking it out all the time. You get better at that. Obviously, they can be bad for your vision for just sheer neglect.

The makers of these and even the Optometrists that prescribe them should give more information as well.
 
I have the same stories, the extended wear contacts should only be worn for the day, then removed. I had to get an eye infection before I learned that lesson. Got LASIK a couple years, best money ever spent.
 
Another option to consider if they are affordable to you are Ciba or other brand daily disposables. Every time you put one in it is new and feels great. It eliminates all of the dry feelings and the problems with cleaning.

One way to cut down the over all cost is to skip a day or 2 of wearing them. Of course that depends on if you can wear your glasses or get away without them.
 
I use a daily wear. Wouldn't even consider anything else. I put them in around 830 AM and take them out around 630 PM. 10 hours a day is enough.
 
Right now money for flying trumps money for lasik. One day I will get lasik, when I get over the fear of it. For now, I will just rotate through to my glasses more often. In the end, it all comes down to allowing my eyes to enjoy more oxygen more often. You live, you learn.
 
I have extended wear disposables.. they come out every night for cleaning and get thrown away every two weeks. Never an eye infection problem.

I have fallen asleep overnight while traveling. Very cloudy in the morning, lots of rewetting drops before removing. Never a scratch on the cornea.
 
Tried all sorts of contacts when younger. Hated the whole thing. Hard, soft "weighted" to turn for astigmatism, daily wear, extended wear.

None seemed to ever work as well as a well-built correctly-prescribed pair of glasses.

Not particularly interested in surgery either. Too many family members with problems at night after that.

The only time I wish I didn't wear glasses are these:

1. Some photographer wants to do a portrait and asks you to take them off. No. My friends and family know I wear them all the time from when I get up until bed. Take the photo.

2. Using binoculars. Glasses are a PITA when trying to set the diopter on a good quality pair of binoculars.
 
jesse said:
I tried contacts..I just never liked them. They made my distance vision nice and sharp, but also made my computer monitor a bit blurry. No thanks.
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Try multifocal (not monovision) contacts. Vision's not perfect, but good enough for most anything (including flying).

And you're pretty young to be exhibiting symptoms of presbyopia.
 
Ron Levy said:
Try multifocal (not monovision) contacts. Vision's not perfect, but good enough for most anything (including flying).

And you're pretty young to be exhibiting symptoms of presbyopia.
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Given Jesse's (young) age I suspect that the contacts he tried had too much correction. This tends to make distance look pretty sharp as the young eye can accommodate by focusing slightly closer than infinity but at short range things just get a little blurry. BTDT. If Jesse was presbyopic he'd likely have similar issues (blurry monitor) with glasses.
 
gismo said:
Given Jesse's (young) age I suspect that the contacts he tried had too much correction. This tends to make distance look pretty sharp as the young eye can accommodate by focusing slightly closer than infinity but at short range things just get a little blurry. BTDT. If Jesse was presbyopic he'd likely have similar issues (blurry monitor) with glasses.
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OK -- then find a better optometrist.
 
Two ophthalmologists in my family. Based on the damage they have seen contacts do to the eyes, they strongly recommend only using daily contacts.
 
I have my new spectacles. Working great.
My eye is getting better, it is feeling better, and even looking better.
I do believe I am going to be vigilant in taking my contacts out after work, or after my day ends. Use my specs more often. Even spend some days just not wearing my contacts.
You only get one pair of eyes, so I would like keep them in decent condition. Right now it is still hard enough spotting a strange airport off in the distance.
 
gismo said:
Given Jesse's (young) age I suspect that the contacts he tried had too much correction. This tends to make distance look pretty sharp as the young eye can accommodate by focusing slightly closer than infinity but at short range things just get a little blurry. BTDT. If Jesse was presbyopic he'd likely have similar issues (blurry monitor) with glasses.
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Very well could be. I complained to the optometrist and he just said that's how they are. I guess I got what I paid for (EyeWorld).

My vision without glasses or contacts really isn't that bad -- and the last time around passed a 2nd class medical. I prefer to fly with my glasses prescription though just because it does make spotting things at a distance easier.
 
