Glasses or Contact Lenses?

[littlebuf]

now im all scared to wear my contacts...

 

[squeekieslayer]

Thank you everyone for your posts.

Joe (Squeekieslayer) dang...that is a very informative post. I appreciate the time you took to lay out the options. This is all brand new to me, and I'm the type that likes to know and study up on what my options are. You will likely get a call from me, but it may be a few weeks as I am super loaded down until the end of the month. Thanks a bunch!

I can see fairly well (my left eye needs fairly little correction) so I will likely pick up some readers and hold off until May on making the bigger decisions.

The combination of having both glasses and daily disposable contacts makes a lot of sense to me, since glasses alone can cover a big chunk of my life.

Reading: Glasses w/ bifocals
Computer work: Glasses
Ranch/yard work: Glasses OR contacts
Workout: Glasses or Nothing (stumble around semi blind...lol)
Basketball: Contacts
Hunting: Contacts with polarized sunglasses.

The parts of my life I am still not sure what to do? Do I also need a pair of prescription polarized sunglasses?

Fishing: Could use contacts with normal polarized sunglasses, but what about for tying fishing knots?
Everyday Driving: I would normally just throw on a pair of polarized glasses.

Will I need a pair of prescription sunglasses (bifocals) too? I've looked at Transitions for the everyday glasses but the "polarized" style do not darken behind a UV filtered windshield.

You are pretty much right on with your breakdown of how glasses and CL would work well for you. If you have a pair of good bifocals, and if you add transitions, those will cover about 90% of your time. If you are hunting or fishing (I know we would all like to think this is more than 10% of our time hahaha) The dailies are a great option.

One thing to consider, non RX suns are much cheaper than RX suns. IF you get dailies and start to like them, you will likely have them on most of the time so the no rX suns will work.

When it comes to fishing and knots.... If you go the non rx route and use cl, you can ask your doctor if you can try monovision or you can bring a couple cheap pair of readers to throw on..... just put your expensive polarized suns on a leash so you dont lose them haha. I never wear sun glasses when hunting so dailies would be the way to go there..... but I always fish with suns.

On a separate note, if you want a great lens for fishing without spending a jillion dollars for "maui jim" or "costa del mar" ask your optician if you can check out "drive wear" lenses. It is a lens treatment like transitions in the sense that it gets dark in the sun... BUT it never gets clear, and it is polarized. It is designed to be a lens that you can drive in and wear outside and still have the benefits of sunglasses and polarization. The beauty of the lens for fishing is this.... on overcast days the lens does not get as dark, so you still have great contrast and vision, but you still have polarized lenses to cut glair. I have them for fishing and LOVE THEM. Guys up north (AK) really like them, because you get the benefit of polarized fishing lenses without have to have super dark lenses in the flat light they get up there.

feel free to ask any other questions

Joe

 

[squeekieslayer]

now im all scared to wear my contacts...

Dont be, they are SUPER SAFE. I almost NEVER see a complication from people that take their lenses out when they are supposed to (ie don't sleep in a lens not made to sleep in) and replace their lenses when they are supposed to. In fact, I would say (without clinical studies mind you) that at least 85% of the problems I see from contacts are from people wearing them for too long without replacing them. This is mostly with 2 week lenses.... but people with 1 month lenses try to wear them for 3 months at a time.

TRUST ME contact lenses are very very safe option.... just follow the rules.

Joe

 

[squeekieslayer]

LAST THING: DO NOT BARGAIN-SHOP FOR LASIK!!!! There is a reason some of these docs can afford to offer $300 lasik.... they use outdated lasers and techniques that have less overhead..... thus they pass the savings, and the higher risk of complication..... On to you.

Look for "Custom" "Bladeless" and "wavefront" technology for your best options.

I live close enough to Canada to see what "cheap" Lasik can do.... you don't want to try it.

Joe

 

[blb078]

Look, it's NOT "to each their own" and it is NOT different for everyone. I am not freaking out, I deal with this on a DAILY basis. If you are NOT wearing an acuvue lens, and it is still a 2 week lens you are hopefully in Avaira..... which is being discontinued by cooper vision anyway. If you are in some other random 2 week lens..... good luck. They are ancient technology and are accompanied by a slew of contact lens related problems.

You CANNOT take care of lenses better to extend their life, you have NO control over the amount of protein in your tear film. This protein builds up over time, even after washing, and makes the lens breathe less. Less O2 to your eye, the higher the chance of ulcer. PERIOD! Why haven't you had a problem you ask... 2 reasons, 1) you take good care of them 2) you are LUCKY. What happens the one time you are on week 5 with your 2 week lenses and you accidentally fall asleep in them? You cannot go backwards.

