Who have dumped glasses for lenses?

LOMS

LOMS

LOMS

Associate
Joined
23 Sep 2014
Posts
68
Hi,

I've recently been considering giving up wearing glasses and going down the lenses route. A quick research on the Internet wasn't overly helpful as the search returned mostly webpages written by opticians/lens manufacturers. So if anybody has a link to a decent guide that contains a lot of info about the types/risks/do's and don'ts or have hands-on experience then I would love to hear your opinion.

I've been using prescription glasses since 2011. No major corrections, just 0.75 L and 0.50 R IIRC. My main grip is needing to fit corrective lenses on newly-bough sunglasses as wearing them without corrective lenses becomes uncomfortable if you're used to you glasses, regardless of how low the level of correction needed is. This is obviously a lot of money, not to mention the lenses often suffer aesthetically in the process. Also the ladies often can't control their orgasms when I'm not wearing glasses, whereas they can when I am. ;)

What is everybody's experience? I think I'd probably go with the disposable ones which would be more convenient. My question really is how would these work for sports? I do martial arts and I presume I shouldn't have them on while in the ring. But then it would become too inconvenient taking them off and putting a new pair on in the gym each time. Is there something specifically made for sports? I know footballers must be wearing lenses, anybody have info/experience with this?

Also how safe is it being out and about in the sun and heat (not here obviously, holidays), beach, swimming (?), dust/smoke around. I remember hearing a lot of babble a few years ago about how dangerous that could be for lens-wearers, not sure if that still applies today?
 
Nix said:
You're not supposed to swim with contacts in.
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Rubbish....

I wear mine for swimming, (just wear decent swimming goggles), and scuba diving, (as an instructor I have to remove my mask often to teach students and have never had a problem yet in 5 years I have been teaching), in fact I wear mine for all day every day I often get told of by my optician for wearing them too long but I just find them so comfortable.

Even wore them during numerous operational overseas tours with the RAF :)

If you go to places like Specsavers they do a contact lens trial service where they examine your eyes to find which ones will suit you best and discuss options they will give you an eye test and fit you for contact lenses for free.

They then teach you how to put them in and remove them correctly.

You will be provided with roughly a weeks supply and given a appointment to go back at the end of the trial to see how you got on with them.

I have the daily disposables with Specsavers and I pay for them on Direct Debit and every 3 months I get my next batch on the post.

And on the lensmail, (Specsavers), service all future eye tests are free as are regular contact lens checks etc plus you get free/heavily discounted regular glasses for emergency use.
 
Nix said:
My optician specifically told me not to swim with contacts in.

Don't shoot the messenger.
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Get a new optician maybe?

If you wear goggles for swimming there is no reason at all not to wear contact lenses.

Mine highly recommends contact lenses for sporting use as there is less risk of injury/damage from having to wear expensive glasses/prescription lenses.

It is also a lot cheaper than specialist prescription lenses in dive masks etc.
 
Caged said:
I settled on these after trying several types - https://www.jnjvisioncare.co.uk/con...nses/toric/1-day-acuvue-moist-for-astigmatism

Pretty much the Rolls-Royce of daily lenses.
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I wore those for a few years until early last year when my optician advised that i should go to Silicone Hydragel as they let more oxygen through to the eye

The dailys were no good for me (restricted prescription options on them and they sucked) so went for the fortnightly disposables instead and thyre also great :D
 
I wear the weekly disposables day and night, I can't be doing with taking them in and out twice daily. I used to wear the monthly again out in on 1st wear day and night and replace on the 31st but they aren't as comfortable as the weeklies.

Some people won't even shower in lenses but I swim and shower in mine and have been for years.

You're right about sunglasses I can wear everyday nonprescription with normal choices.
 
I wear glasses only occasionally but last year bought some daily lenses to try. It's probably because I rarely use them but I really can't get on with putting them in and removing them. Sometimes I end up almost gauging my eyes out. For example I won't wear them if I plan to go out drinking because I would either forget and fall asleep with them in or have no eyeballs left in the morning when I try to take them out. I seem to be a rare case though and it is probably my ineptitude.

