Contacts...

PapaGeno21

PapaGeno21

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Alright so I have been wearing glasses since the third grade.. Up until this year, I was driving a cruiser type of motorcycle (last 4 years) and not wearing a full face helmet (just a half helmet) like a moron, so my glasses were not much of an issue. Using the full face helmets though, makes it more of a PITA. This summer was enough of that to make me start thinking about this since I will need a new prescription soon for my glasses anyways..

Take them off, put helmet on, put glasses on. Reverse procedure to remove helmet. You get the point.

So, I am considering contacts. Anyone have any insight to these? Are they comfy? Will they bother me?

I keep reading about two week lenses, but I don't seem to understand that very well. Do I leave them in NON stop for two weeks, or do I still remove them at night?

Thanks for any help!

- Geno
 
I started wearing glasses in the 3rd grade and they were as thick as Coke bottles!! LOL In the 7th grade I made the switch to contacts not so much for looks as for comforts and a better radius of vision (LOL - my eye doctor's words).
Contacts have improved 10 fold since the old hard lenses. LOL They actually used to scratch your eye if you were hit and they popped out all the time. Now we have contacts that can be worn for extended periods of time and they are so comfortable that I hardly know they are there.
I highly recommend making the switch (or at least taking a shot at it). Some people have trouble getting used to poking around in their eyes. Don't worry about that - you will adjust. It's not even a thing for me anymore.
I wear Acuvue Oasis and I love them. There are several models out there and they all seem to be very good. LOL Heck- now you can even buy "Daily" contacts so you have a fresh pair everyday.

To answer your question: Yes.
2 week lenses can be left in night and day for 2 weeks. I wear 2 week lenses but I take them out at night because my eyes can't tolerate more than one night with them being in - however - I know A LOT of people who leave their lenses in all the time and love them.
 
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Contact lenses

I was a lot like you in that I was wearing glasses but only since about my 40th birthday. When I went to a new optometrist, she asked if I would be interested in contacts. I said no. Well the seed had been planted, so to speak. It seems pertinent to mention that I was not the type to put something in my eyes. Even the optometrist had trouble getting drops into my eyes. In spite of this problem I decided to give contacts a try. It took a while to get used to putting them in and out but I have no trouble at all now. Mine are multifocal since I need bifocal glasses at my age and I love wearing them. They are a bit of a trade off from my glasses since I do see a bit better with glasses than contacts but very worth the difference.

I take mine out every night but they can be worn for a week without removing them. If they are removed at night they are replaced monthly, if worn 24 hours they are to be replaced every week. I am too cheap to do that. I do not recall the actual price I paid for a six months supply but I felt they were worth the expense.

I highly recommend you give contacts a try. I am extremely pleased with mine especially when I am wearing my helmet. I almost forgot, my no line bifocal glasses were really a pain in my backside when riding. If my helmet moved my glasses I had real trouble seeing since lens placement is so important with bifocals. It was dangerous since I could not see well enough to drive.

Billy
 
I have been wearing glasses since the age of 11 and also have a problem with anything touching my eyes.

Therefor I do not have contacts. Because of my glasses i have a system helmet so that I do not have to take of my glasses when putting it on.

I also like wearing glasses because I have a stable situation for about 8 years now for my eye sight and that means that I now can switch between 4 differant paires of glasses. I also like to wear Glasses that stand out so I think I will miss seeing them as it can be used as a "Fashion" Statement.

But thats just my 2 cents
 
Geno .. have you considered lasik surgery as an option?

I don't have personal experience but one of my motocross buddies had it done because he got tired of contacts popping out during races...among other issues with contacts (cleaning, prepping, etc). From his perspective it was the best thing he ever done!

I imagine lasik isn't for everyone... but maybe others on this board have some thoughts as well???

Good luck!
 
I had LASIK done in ~2003 and it was the best decision I ever made. Prior to that I always wore coke-bottle glasses since an early age
 
I have been wearing contacts since middle school. Even with contacts it's a good idea to have glasses for backup because there may be days where your eyes are just too tired or agitated (if you have allergies) to bother with putting in contacts or you may lose a contact and if you are on your last pair you'll still need your glasses until you buy more contacts.
EVERY eye doctor I have been to strongly discourages wearing contacts 24/7, I always take mine out at night (usually as soon as I get home from work actually).
I sometimes wear my glasses with my helmet... taking them off and on isn't a big deal to me. The biggest advantages to riding with contacts IMO are field of vision and they can't fog up like glasses.
You will likely have a "foreign object" feeling in your eyes for the first week or two but after you adjust you don't even notice them. You won't know how YOU will like them until you try so I say give it a shot!
 