Here is another thing..... It only takes ONE ulcer to set you back to have terrible vision that cannot be fixed. Do you want to know how many times in my fairly short career as an eye doctor that I have heard from a patient that is reeling in pain from an ulcer that "I have been doing it the same way for 20 years." Yet now, for whatever reason, they have a giant ulcer, right in the center of their cornea, that causes a scar, and in a BEST-CASE scenario only diminishes their night vision with glare and halo around every light. These are real problems, NO ONE IS IMMUNE.

You want to gamble with your vision.... that's your call, it is not my eyes and you are not my patient. I mean, hell, you have 2 of them right? Chances are that you wont get an infection in both at the same time so you will still have one left..... Hope its not your shooting eye

Here are the FACTS.... there are 1 month lenses that can be slept in for up to 6 nights at a time that cost LESS than a 2 week lens, are more comfortable than a 2 week lens, and are healthier than a 2 week lens. If your doctor is not willing to understand this, find a new doctor. ITS A NO BRAINER!

Joe

Calm down there big guy, I think you're getting a little to butt-hurt over what I do w/my contacts the few times I wear them. And you're right, I'm not your patient, you know absolutely nothing about me. This starting to turn into one of those threads you see on AT sometimes.

 

[squeekieslayer]

Calm down there big guy, I think you're getting a little to butt-hurt over what I do w/my contacts the few times I wear them. And you're right, I'm not your patient, you know absolutely nothing about me. This starting to turn into one of those threads you see on AT sometimes.

Look, I am not going to get in a pissing match with you.... you came on this thread suggesting that people should simply "wear their lenses longer to save money." I will do whatever I can whenever I can to stomp out this sentiment.... even if it means arguing on a public forum. The fact is that you are suggesting medical advice to people that is uneducated, unsafe, and ignorant. Someone could read the thread and try to wear their contacts longer than they should and end up with a real problem.

I dont need to see your eyes or need to know anything about your vision.... wearing lenses longer than you are supposed to is gambling with your most precious sense. Its your prerogative.

I am here simply to help the rokslide community... It is rare a thread comes up where I am the one that knows best, consider me the Aaron Snyder of contacts hahaha. (read: "NERD")

Joe

 

[jmez]

I use both and it works good for me. Wear glasses most every day and use daily wear lenses for hunting. It is pretty simple to put glasses on every morning and I don't like screwing with the contacts every day.

I wouldn't recommend glasses for hunting. They fog, get knocked off, get sweaty, get dirty, could be broken, don't allow you to use eyecups with binoculars, etc. The daily wears contacts work great for me when hunting.

You get both glasses and daily wear lenses and just use the lenses for hunting. Put them in when you get up, throw them away when you go to bed. I don't wear them all the time because glasses don't bother me unless I'm hunting.

I'm with squeekie on using lenses past their dates. I got admonished by an optometrist for doing this. Had never seen the guy before and hadn't told them I used contacts. He looked in my eyes and immediately says have you been over using disposable lenses. I had, I don't do that any more. You only get one set of eyes. Saving a couple hundred bucks a year isn't worth your vision.

 

[Mike7]

Look, I am not going to get in a pissing match with you.... you came on this thread suggesting that people should simply "wear their lenses longer to save money." I will do whatever I can whenever I can to stomp out this sentiment.... even if it means arguing on a public forum. The fact is that you are suggesting medical advice to people that is uneducated, unsafe, and ignorant. Someone could read the thread and try to wear their contacts longer than they should and end up with a real problem.

I dont need to see your eyes or need to know anything about your vision.... wearing lenses longer than you are supposed to is gambling with your most precious sense. Its your prerogative.

I am here simply to help the rokslide community... It is rare a thread comes up where I am the one that knows best, consider me the Aaron Snyder of contacts hahaha. (read: "NERD")

Joe

I will have to echo what Squeakie said. It is somewhat of a gamble. Some get away with it, and some don't. Anecdotally, I have seen dozens of cases of corneal ulcers over the years, and except for the very rare case associated with chickenpox or an STD virus/bacteria, they have all been from people who inappropriately wear their contacts...and generally this has happened to those who tell me they had been doing this without a problem for quite some time and getting away with it before the infection/ulcer occurred.

