glasses or contacts?

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Originally posted by SnappyPix:

It was the best decision I ever made and changed the quality of my life 100%. My eyesight was so bad that when I was younger, myself and a group of friends used to go swimming in our lunchbreaks. We got to know the lifeguards fairly well - on nodding terms at least. One day I was swimming up the pool and smiled a big beamy smile to the lifeguard standing on the side. It was only when I was inches away, that I realised I'd been grinning at the spinal board!

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SnappyPix I can totally relate to your story! When I was younger we went swmming with my class. We must've been there for a while when I finally realised I had ben talking to complete strangers the whole time. Horrible experience for a little girl that I was..

Thank you all for your experiences with the Lasik thing. I'm still a little sceptical about it and might just wait five more years (also to hustle up the 1000 euros per eye it's going to cost me :p ).

Oh by the way Adventure Girl, I'm sorry but I'm so happy that I finally found someone who has worse eyesight than me. I'm only -10 on the right one and -9,5 on the left one :D

Laura P

I go back and forth between glasses and contacts but when I wear contacts I see better, things look crisp, than when I am wearing glasses. I also have several pair of sunglasses including a pair with clear lenses for riding at night.
I am not sure what you consider a reasonable price for sunglasses but www.rei-outlet.com has several brands with and with out interchangeable lens for $60.00 or less. Jones

Ewwww....contacts?! You mean...sticking ym fingers into my eye! Eep!

Glasses here. Even if I wasn't just plain chicken, contacts would be prohibitively expensive for me since I wear progressives and have bad astigmatism.

I never thought to tie the tearing up thing with my glasses though... I was thinking about wearing my lab goggles just to keep the wind out of my eyes somewhat (Okay, so I'd look like Bill Nye the Science Guy, but man is it ever windy here), but now I'm wondering if the vents would just make it worse...

For the OP, for your next pair of glasses, you might think about getting a set of titanium frames from 39dollareyeglasses.com. I absolutely love mine, they are so light and strong. They have much cheaper frames, but with a toddler ti sounds like it might be the way to go! (Too bad I can't have a matching bike ;) )

Worn contacts since the days of old hard lenses (since 1968). The new contacts are a true marvel. So light and easy to load into the eye. I forget I have them on. They are easy to get used to, easy to care for and definitely make a difference with my vision. I still wear protective eyegear when riding, generally sunglasses, but I would wear something no matter what. A plus, something like an Oakley frame made for sports will wrap around the face to provide complete protection and afford the ability to trade out lenses for certain weather condition. Regular eye glasses won't do that or neither would prescription sunglasses. I've never lost a lens out of my eye. I do carry a small vial of wetting drops just in case I need to remove the lens for cleaning and reinserting. No question contacts for me.

And you do get use to touching your eye. I can literally hold my finger against my cornea without a problem. You just get use to it.

I had Lasik about a year ago, after 37 years of wearing glasses, and 30 years of contacts. My vision was like LauraPaura's, -10 in one eye, -12 in the other, legally blind if uncorrected. Nevertheless, I was scared to death to let them take a laser beam to my eyes. I didn't have much, but I could see! It's understandable to fear losing what you do have.

The week of the Lasik was hard--I spent many hours having various things tested with my eyes Monday, and then spent Wed at the eye clinic. They give you something like Valium--I don't think I'd take it again, because I turn into such a whiney baby :p . The actual procedure is pretty brief, less than 10 min per eye. They gave me something to hold onto--a stuffed animal of some sort--by eye #2, I begged one of the nurses to hold my hand, and was talking to the MD in Spanish, pleading with him not to hurt me. Sheesh. Like I say. Valium. :rolleyes:

It was painful to hold my eyes open for however long it was, and to look right at a bright light. I was scared the whole time. I wouldn't open my eyes at first in the recovery room. When they finally got me to open my eyes, I read the clock on the wall. That felt like a miracle. I couldn't see well enough to read that evening, and my BF had to help me figure out which of the many eye drops to put in when. I slept with goggles on for days, as per instructions. I showered with goggles on. By day #3, my vision was perfect. On day #5, I broke up with said BF (long time in coming), and worried mainly that crying would hurt my eyes! (It didn't)

So, after all that, would I do it again? YES! In a heartbeat. My vision is perfect. I don't even need reading glasses any more, although I know I will again, as I age. I swim with nice quality goggles, I run and ride with sunglasses, ranging from dark to clear, based on the light, and I always have eye drops with me. At first the driness was really bad, but it's quite manageable now. I can see everything, all the time. It's as if those 37 years of progressive nearsightedness never happened.

Research it well, don't make your decision based on price, and go for it if it feels right! I've never regretted it. I've just started seeing a new guy, and it's especially nice to be able to see the person I'm kissing! :p

Best wishes, Lise

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Originally Posted by Dianyla

This is a very timely topic, I've been thinking about this a lot lately.

I'm really resistant to the idea of getting contact lenses. The reason why is that I am mildly nearsighted and my vision up close for reading/computer work is just fine. I always my glasses off for near work, otherwise I get eyestrain and a headache. So, I'm constantly putting them on and taking them off, and I wouldn't want to do this for contacts. For just going on a long ride it might be worth it, but the thought of commuting to work with contacts in and then sitting in front of my computer all day just makes me want to cry. :rolleyes:

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I wear contacts all day. I am very nearsighted! Almost blind without glasses. The contacts correct my nearsightedness. While at the computer I wear reading glasses because at 55 I have become far sighted as well (it's sad I have this narrow little band where I can see without any glasses or contacts). I only need the reading glasses while at the computer so I leave them there and don't carry them around.

I think you will be surprised at how well you can see with contacts. My glasses don't come close!!!!! Wearing reading glasses will eliminate any eye strain. Plus like anything else, you need to remember to look away from the computer at regular intervals etc.