But I was also advised not to wear them swimming or in the shower.
 
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I was also advised not to swim / shower in them (although I have)

Can I wear my contact lenses for swimming?
The BCLA advice for contact lens wearers is to not wear contact lenses for swimming – or in hot tubs or whilst showering or participating in water sports – unless wearing tight-fitting goggles over the top. After swimming – or if lenses are removed and stored whilst swimming – contact lenses should be cleaned and disinfected in fresh solution before putting them back on the eyes. The BCLA recommendation is that regular swimmers talk to their eyecare practitioner about being fitted with daily disposable lenses for use with goggles whilst swimming. Wearers of daily disposable contact lenses should always discard them immediately after swimming.
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or participating in water sports
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:D

https://www.bcla.org.uk/public/top-faqs-about-contact-lenses

and

http://www.allaboutvision.com/contacts/faq/swim-in-cls.htm
 
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Ive been wearing contacts for roughly the last 4 or 5 years. Im not sure exactly what type they are (other than they're soft ones) but they are a tenner a month for monthlies. If i had the same type as dailies they would be 45 quid. I wear them from 6.30 in the morning till around 10 at night. Like the guy above the optician says every so often leave them out for a day but tbh i much prefer them over glasses. I cant even feel them when they're in. I get mine from boots tho.
 
I've worn glasses for 20 years, only bother with contacts on the odd special occasion, too much faff for every day usage.

I am fairly blind though, -3.75 and -4.00.

Hoping to get some lasers shot in to them next year.
 
I have always wondered what the incidence of eye injury is in people who have been life long spec wearers who have changed to contacts/laser surgery?

The point is that one gets used to having a "Windscreen" to protect ones eyes and, as a result, there is the possibility to my mind that one might lose the reflexes (at least to some extent) that might otherwise protect ones eyes from injury.
 
I did quite a while ago. I was 12/13 when I changed to lenses and have stuck with them till now (22) IMO it just makes everyday life so much easier, yes it takes longer to put them in take them off than glasses but still only a few seconds.

They are more expensive than glasses since they obviously need replacing more often than glasses but if you know your prescription (-1.25 -1.00) e.g. you can get them online for a hell of a lot cheaper than vision express or wherever.

I swim with mine in on the rare occasion i do go swimming but just need to make sure to keep eyes closed whenever underwater but basically stay above water as much as you can and there'll be no problems.
 
Which ones you go for will in the end will probably come down to budget - I've never spent more than £22 pm on daily disposables. I usually have two pairs of decents specs to compliment my daily disposables.

I wouldn't recommend wearing daily disposables all day - you have to let your eyes breath, and after trying loads of different types I've found my ideal wearing time is about 8 hours. I usually put them in when I wake up, then take them out after work and go back to glasses for the rest of the evening.

Depends also what you eyesight is like. I have a slight variance in one eye compared to the other, so for the sake of ease of use I have to make do with slightly lower vision in my right eye (same lenses for both eyes)- it's probably the reason why I go running to my glasses before settling down for a movie at the end of the night lol
 
My Optician told me not to with swimming, I suppose it's one of those be safer than sorry things, as he told me there is a chance that some nasty bacteria can start to grow behind the contact and mess with my eye.
 
With -0.75 and -0.50 I think laser is pushing it. Perhaps one day when I become more blind!

Anybody do martial arts or any other sport where you may get knocked on the head (football, rugby)? What's the lenses situation here. I'll make a trip to specsavers or boots but I'm just wary of biased opinion.
 
maccapacca said:
I wear the weekly disposables day and night, I can't be doing with taking them in and out twice daily. I used to wear the monthly again out in on 1st wear day and night and replace on the 31st but they aren't as comfortable as the weeklies.
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I wear the ones you use constantly for a month. Might have a look at the weekly ones though. Like you i can't stand the hassle of changing them at night/morning.
 
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