I never got LASIK because 90% of the time I only need close to medium vision and so have perfect vision without glasses or with a mild prescription only. Now, my problem in the field(even though rare currently) is seeing well enough up close while hunting with my contacts in because of developing presbyopia. What does a guy do about this Squeakie?...bring readers to use along with the contacts when needed? Then I would be bringing 2 sets of glasses to the field and contacts...it sucks getting old.

 

[squeekieslayer]

I will have to echo what Squeakie said. It is somewhat of a gamble. Some get away with it, and some don't. Anecdotally, I have seen dozens of cases of corneal ulcers over the years, and except for the very rare case associated with chickenpox or an STD virus/bacteria, they have all been from people who inappropriately wear their contacts...and generally this has happened to those who tell me they had been doing this without a problem for quite some time and getting away with it before the infection/ulcer occurred.

I never got LASIK because 90% of the time I only need close to medium vision and so have perfect vision without glasses or with a mild prescription only. Now, my problem in the field(even though rare currently) is seeing well enough up close while hunting with my contacts in because of developing presbyopia. What does a guy do about this Squeakie?...bring readers to use along with the contacts when needed? Then I would be bringing 2 sets of glasses to the field and contacts...it sucks getting old.

You could try Multi Focal contact lenses. They have made huge strides in the new designs and work quite well. Another option would be monovision with contact lenses. Essentially trying to get the most mileage out of the cl as you can without dragging two pairs of glasses. Our office has an approximate 80% success rate with Multi focal contacts. they take some work, but they are very good when they are set.

Joe

 

[Umpqua Hunter]

Squeekie, I appreciate the time you are giving this, and...yeah...the benefit of the time you are investing is for future readers who are doing research for their own needs. You are giving this far more time than I was given at my doctor appointment! I'm an engineer and love good information when making a decision.

So, I'm thinking "Phase 1" would be to start with contacts (Dailies or Air Optix) and a couple pairs of inexpensive readers. I'll give that a month or two and see how that goes and then if I feel I need to (for cost or comfort) maybe add a pair of glasses next (which would be handy in those less active months in the winter).

I'm thinking I will probably end up with a hybrid. Glasses for days like on winter days where I'm mainly inside, the Dailies for normal active daily use, and for hunting the Air Optix where I can pop in a pair before a hunt and not mess with them.

Yesterday I had no idea what the options are, so that's a lot of progress.

As far as LASIK, I went to the best place in Southern Oregon when I had it done. I think I want to give it a few years and see if my eyes stabilize before trying it again.

 

[squeekieslayer]

Squeekie, I appreciate the time you are giving this, and...yeah...the benefit of the time you are investing is for future readers who are doing research for their own needs. You are giving this far more time than I was given at my doctor appointment! I'm an engineer and love good information when making a decision.

So, I'm thinking "Phase 1" would be to start with contacts (Dailies or Air Optix) and a couple pairs of inexpensive readers. I'll give that a month or two and see how that goes and then if I feel I need to (for cost or comfort) maybe add a pair of glasses next (which would be handy in those less active months in the winter).

I'm thinking I will probably end up with a hybrid. Glasses for days like on winter days where I'm mainly inside, the Dailies for normal active daily use, and for hunting the Air Optix where I can pop in a pair before a hunt and not mess with them.

That would work well... The other option would be to skip the dailies (just because they are great doesnt mean you have to wear them) and just get a good monthly lens (it doesnt have to be air optix, there are lots of good ones out there.) and use that for all of your cl needs. It would be easier than having two different types.

Do not get me wrong, Dailies are great, but a good quality monthly lens is very very safe as well as long as used properly. Different strokes for different folks.

They make lenses that you put in for 30 days and never take them out. I use this lens the most in my practice. and I am all for it as long as done correctly.

Joe

 

[squeekieslayer]

Obviously, a lot of this is speculation... you may try dailies and absolutely HATE the comfort. You may try one brand of monthly lens that everyone loves and absolutely hate it. Cant know till you try them out.

Joe

 

[Mike7]

You could try Multi Focal contact lenses. They have made huge strides in the new designs and work quite well. Another option would be monovision with contact lenses. Essentially trying to get the most mileage out of the cl as you can without dragging two pairs of glasses. Our office has an approximate 80% success rate with Multi focal contacts. they take some work, but they are very good when they are set.