Traket92X said:
Two ophthalmologists in my family. Based on the damage they have seen contacts do to the eyes, they strongly recommend only using daily contacts.
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Revenue from contact lens overwear will one day put one of my 2 kids through college ;)
 
Love my contacts. But I wear the two-week versions. I haven't tried extended wear. I have tried dailies, but they were uncomfortable to me, because they weren't as permeable as 2-wk.

I use Acuview Oasis (spelled differently, I'm sure). You can sleep in them, but I do NOT recommend that! Also, after week two, throw them away. I tried to save money once and went for three weeks. The third week was horrid.
 
Before LASIK I wore contacts. Even 12-15 years ago there are a move to discourage extended wear due to complications.

I had extended wear disposables and I wore them as daily wear and discarded them weekly or for cause. The exception was when I was in the clock while working 24 hour shifts in ems. This accounted for two nights per week.

Even then. I slept no more than 8 hours with then in, in that 24 hr period. Anything more and u got headaches. Corneal hypoxia????

Even when running volunteer fire from home I lived close enough to put my eyes in then still make crew or driver for the first due engine.
 
MDeitch1976 said:
Don't let your contact lenses take away from your flying. Apparently, extended wear can extend your flight training time. At first I thought my allergies were having an effect on me. Later in the evening, it felt like I had something in my eye. I took out my contact, and then bring on the water works all night long. Sunday afternoon, I took a trip to the emergency room. ER Doc thought it was a Cornea Ulcer. I went to an opthamologist today to find that it was an infection of the eye. Hopefully, I will be all good by next weekend. I missed some cross country training this weekend, and I probably will have a two week gap between flying last.

Moral of the story, extended wear, shouldn't be extended if you value your eyes! Your eyes need the oxygen, and the contacts need to be cleaned just like any other contact.
Click to expand...

I have perfect vision but when I was younger I wanted to have "fun" because I was "bored" with my green eyes. So I went to an eye doctor to have my pupil / iris / eye measured to get a prescription for 0 correction colored contacts.

One day, I wanted blue eyes to go to a wedding where there would be lots of photos (or maybe aqua, who knows). I wore mascara and eye liner of course, and - unfortunately - fell asleep that night with them still in. Champagne will do that to a girl. The next morning, I woke up, but could barely open my eye. It was pretty much glued shut.

Went to the eye doctor, I had scratched my eye / developed an infection when all that makeup went under the lens and I was dreaming with REM.

I had to use eye medicine for a while from the pharmacy before it got better.

Now, if I ever wear those things (which I rarely do), I try to keep them in for a very short period of time.
 
Colored contacts are a tool of the devil.
 
I was going to try to argue that colored contacts cover up eyes and don't make them look any prettier.

But in a society where people are so obsessed with some fake sense of "beauty" (usually recessive genes) that they shoot up with bochellism... there's no making sane arguments.

Keep the unnecessary plastic cornea scratching devices out of your eyes, Kim. Seriously. Sheesh.

Sometimes I think the crack-heads are the intelligent ones. Sigh.
 
denverpilot said:
I was going to try to argue that colored contacts cover up eyes and don't make them look any prettier.

But in a society where people are so obsessed with some fake sense of "beauty" (usually recessive genes) that they shoot up with bochellism... there's no making sane arguments.

Keep the unnecessary plastic cornea scratching devices out of your eyes, Kim. Seriously. Sheesh.

Sometimes I think the crack-heads are the intelligent ones. Sigh.
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Geez dude calm down. High heels hurt our feet, try to get us to stop wearing those!
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
Geez dude calm down. High heels hurt our feet, try to get us to stop wearing those!
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I know plenty of women who've sworn them off for all but the biggest occasions.

Plus if it's snowing here there isn't a pair in sight. Uggs are more common during Winter. ;)

Here... This might help explain it. ;)

 
I've always had issues wearing contacts but just suffered through the dryness that I felt when I wore them. I suffer from dry eyes but that could be due to my location (New Orleans) and our lovely climate combined with wearing contacts.

I was always told to

a) never wear your contacts while you sleep, regardless if they say you can;

b) give your eyes a break and wear glasses atleast one day per week.