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Originally Posted by maillotpois

I'm wimpier at - 5.50. Perfect timing for this discussion, though. Just got dilated so everything's a bit blurry. Sigh!

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You guys know that the number say -13 or 5.50 reflects the curvature of your eye vs. the degree of nearsighted or farsightedness. What you really need to compare is eyeglass presciptions. For instance in my left eye I am 320/20 and right I am 275/20. My contact presciption is 5.50 for the left and 4.75 for my right. I don't think there is a correlation betwent he eye curvature and lack of vision but I may be wrong.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that for up close work it hurts my eyes to wear any kind of corrective lens. I'm always taking glasses off to read or work on the computer. It's almost like I need bifocals, except the reading part of the bifocal would have zero prescription. Is this possible?

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Originally Posted by Dianyla

I guess what I'm trying to say is that for up close work it hurts my eyes to wear any kind of corrective lens. I'm always taking glasses off to read or work on the computer. It's almost like I need bifocals, except the reading part of the bifocal would have zero prescription. Is this possible?

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I understand completely - what will happen if you get contacts is that you will have to use reading glasses while at the computer but no need to take them on or off. Think of it like a bifocal. The glasses would be the bottom portion and your contacts (and looking over the glasses) would be the top. The nice thing about reading glasses - they are cheap and you can get different strengths. I would start at something like a 1 or 1.25 and go from there. I eliminate the "woosy" part of reading bifocals by just taking the glasses off when I leave my computer.

It's worth talking to your optomalogist (s?) about.

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Originally Posted by bcipam

You guys know that the number say -13 or 5.50 reflects the curvature of your eye vs. the degree of nearsighted or farsightedness. What you really need to compare is eyeglass presciptions. For instance in my left eye I am 320/20 and right I am 275/20. My contact presciption is 5.50 for the left and 4.75 for my right. I don't think there is a correlation betwent he eye curvature and lack of vision but I may be wrong.

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Not in my case. Contact lens power is expressed in units called diopters. Contact lenses that correct nearsightedness have a minus (-) lens power. Lenses that correct farsightedness have a plus (+) power. My power is actually -13.5.

My base curve is 8.6. That is the measurement of the radius of curvature in millimeters of the inside curve.

All I know is, not only couldn't I read the big E, I couldn't even see the eye chart on the wall...

Thank God for Lasik. You never know what you've been missing until you can take a shower with your eyes open.

Nanci

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Originally Posted by Lise

I slept with goggles on for days, as per instructions. I showered with goggles on. By day #3, my vision was perfect.
Best wishes, Lise

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Ah those goggles! I was so paranoid that I was going to rub my eyes in the night, and taped those shields on tight!

The first thing the receptionist said to me the next morning, when I went in for my check-up ... "You don't need to tape those shields so tight, sweetie!"
The indentations took all day to smooth out again!

As Lise says, research is the key. A friend of mine was thrilled that she was getting the treatment much, much cheaper, and a free consultation with her clinic's "Eye Technician".
I researched religiously, read testimonials (from forums, not from the clinic themselves) and paid for an initial consultation with the surgeon who'd be performing the operation. I didn't want some receptionist with a fancy title telling me "Sure, it'll be fine, go ahead and have it done".
My friend has had repeat procedures and is still having to wear glasses.
There might be no correlation between that and her budget surgery, but I'd recommend an appointment with the actual surgeon, if nothing else.

As for nerves - my knees were knocking so badly during the procedure, I worried they wouldn't be able to get the aim right on my eyeball! And no-one offered me Valium! :mad: I think I may have broken several bones in the poor nurse's hand, I was crushing it so tight!

I did have a few weeks of dry eyes after the op - but found that herbal eye drops from the local pharmacy did the trick, until my eyes settled back down to normal.

I had the operation just before Christmas - and when people asked what I'd got for Christmas that year - I excitedly chirped back "The gift of sight"!! :)

I still smile when I see the spinal boards at the swimming pool!

I'm too wimpy for Lasik. Also, I wear glasses because I'm so vain, and I think I look better in them....:rolleyes: :rolleyes: Also, I think deep down, I wear glasses because I can hide behind them.:p

I haven't had a pair of contacts since my mid 20s, but I'm considering getting them again just for cycling. Again because I'm so vain:rolleyes: I bought a pair of Rudy projects with the prescription inserts, and they look so mega DAGGY (Aussie slang for nerdy), I only wore them the one time...

Does anyone wear contact lenses only for cycling? Are they more comfortable now? I remember them being a bit scratchy if my eyes were a bit dry....

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Originally Posted by Dianyla

I guess what I'm trying to say is that for up close work it hurts my eyes to wear any kind of corrective lens. I'm always taking glasses off to read or work on the computer. It's almost like I need bifocals, except the reading part of the bifocal would have zero prescription. Is this possible?

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Sounds like presbyopia to me! The bifocal part of the glasses is actually magnifying, like it would be if you were farsighted instead of nearsighted. When those little focus muscles in your eyes first start going bad, just removing your nearsightedness correction is enough to see what's close to you. As presbyopia progresses, you need that magnification to focus. Those over-the-counter reading glasses and the biofocal part of prescription glasses have progressive factors of "plus" correction. Where's the optician in this group that can explain this right?

P.S. I second the recommendation for regular old safety glasses when you're riding in the gloom. The coverage is great and they usually have that foamy strip over the forehead that keeps your face from freezing when it's cold - only real goggles would be better in the cold.

Would something like these work nuthatch?

http://iweb.tntech.edu/mcaprio/goggles.jpg

Because that's what I have in mind when people wear safety goggles...

I'd be thrilled for anything that would cut some of them wind and fit over my normal glasses! I'd even dig through my boxes and find them again for that!