Joe

Thanks Joe, great info for everyone here. I may have to ask about the improved multi-focal lenses at my next eye exam if my focusing ability continues to deteriorate. I'm fairly certain that monovision contact lenses would be a non-starter for me, as I have felt discomfort/strain when eye docs in the past have tried to correct my distant vision perfectly for each eye, instead of just giving me the same refraction for both of my slightly different eyes. -Mike

 

[sk1]

Calm down there big guy, I think you're getting a little to butt-hurt over what I do w/my contacts the few times I wear them. And you're right, I'm not your patient, you know absolutely nothing about me. This starting to turn into one of those threads you see on AT sometimes.

Squeekie is merely stating facts and can back them up, which already makes this absolutely nothing like an AT thread. I have enjoyed all of his advice and has educated me on things I wasn't aware of. I used to do many of the no no's when I wore contacts and haven't worn them for years, but am considering it again.

Thank you for your well informed comments squeekie I might contact you in the near future with a few questions when I'm ready to try contacts again.

 

[Umpqua Hunter]

Squeekie...things just got a bit more complicated. I apparently have an astigmatism. I didn't really even know what that was yesterday.

I have read just up a bit and understand some contacts use a ballast design (weighted edge) to keep them aligned properly and some use a "blink stabilized" design. What is the best way to go. I don't always hold my head level, in fact when glassing animals I am occasionally laying on my side. What are your thoughts?

If I have to pull them out each night, I would rather buy a daily disposable, even if the cost is a bit higher.

 

[Manosteel]

Ok I have been wearing contacts for about 20+ years and have been debating getting the eye surgery done. What do I look for and what questions do I ask? Which procedure is best? Etc.... You guys have me freaking out about my contacts now. Lol

 

[roblund]

I'm solidly in the glasses camp. I tried using contacts while out backpacking, but it was kind of a pain for me. It might be different if you wear them everyday, but I wear my glasses everyday. Honestly, using binoculars really isn't that tough with glasses. Just twist the eye-cups down and you're good to go.

 

[Ozz08]

I don't wear contacts or glasses but man there is some great info on this thread. Thanks squeekie! I dread the day my vision starts fading and I have to start thinking about glasses or contacts but I know it will come. Until then I will enjoy my 20/20! LOL! Hopefully I'll take after my dad. His vision didn't start to change until age 55.

 

[Rent Outdoor Gear]

I've been wearing glasses for about 17 years for competitive archery and bowhunting. For my vision (strong, off-axis astigmatism) they're the only dependable option. I could not afford to wait for a contact lens to rotate into the correct position while I was on the clock at a tournament - or with an animal in my sights for that matter. There may be better options available today - it's been 7 or 8 years since I tried contacts. I see 20/15 with my glasses all the time every time. I couldn't get that with contacts. I still cuss my glasses from time to time when they fog up and get smudged. I've lost and broken more pairs than I care to admit, but I always carry a spare set in a hard case for pack-in hunts. Doctors I spoke with said that LASIK wasn't a great option for astigmatism and obviously they couldn't guarantee that I would see as well as I do with glasses even with additional correction. Again, that's been a few years back, but when I was competing at a high level it wasn't worth the risk to me.

If you do get "stuck" with glasses, I have had the best luck with Oakley lenses. As an archer you end up looking through the lens very near the edge, just past your nose. Most lenses do not retain the correction as well on the fringes - almost like a cheap binocular or spotting scope. That is unacceptable if you're trying to be your best. Oakley eyeglass lenses out-performed anything else I've used by leaps and bounds (but they're ridiculously expensive). I could see so much better with them, I noticed my mental focus was better and my scores were better using them. Some of their frames were not particularly durable so I would definitely recommend something with a full wrap metal or plastic frame for sportsmen. Nothing worse than a lens popping out or a frame breaking on a hunt. This is why I now carry a spare set. Hunting by braille really sucks!

One last word of advice (for archers) is to find a frame style that hugs your nose and is not too thick - once again, you're looking through that edge just past your nose, so a thick frame or a frame that pushes the lens too far off your nose and away from your eye will hamper your ability to shoot with a "normal" head turn. Clean them with a good micro-fiber cloth and use an anti-static/anti-fog cleanser to minimize fogging and dust. It's easy to get in a hurry in the field and use a dirty t-shirt to wipe them. Don't do it! It won't do you any good to be looking through a pristine pair of Swarovski's if the lenses on your face are scratched to heck.

Coop

 

[focker34]

I've also got a decent astigmatism and have been wearing glasses since the 2nd grade. Tried contacts about 5 years ago and they dried my eyes out terrible and were nowhere near as clear as wearing glasses. I hate fogging lenses and constantly cleaning them off, but at least I can see clearly when they are clean.