I just tried Coopervision Biofinity and I must say, they are quite amazing. After trying Acuvue Oasis, Focus Night & Day, etc., my eyes are a little more forgiving with Biofinity. The only two reasons why I wear contacts are to have my peripheral vision and so I can wear any sunglasses that I want. I usually wear my contacts if I know I am going to be out in the sun, whether that be driving, flying, attempting to play golf, etc.

The main thing is to keep your eyes well-lubricated with rewetting drops (Systane, Blink, etc) throughout the time you're wearing the contacts and to BLINK!
 
Why are colored contacts any worse than regular ones? Does the pigment stop the contact from 'breathing' so to speak?
 
Everskyward said:
Why are colored contacts any worse than regular ones? Does the pigment stop the contact from 'breathing' so to speak?
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I haven't seen any medical reason they'd be worse. Just to be clear, I consider "sticking something not medically necessary in your eye" the criteria.
 
Everskyward said:
Why are colored contacts any worse than regular ones? Does the pigment stop the contact from 'breathing' so to speak?
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Modern 'soft' contacts are highly permeable for oxygen and have a very smooth surface that doesn't create any scratches on the cornea.

Colored contacts were originally for theatrical use, to be put in for a couple of hours during a shoot and to be taken out afterwards. Professionally made and fitted theatrical contacts are not so much a problem. Often colored lenses of unknown origin are sold at beauty supply stores and even convenience stores. Their shape is often nonstandard and they cause nasty abrasions. More important than the lens itself with contacts is proper cleaning and storage. Frequently, wearers or those over the counter lenses did not get the right training on how to take care of them fostering growth of all kinds of nastiness (fungi and something called acantamoeba) in the contact lens cases. So its not so much the presence or absence of a pigment layer than it is the source of the lenses.
 
weilke said:
Modern 'soft' contacts are highly permeable for oxygen and have a very smooth surface that doesn't create any scratches on the cornea.

Colored contacts were originally for theatrical use, to be put in for a couple of hours during a shoot and to be taken out afterwards. Professionally made and fitted theatrical contacts are not so much a problem. Often colored lenses of unknown origin are sold at beauty supply stores and even convenience stores. Their shape is often nonstandard and they cause nasty abrasions. More important than the lens itself with contacts is proper cleaning and storage. Frequently, wearers or those over the counter lenses did not get the right training on how to take care of them fostering growth of all kinds of nastiness (fungi and something called acantamoeba) in the contact lens cases. So its not so much the presence or absence of a pigment layer than it is the source of the lenses.
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I got mine with a prescription (0 / 0), they were the same brand / type as the modern ones, same price. I didn't think they were for temporary wear and in fact they make them for everyday use.
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
I got mine with a prescription (0 / 0), they were the same brand / type as the modern ones, same price. I didn't think they were for temporary wear and in fact they make them for everyday use.
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That is why I said:

Professionally made and fitted theatrical contacts are not so much a problem. Often colored lenses of unknown origin are sold at beauty supply stores and even convenience stores.

Another problem that at times happens with teenage girls is that one set gets shared among different wearers, depending who needs to have 'hazel' eyes that night :loco:.
 
weilke said:
That is why I said:

Professionally made and fitted theatrical contacts are not so much a problem. Often colored lenses of unknown origin are sold at beauty supply stores and even convenience stores.

Another problem that at times happens with teenage girls is that one set gets shared among different wearers, depending who needs to have 'hazel' eyes that night :loco:.
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Gross, they always tell teenage girls to never share eye makeup, at least that was what I was taught. And yonger girls not to share hair brushes.
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
Gross, they always tell teenage girls to never share eye makeup, at least that was what I was taught. And yonger girls not to share hair brushes.
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Doing dumb stuff is not limited to young boys. The desire to get laid will do that.
 
What a world we have come to. Gone from drug addicts sharing needles, to teenage girls sharing contacts. What next, communal tooth brushes?
 
denverpilot said:
I know plenty of women who've sworn them off for all but the biggest occasions.

Plus if it's snowing here there isn't a pair in sight. Uggs are more common during Winter. ;)

Here... This might help explain it. ;)

Click to expand...


Funny funny! They really love picking on California girls.
 
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