Oww, my eye hurts

[Lathum]

LAsik is on the list for certain, I've just never got around to it

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Before I had Lasik, I regularly did a 6 am-10 pm type schedule, give or take another hour or two. I never had too many problems with it. I occasionally fell asleep with my contacts on (which sucks, as noted), but that was rare.

If you can afford it and are a candidate, I strongly recommend Lasik. It has been nearly 8 months now, but I still sometimes wake up half expecting to put my contacts in somedays. Then I realize/remember I can see 20/20 now and it's like an awesome re-gift to myself.

I would love to get Lasik, but unfortunately because of my iritis I can't do it. Even though I only occassionally get it, apparently the consequences could be dire if I had a flare up during the recovery process.

[Ksyrup]

I want to do it, and with my brother an opthamologist who regularly performs LASIK, I'll have it done eventually.

[SirFozzie]

Wait, did I create this thread?

Seriously Jon, sorry to hear it, get better man!

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

Seriously Jon, sorry to hear it, get better man!

Hey, I'm good at the moment
check the thread date for necromancy

[SirFozzie]

argh. Stupid threadnecromancy.


Shows ya that I'm still out of it, even with two eyes open.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I can see how you could make that mistake

[SirFozzie]

(throws flag)

Illegal use of the pun, ten yards from previous spot, automatic first down!

[JediKooter]

Originally Posted by Lathum

I often sleep with them in and stretch their life as long as I can. I think you are probably fine

I do the same thing. However, I don't have any irritation when I take mine out. I try to not wear them on the weekends, but, I don't always remember to take them out.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by JediKooter

I do the same thing. However, I don't have any irritation when I take mine out. I try to not wear them on the weekends, but, I don't always remember to take them out.

The doctor actually told me the majority of people don't have irritation and have no idea they are destroying their cornea.

[Ksyrup]

Yeah, my brother said what he learned in med school scared the hell out of him about how we abused our eyes growing up. After I went through a dorm fire my first year of college where I had to be lead, practically blind, outside in the middle of the night, I literally would not take my contacts out for months at a time. I eventually stopped that years later, and now take them out every night. But for a long time, I never took them out, other than to change them. And I did that about as often as I went to the dentist.

[JediKooter]

Originally Posted by Lathum

The doctor actually told me the majority of people don't have irritation and have no idea they are destroying their cornea.

So what are some of the signs? My eyes aren't itchy, I don't have any blind spots, everything is just blurry as normal. This is really weird.

I set up a eye doctor appointment for this Friday after reading all of this. So, hopefully I haven't screwed my eyes up too bad.

[Lathum]

The signs I had were basically when I took my contacts out my eyes would be really irritated, it felt like I had grains of sand in my eyes. The only thing that made it feel better were putting my contacts back in.

[JediKooter]

Originally Posted by Lathum

The signs I had were basically when I took my contacts out my eyes would be really irritated, it felt like I had grains of sand in my eyes. The only thing that made it feel better were putting my contacts back in.

Damn. I definitely don't have that and everything seems normal (other than everything being blurry) when I don't have my contacts in.

[lungs]

Can't you guys get overnight lenses?

[JediKooter]

I usually get the extended wear. I assume those are overnight? I could be wrong though.

[lungs]

Originally Posted by JediKooter

I usually get the extended wear. I assume those are overnight? I could be wrong though.

I'll look to see what exactly mine are called. All I know I take them out about once a month and discard them.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I know very little about contact lenses, so please take this with the appropriate grains of salt (just not in your eyes) but ... I think the issues/risks with sleeping in contacts is different than the risks/issues associated with wearing the same pair too long (i.e. the extended wear/long life stuff).

As someone who once worked with a major lens manufacturer I can also tell you that, as of 10-15 years ago at least, the only difference between a daily lens and a monthly lens was the packaging. At that time the only thing that changed was the box they pushed through the assembly line on Monday versus Thursday.

[JediKooter]

Originally Posted by lungs

I'll look to see what exactly mine are called. All I know I take them out about once a month and discard them.

Oh right on. I used to order new ones on the internets about every 6 months until big brother put a stop to being able to order contacts over the internets.

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I know very little about contact lenses, so please take this with the appropriate grains of salt (just not in your eyes) but ... I think the issues/risks with sleeping in contacts is different than the risks/issues associated with wearing the same pair too long (i.e. the extended wear/long life stuff).

As someone who once worked with a major lens manufacturer I can also tell you that, as of 10-15 years ago at least, the only difference between a daily lens and a monthly lens was the packaging. At that time the only thing that changed was the box they pushed through the assembly line on Monday versus Thursday.