I'm like a lot of you guys, I wore glasses from 1st grade, 1969 until 1999 when I had LASIK done. My vision was 20/400, after the procedure it was 20/15. I'd worn contacts for about 4 years but they were a big PITA and with the jobs I've done, the Army, construction, etc, they were always getting trashed from dust and smoke. I was also tired of buying solution, putting them in and out, etc. To me LASIK is a better value. It's more expensive up front but you get better vision and less cost in the long run. The key is finding a good doctor, beware of the chop shops.

Hope this helps.
 
Hellgate said:
...To me LASIK is a better value. It's more expensive up front but you get better vision and less cost in the long run. The key is finding a good doctor, beware of the chop shops...
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I definitely agree on the value part of LASIK vs. buying contacts/solution/eye doctor appts/etc. over time and that it is VERY important to use a reputable eye doctor. I know several people who have had LASIK and are very happy with the results, but a lot of people also have permanent issues after the surgery ranging from relatively minor things like chronic dry eyes to poor night vision/double vision. Some issues such as dry eyes can't always be predicted even by the best eye doctors. This is they only thing that has prevented me from getting LASIK thusfar because I just don't feel the risk outweighs the slight inconvenience of contacts or glasses. I would suggest to Papageno to do A LOT of research on LASIK before jumping on the bandwagon (not saying he shouldn't get LASIK, just to be aware of the potential dangers). Read brochures or check websites and you'll notice even the reputable places have a long disclaimer about side effects. LASIK is a permanent change to your eyes (which can be a good thing or bad) but if you don't like contacts you can easily go back to glasses.
 
I have heard they wont do Lasik until you are 25. Which is 3 years away for me, but either way, I can't afford it now. I WILL be doing it in a few years though lol.

I am going to get my glasses refitted with new lenses also when I go do this, so I have them as backup. And thats the other thing that pisses me off with them in the helmet is that they fog up.

Thanks for the help guys!
 
I tried going to contacts wow what a PITA, you have to really be able to play with your pupil or cornea and I just can't, I've tried for hours and I just can't do it! Also as it is some times I've noticed that while riding I do get some little particles of dust fling into my eye very once in a while even with the shield down and I think with contacts it would really suck. I'm thinking of lasik that shoudl fix the problem all together but for now my glasses work fine.
 
As much as a pain glasses are.... I did the contacts thing for a while on the bike... and ended up having to go back to glasses...

I have spring allergies, and there's nothing like motoring down the road in the spring and getting attacked by pollen... or fresh grass clippings.... then feeling like you have a chunk of Oak in each eye.. the itching made me rub my eyes.. which just messed up the contacts more... and then the irritation of the contacts plus continued itching made me cut rides short more times than not... I went back to glasses.. and started taking allergy pills... which also dry out my eyes..

---mobile
 
romr said:
I tried going to contacts wow what a PITA, you have to really be able to play with your pupil or cornea and I just can't, I've tried for hours and I just can't do it! Also as it is some times I've noticed that while riding I do get some little particles of dust fling into my eye very once in a while even with the shield down and I think with contacts it would really suck. I'm thinking of lasik that shoudl fix the problem all together but for now my glasses work fine.
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It's all about technique, lol. When my sister first started wearing contacts she complained about how it took her 15 minutes per eye to get her contacts in. I showed her the proper way to place the contact on her finger and hold her eyelid open and now she is able to put them in literally a few seconds. I don't notice particles of dust or anything to be any more irritating with my contacts in vs. with them out.
Papageno, if you do try contacts, give them at least a few weeks before giving up. It takes a little while to figure out the quickest way to put them in and for your eyes to adjust to the feeling of having something on your eye. Once you get past this phase contacts should literally add no more than 30 seconds tops to your daily routine.
 
