Contact lenses - how do you do it?

[oilpsi2high]

I went to the eye doctor about two months ago for an eye exam and contact lens fitting.

When it came time to sit in front of the mirror and put the lens into my eye, I could NOT do it. I have this irrational fear about placing things into my eye, which probably traces back to the scratched cornea I had one time as a young child.

Any tips? I don't mind wearing glasses at work, but on the weekends I'd like to be able to see without having a need for glasses.

 

[spasm3]

I can't either, I'm eye phobic. For me, it's just easier to wear glasses.

 

[JustinH]

hold the top eyelid open with a finger on your opposite hand.

Then put the lens on your index finger and insert.

Pull them out by opening the eyelid, and pinching them out.

I couldn't do it any other way.

 

[silverrat]

You get used to it. I've been wearing contacts since I was 17. Now 34. Place a couple of drops of solution in your contact lens before placing it in your eye for lubricant. Well worth it to not have to deal with glasses all the time.

 

[supton]

I tried it, couldn't get the hang of it either. All I got were sore eyelids after a half hour (or was it more?) of trying. Strong blink reflex.

In the end I couldn't justify it. Lot of money to avoid glasses. As I head into my 40's I suspect my prescription will go wonky, start changing "often" so I probably won't be a lasik candidate--but maybe I'll start saving and have that done in my 50's or 60's.

 

[czbrian]

I couldnt put them on in the eye doc's office the first time. Had to take some samples home and took about a week of trying to get them on with any consistency.

 

[TmanP]

I felt just like you for the first couple of tries, but it becomes second nature really quickly. I don't even notice that I'm wearing them, unless they are old and hard, or I accidentally slept in them. Pick up some rewetting drops in case they dry out on you, but you probably won't need them often. Also, hold the eyelid open with the opposite hand so that it can't close. Then make sure the lens is not inside out. If it is, it either won't stick, or it'll feel wrong.

 

[Mr Nice]

I stopped wearing contacts 20 years ago. Glasses are easier and less risk of getting pink eye infection.

 

[Rock_Hudstone]

Originally Posted By: oilpsi2high
I went to the eye doctor about two months ago for an eye exam and contact lens fitting.

When it came time to sit in front of the mirror and put the lens into my eye, I could NOT do it.

The trick, for me at least, is to put in the lenses at a standing position using the medicine cabinet or a wall mirror. Sitting has you hunched over the mirror so one has to push the lenses up and into the eye rather then leting gravity help the lens sort of fall into place.

Always make sure the finger tip holding the lens is relatively dry, (otherwise the lens will stick), then gently pull down the lower eyelid down with the opposite hand and place the lens bottom edge first on the eye and let it drop into place. Takes some practice but you'll get the hang of it.

Glasses are fine but optically speaking contact lenses are far better.

 

[Audios]

Ive been wearing contacts for abut 20 years as well, just recently got glasses to rest my eyes at night. What i do it take the contact on the direct tip of my index finger pointing up. Look into the mirror and pull your eyelid down with the middle finger of the same hand, and then pop it in. They stick pretty well, so you an almost hold it sideways as you place it onto your eye, and this keeps the contact in your line of vision as you apply it.

 

[Dumc87]

Took me a few days to adjust, but nowadays I can do it easy. Been wearing contacts for 12 years or so.

 

[joaks]

You can do what I did and give up!

I tried contacts first at the Dr's office. At some point my face was swollen from me and the assistant trying to hold my eye open to get the lens it. Like you, I cannot get near my eyes. I tried contacts later by having a friend get me samples and trying at home. Failed again. Interestingly, I was just thinking about this an hour ago. I still don't think I can do it.

 

[alex_at]

it takes a while 'till you get used to it, I couldn't do it in the beginning either.

But I stopped wearing them - they made my eyes dry and irritated, I always had red eyes. Some people seem to be affected by this, I can spot people wearing contact lenses with irritated eyes pretty often.

 

[Chris142]

I am 48 and I cant touch my eyeball either.

 

[skyactiv]

My wife has no issue removing and putting them in. She wears blue contacts but her natural eye color is better. Rachel, I hope your reading this.
Some people have a different mindset depending on the time of the day. Maybe you'd have an easier time after you've been up for 15 minutes but not in the middle of the day?

 

[Rand]

I used a different method I have "eye phobia" and uncontrollable blinking.

I would pull out the bottom eyelid and drop the contact in
You also have to keep the upper lid as fully open as possible.. and blinking at a bad time
will eject the contact
releasing the eyelid would usually get it on correctly. sometimes not.

I also have very "droopy" eyelids its hereditary
its very hard to open my eyes fully and looks odd.

I had lasik performed about 5 years ago. So much better

My eyes were nearsighted enough I would lose my glasses in plain sight..

example leaving them on the back of the toilet while showering.

would have to go get my prescription sunglasses to find them.

 

[Fsharp]

I put the contact on my middle finger, pull down eyelid with ring finger of that hand and use other hand to pull up the upper eyelid. Then, I look up (roll my eyes back), and place the contact on my eyeball. Once the finger and your contact are on your eyeball, look down towards your finger. The contact will slide over your cornea and settle there so you can remove your finger.

It works because you're not looking at the contact when you touch your eye making it much easier to do so.
I don't use a mirror, but you may need to at first to help position your hands.

 

[y_p_w]

It took some practice, but eventually I got the hang of it. I did do something stupid once in the first week, which was put it in backwards. It floated around and it hurt for a few hours. After a while my eye doc would just do a quick fitting of a new lens and trust me to know if there was something wrong, because I demonstrated that I could handle them and would take them out if there was any issue.

I preferred regular (not 1-day) disposable lenses. Pretty much all the lenses I used were rated for up to 7 days of continuous wear or 14 days if cleaned and disinfected. Some silicone hydrogels were rated for 30 days of continuous wear or 30 individual days if cleaned and disinfected. I got pretty good at taking them out. If it was the last day of a lens that I was going to toss, I would just remove it without even cleaning my hands.

I would never sleep overnight with any contact lenses, but all my eye docs said it was OK if I took a nap in them. Often I'd do that since it would have been a pain to take them out (and clean/disinfect) for just an hour, and they typically wouldn't be ready. There was an alcohol based cleaner/disinfectant system (Ciba QuickCare) that was supposed to be ready in 5 minutes though. The cleaner were thick, soapy drops that smelled of alcohol. Once cleaned, it was just a matter of rinsing in their "finishing solution" which was a special saline. I heard that it was just a relabelled combination of Miraflow cleaner and SoftWear saline - both which are no longer on the market.

Another thing my eye doc recommended was that if it was getting especially dry (I have really dry eyes wearing contacts) that I should just wash/dry my hands, remove them, squirt saline on them, and put them back in. I don't know if all eye docs think it's OK, but my eye doc thought it was fine. I've heard of some people doing stuff that just sounds wrong, like taking them out with dirty hands and spitting saliva on them before reinserting.

 

[E150GT]

nope.

 

[dishdude]

Just relax and try again. I've been wearing contacts since I was 13, it took a little to get used to but they are so much more comfortable and convenient than eyeglasses. You might have to make 2 or 3 more trips to the optometrist but it'll be worth it.