I always had a sneaky suspicion that, that may have been what was going on. I'll find out Friday what my options are and I'm definitely going to go with what I can wear the longest before trashing them and getting replacements. I could avoid all of this if I would just save up the money have the laser surgery though.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I know very little about contact lenses, so please take this with the appropriate grains of salt (just not in your eyes) but ... I think the issues/risks with sleeping in contacts is different than the risks/issues associated with wearing the same pair too long (i.e. the extended wear/long life stuff).

As someone who once worked with a major lens manufacturer I can also tell you that, as of 10-15 years ago at least, the only difference between a daily lens and a monthly lens was the packaging. At that time the only thing that changed was the box they pushed through the assembly line on Monday versus Thursday.

With my lenses they reccomend you change them every 2 weeks. I never do that. I had the long term lenses and can't feel or see (pun not intended) any real difference between them.

I change them out every month or 2 months sometimes. It depends on how my eyes or feeling or if I'm just super tired that night and do feel like bothering with the ritual of taking them out and it's been a while. In that case, I just yank them out and go to bed and put a new pair in the morning.

[lungs]

Just checked, I wear Acuvue Oasys lenses and they are FDA approved to be worn for a week straight. Doctor told me two weeks is fine, and I change about once a month.

[JediKooter]

Originally Posted by lungs

Just checked, I wear Acuvue Oasys lenses and they are FDA approved to be worn for a week straight. Doctor told me two weeks is fine, and I change about once a month.

Right on. I'll ask if they have those when I'm at my appointment.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by lungs

Just checked, I wear Acuvue Oasys lenses and they are FDA approved to be worn for a week straight. Doctor told me two weeks is fine, and I change about once a month.

That's what I wear as well.

I try not fuck with my eyes too much. I'm already at -8.5, so I don't have too much wiggle room if I want to keep wearing contacts.

[terpkristin]

I guess I missed this the first time around. Or maybe then I hadn't had keratitis, or inflamed corneas. I ended up getting two bouts with it in short succession. The eye doctor thought it was related to my contact lens solution, so I switched brands and have been OK since. That was particularly unfun, because the eye pain was so severe, especially in bright light, that I was getting an upset stomach. Miserable.

As for how long contacts can be worn, I think even with ones that are approved for extended (weeks/months) wear, every person's eyes are different and may not be able to handle extended wear. My contacts are for day use only. I've found that about 20 hours awake time is my limit for them. I can sleep in them up to about 2 hours without issue, but if I sleep longer than that, my eyes are too dry when I wake up. But my eye doc said that my eyes are very dry so I end up using the TheraTears (preservative-free, another fallout from my keratitis) drops if I wear them for more than 14 hours or so. Or if my allergies suck.

/tk

[Jas_lov]

I wore Acuvue 2s for 8-9 years with no issues. My doctor said it was ok to sleep in them but to take them out over night at least twice a week. They were 2 week contacts but I usually wore them 3-4 weeks and sometimes longer. All of a sudden the time I could wear them without discomfort got shorter and shorter and it got to the point where I couldn't get through a day at work with them in. So about 2 years ago I started wearing glasses exclusively.

I went to a couple different doctors and none of them said why this happened, there was nothing structurally wrong with my eyes. I think it's probably because I wore the contacts too long and at my latest checkup the doctor said the Acuvue 2s deprived the eye of oxygen. But one of the doctors I went to 2 years ago had me try Oasys and I had the same problems. I'm just now trying to go back to contacts and I'm testing Acuvue Advanced and the 1 day Acuvue Moist. I wore the 1 day contacts for a week with no issues and I like not having to worry about cleaning them. The only issue with those will be cost. The Advanced I've only been wearing for a couple days but so far so good. If my latest doctor says I can try contacts again and I don't have any issues during the trial period I'm not going to sleep in them or wear them longer than the recommended time period. Better to be safe than go blind. Lathum's post makes me nervous. I had the same feeling he did with the irritation and sand in my eyes except putting the contacts back in didn't help me. Not wearing them was the only way for me to not have that discomfort.

[tarcone]

I had one about 15 years ago. I was working security at the local speedway. I was on the walkway closest tot he track. It was a really hot day. The track wasnt in very good shape. I was looking at the oncoming cars and a small piece of track hit me in the eye. Nothing like hot asphalt in your eye.
It was horrible and i feel your pain. Good luck.
I havent heard of the more likely occurrence thing. But one of my side effects is a thickening of the whites of my eyes. Cant think of the name. But it causes irritation, burning and pain. I cant take visine, because it worsens it. I have to use artificial tears. It doesnt happen all the time, but enough.
Being in the sun and wind makes it worse.