I have worn glasses since age 6. My sight isn't too bad at a -3.0 for both eyes. I did wear contacts for about 10 years too. I used to wear nothing but the Acuvue 2 lenses. Then they decided to discontinue those and put me on the Oasis lenses. Well, they are very comfortable lenses but after about 15 months, my vision was slowly getting "strange" so after complaining to the Doc, I got an eye exam and I, for the first time ever, was deemed to have an astigmatism in both eyes! So, I had to have new contacts AND new glasses to correct for this. I thought about it and determined that my issues started with the Oasis so I stopped wearing them. Within 6 months of stopping I was due for another eye exam. I went in and guess what? The astigmatism was gone from BOTH eyes! When I questioned the Doc about this, she told me that yes, contacts can re-shape the cornea and give you problems. I told her I didn't ever have any problems with the Acuvue 2 lenses, but of course, they no longer carry them. So, I stuck with the glasses only. I also want to point out that I have three co-workers that ended up with the very same problem once switched to Oasis and have since either moved to a different brand of contacts, glasses only and one had Lasik after his eyes returned to their original shape.

I ended up with a pair of Oakley frames that have the straight bows, thus they are SUPER easy to put on when the helmet is in place. Having to try and hook bows behind your ears with a "properly fitted" helmet is impossible!

I fully intend to get lasik done in about two years. When I do, I am going to Quebec to get it done. Canada has been doing it longer than any doc in the US and they have better technology up there because our standards hold up progress here in the states. PLUS, it is a lot cheaper in CA than anywhere here. I have 6 co-workers who have all been to the same doc up there and have zero issues. That doc gives you a list of docs here to do all the follow up exams with. It's another $300 for those visits here. Something else to plan on.

Summary: Acuvue 2 (used to) ROCK! Oasis is not for everyone. Lasik is the best answer. :tup:
 
I'm 55 and had Lasik surgery in 2006. I had been wearing glasses since 3rd grade. And I have to tell you that the decision to have the Lasik was one of the best decisions I had ever made. So much freedom now not having to worry about glasses. I tried contacts once but never could get used to them. The only issues I had with the Lasik was when they first cut the flap and all goes dark, and then when they actually start the laser you can smell your eye burning. But other then that it has been amazing. Now can swim and snorkle and actually see things under the water. Plus I can buy cheap sunglasses instead of rx ones. I wear Raybans under my full-face Scorpion helmet and have no problems at all. Before the Lasik my nearsightedness was at 20/400, now after it I'm at 20/15 and its amazing.
 
PapaGeno21 said:
Im not sure if I want to do them now. Lots of negative things I'm hearing as well as poaitive...
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I'm glad we could help you decide by giving a range of experiences and opinions. Pretty much any path you take has pros and cons. One pro to wearing glasses while riding is that you can flip your visor up at any time and your eyes are still protected (at least more so than no protection at all) from bugs and whatnot by your glasses. You can wear sunglasses to protect your eyes with the visor up as well, but you have to remember to bring them with you and put them on when needed and they can't be worn at night.
I still say give contacts a try unless you are REALLY strapped for cash. You should be able to get an appointment with the eye doctor to get your contact prescription for under $100 and they probably have a pair of sample contacts you can try for a few weeks to see if you like it... so in the end even if you go back to glasses you aren't out any more than a bill. Just my 2 cents. It only takes me a few seconds to take my contacts in and out and I am so used to them that most of the time I honestly don't even think about them being there until it's time to take them out.
 
BTW, with the Acuvue 2 lenses, I only bought Daily wear but always wore a pair for about a month without ever taking them out. 60 minutes, a few years ago, had an in-depth look into contacts and showed the world that it is a scam on daily vs. extended wear. They had cameras watch as the production line churned out contacts at Bausch and Lomb in a daily wear package, then it showed the line stopping and they replaced the boxes and instructions only to extended wear and started up production again. I never had any problems with using the daily wear as extended. Daily is a lot cheaper too.

Last, go so Sam's, Wal-Mart and/or BJ's and compare pricing with 1-800-CONTACTS. There's very good discounts at one of those places... always!
 
For motorcycle riding I only wear my contacts. I feel that my peripheral vision is too bad when wearing glasses. I've been wearing contacts for the past 20+ years, but I think Lasik might be in my future later this year ;)
 
I wear contacts, Johnston and Johnston Acuvue Moist. They are one day throw away lenses and are extremely comfortable and take me a few seconds to put in and then I throw them away at the end of the day. It's too easy.
At first it's a bit of mucking around but these days it's a breeze.
What I didn't like about lasik was that they told me I would eventually need reading glasses so I don't see the point of changing one type of glasses for another.
Don't be scared mate just give them a go and see for yourself.
 
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