Tell me something about contact lenses.

[Skippy]

My daughter is getting contacts and I have no clue about them. Is there such a think as contacts that you leave in for 30 straight days? I don't mean use them for 30 days but rather put them in one time and forget about them for a month.

 

Also, is there such a think as a contact that you can swim with?

 

I would thing that the answer is no to both of these but we are getting some information from some of her friends that sounds like there are.

Edited August 31, 2010 by Skippy

[twiley]

Not too sure about any of that info but I use the daily disposable lenses. I don't see the logic in leaving a contact in for 30 days - maybe they're good for 30 days before you pitch them but you have to sterilize them nightly.

[rocknrobn26]

My daughter did the contact thingee years ago. Whilst she was trying to get used to them she wore out a pair in like 3 days!

She finally got used to them but not before many tears!

Good luck!

[j2v]

I've been wearing contacts for almost 30 years; maybe the last 10 or so I've worn extended wear lenses that you can sleep in and wear for two weeks to a month straight. I do use some "blink-n-clean" eyedrops to keep them moist, but for the most part that's the extent of the maintenance. After a month you toss them and move on to a new pair. Haven't had any eye problems other than the occasional dry eye (again with the drops). I would imagine it might take your daughter some time to work up to wearing the lenses for that long of a time, just depends on how quickly her eyes adjust.

 

As for lenses you can swim in, unless you're wearing goggles I don't see how that's possible. I wear mine swimming but am paranoid a good splash will knock them out so almost always wear goggles.

 

2V

[Perchoutofwater]

I tried them 25 years ago, and found them to be a giant pain in the ass. I wore them for about a year or two, and then went back to glasses.

[matt770]

I've worn them for years, but over the past 3-5 years I've gradually moved to glasses almost exclusively. Combination of settling down/less vanity and now have chronic dry eye from staring at the computer all day, so it's not comfortable to wear them.

 

I don't trust lenses being in overnight, I've always had issues with them bonding to the eyeballs and drying out. But then again whenever it happened I was completely sh!tfaced and passed out.

[Furd]

I think that there answer is no to both.

 

There are extended wear lenses that you can wear day and night for about a week. There are"frequent replacement lenses" (which I use). You must remove them at night. There is minimal cleaning (for me anyway) - just a quick wipe with the finger. The solution that you store them in disinfects them. I wear them a month then discard them. There are also daily disposables that you, as you might imagine, discard at the end of the day. No cleaning involved. They are more expensive.

 

The right type for your daughter may depend on how she tolerates them and how much you want to spend.

[billay]

I've been wearing extended wear contacts for about 10 years now. I wear them for 2 weeks (more or less, honestly, I just take them out when they begin to bother me). After that, I take them out, and I generally try to wear my glasses for a day or two to give my eyes a break. At the very least, I take the contacts out before going to bed, and then put in the new ones the next morning. No cleaning, no sterilizing, just throw them away and start with a fresh pair. Love 'em.

[Square]

My daughter is getting contacts and I have no clue about them. Is there such a think as contacts that you leave in for 30 straight days? I don't mean use them for 30 days but rather put them in one time and forget about them for a month.

 

Also, is there such a think as a contact that you can swim with?

 

I would thing that the answer is no to both of these but we are getting some information from some of her friends that sounds like there are.

I have extended wear contacts and have worn them for a few years. They are supposed to be monthly disposables but they have gotten better the last few years and I can't remember the last time I changed the ones I am wearing now (at least 3 months, probably more). I think they are called Acuvue Advanced Optix (something close to that). They are sooo much more comfortable than the ones I used to actually have to change every month. I mean, you can always have the chance of something knocking one out of your eye (lost one during a church league basketball game in the winter) but typically no problems with sports or water.

 

ETA: I don't even own glasses.

Edited September 1, 2010 by Square

[Dutch Oven]

I have extended wear contacts and have worn them for a few years. They are supposed to be monthly disposables but they have gotten better the last few years and I can't remember the last time I changed the ones I am wearing now (at least 3 months, probably more). I think they are called Acuvue Advanced Optix (something close to that). They are sooo much more comfortable than the ones I used to actually have to change every month. I mean, you can always have the chance of something knocking one out of your eye (lost one during a church league basketball game in the winter) but typically no problems with sports or water.

 

ETA: I don't even own glasses.

 

+1 on all counts.

[Delicious_bass]

I think that there answer is no to both.

 

There are extended wear lenses that you can wear day and night for about a week. There are"frequent replacement lenses" (which I use). You must remove them at night. There is minimal cleaning (for me anyway) - just a quick wipe with the finger. The solution that you store them in disinfects them. I wear them a month then discard them. There are also daily disposables that you, as you might imagine, discard at the end of the day. No cleaning involved. They are more expensive.

 

The right type for your daughter may depend on how she tolerates them and how much you want to spend.

+1 and good info

 

I wear mine all day and then put them in the case at night to clean/disinfect. I go anywhere from 1 to 1.5 months with the same pair before chucking them and going with new ones. My eyes burn if I fall asleep with the contacts in so I try not to do that at all. Also, I wear my glasses (in lieu of the contacts) at times to give my eyes a break. My wife has the ones that can be thrown away daily but she often wears a pair for a second day.

[MrTed46]

I have been using Daily disposables for years now. I love them because you put in a fresh pair of contacts everyday and they are always clean and sterile. I feel these are the healthiest options for your eyes.

[gbpfan1231]

Get Lasik surgery - best thing I ever did and worth 5 times the price.

[dmarc117]

they suck

[twiley]

I have been using Daily disposables for years now. I love them because you put in a fresh pair of contacts everyday and they are always clean and sterile. I feel these are the healthiest options for your eyes.

Exactly.

 

Little more expensive though.

[MrTed46]

Exactly.

 

Little more expensive though.

 

They are but to me they are worth it. I had an eye infection the 1st or 2nd year I wore contacts and it was my probably my fault as I didnt properly clean the lense...after that I went with daily disposables. Love them. I wouldn't want to sleep with contacts either, at night I take them off and switch to glasses, I feel like I am giving my eyes a rest. Maybe its in my head, but I like the disposables.

[rajncajn]

My daughter is getting contacts and I have no clue about them. Is there such a think as contacts that you leave in for 30 straight days? I don't mean use them for 30 days but rather put them in one time and forget about them for a month.

Absolutely no! Any contact you get whether it be daily disposable or extended wear, you should take them out every night. Extended wear is only supposed to mean you can keep putting the same ones in for 2-3 weeks (possibly longer for the newer one's). You can sleep in them sometimes, but it's not recommended for extended periods. The problems that can arise from wearing them too long can be rather serious and long lasting. Over a period of just a few days, deposits can start to build up on the contacts making them uncomfortable and can irritate the eyes. Those irritations can become infections. Not to mention, when you are wearing your contacts you are restricting oxygen from your cornea which can dry it out and cause ulcers on the eye. Furthermore, if she decided to to get surgery down the road, the longer she has worn the contacts the more her cornea will conform to the shape of the contact. I know this all too well as I went over a year in my glasses trying to get my corneas back to their natural shape so I could get the surgery. I finally gave up, though I will try again sometime soon.

 

Also, is there such a think as a contact that you can swim with?

Sadly again, no and it's one of the things I hate most about glasses or contacts. My suggestion would be to invest in a good pair of goggles when swimming.