Do you wear contacts?

[Cowardly Toaster]

I use contacts, Air Optix brand. You're supposed to change them every 2 weeks but I usually stretch it to up to 8 weeks, until they start to feel weird. I take them out at night, even though they are rated for continuous use.

Any similar experiences were contacts or ideas on money saving?

[GreenSheep]

I do the same... take them out nightly, change them every 2 months instead of every 2 weeks. My optometrist is aware of it and isn't really against it even though he probably can't officially endorse it; he says the makers of the contacts get them approved for 2 weeks even though they probably can go longer because it encourages people to buy more.

Lately I've only been having my eye exam done every 2 years, not so much because of money (insurance covers it) but because it's just one less thing to do if I can avoid it. So I go in and have my exam done, get my prescription, and get whatever number of contacts my insurance will cover. Then if I need more contacts, I get them from webeyecare.com. A year later, just before my prescription expires, I order more online. Fortunately, my eyes don't change much/at all from year to year, so this can work for me. I'm planning to look into possibly getting them at Costco next time if they're cheaper there. And maybe someday Lasik will be cheaper!

[Playing with Fire UK]

I buy lenses online. I also look into lenses that are branded differently but the exact same lenses made by the same company.

I'm not sure if we are talking about the same lenses, but I have used Air Optix lenses that are approved for four weeks continuous wear. If they have approved them for longer in different countries it could be suggestive that they are messing with the approvals. [You may also choose to believe that your country's standards are inherently better and I can't evidence that isn't the case, but I can evidence examples of businesses using safety to make money].

[plog]

In the middle of year 4 of my 6-month supply of 2-week contacts.   Back in the Oregon-Trail days when contacts cost $300 a pair and were meant to be kept for 2 years you bought stuff to clean your contacts daily and this plug in contraption to heat-disinfect them weekly.  They still make that cleaner stuff and its relatively cheap.  And despite what people who sell contacts tell you--it works on modern day contacts.  I don't do the weekly disinfection thing, but I do clean my contacts every other day--costs about 40 seconds and 10 cents a cleaning. 

[I'm a red panda]

I no longer wear contacts. I used to wear monthlies, and had success with them for about 8 years, then I developed a corneal ulcer.  Which thankfully was treated early and I didn't go blind; but the contacts were easily pointed to for the blame- apparently that kind of contact is much more susceptible to the problem. My eyes no longer tolerate contacts, likely due to a change in shape from the scaring.

I have some dailies I wear when scuba diving or if I know I'm having pictures taken, but I can't wear them for more than a few hours.

However, glasses have been way cheaper- I keep a pair for so long. Not very stylish, but I'm not THAT out of date...

Once I haven't been pregnant for whatever the required amount of time is, I'm getting LASIK. I wish I had done it ages ago. I can't wait to be able to roll over and see what time it is on the alarm clock!

[Stash Engineer]

I stopped wearing contacts about 2 years ago because they were causing me to have massive headaches at the end of the work day (I stare at 3 computer screens all day).  I've been thinking about going back and trying them again because I'm getting tired of cleaning these glasses non-stop and it sucks that transitions don't work in the car.  However, from a financial perspective, glasses are better since they can last a few years.

[Gondolin]

LASIK was the greatest thing to ever happen to me. If physically possible for you, it'll cost <$4k of HSA money to never wear contacts again. Cost payoff in 7-10 years with a huge quality of life improvement.

[ysette9]

Another one here to pile in on the sentiment that LASIK (or PRK or whichever cousin you go with) is the best money I have ever spent. The quality of life improvements can't be overstated. 

[Spork]

LASIK was the greatest thing to ever happen to me. If physically possible for you, it'll cost <$4k of HSA money to never wear contacts again. Cost payoff in 7-10 years with a huge quality of life improvement.

...until you hit your mid 40s.  ;)

To the original question...  I don't wear them any more.  I hit some wall of dry eye where I just couldn't take it any longer.  But I'm going to say that if you wear contacts, consider going old school: gas permeable hard lenses.  They last a long time.  They're not nearly the breeding ground for bacteria and nastiness of soft lenses.  If you're prone to dry eyes, they'll actually help.  Soft lenses seem to sponge the water out of your eye and hard lenses seem to be just a mild enough irritant to help a little.  (They help to a point... I finally quit them after about 30 years of wear.)

They DO take some time to get used to.  But once you get used to them, they're just as comfortable as soft lenses.

[Gondolin]

...until you hit your mid 40s.  ;)

Do people go back to contacts after standard macular degeneration sets in? Everyone I know went for low correction glasses that they wear while reading.

[ysette9]

I did hard contacts as my first-ever contacts as a teenager. My town had/has really bad pollen and in my experience the buildup on my contacts due to allergies rendered my hard contacts unwearable after less than a year, even with the fancy expensive fizzing contact cleaner. As a teenager who thought nothing was less cool than wearing glasses this was a huge disappointment.

I successfully did soft contacts for years until my eyes got too dry. I did everything I could: punctum plugs, fish oil, eyelid massage, and prescription eye drops to increase year production, but nothing allowed me to comfortably wear contacts again. LASIK fixed all of that! My eyes are still on the dry side,  it it mostly doesn't matter because I don't have an additional lens on my eyeball sucking up moisture. I realize that I will need reading glasses when I get older, but that would happen regardless.

[Spork]

...until you hit your mid 40s.  ;)

Do people go back to contacts after standard macular degeneration sets in? Everyone I know went for low correction glasses that they wear while reading.

Presbyopia.  Macular degeneration is a bad thing.  A very bad thing.

It depends.  Swapping glasses off and on is a royal pain.  To me, it's a much worse pain than putting on glasses once in the morning (or contacts).  But I assume it's a personal preference.  Hard lenses make awesome bifocals. They put concentric circles with 2 differing prescriptions in them and your brain just "knows" which one to use.

[renata ricotta]

I get the impulse to stretch the wear of contacts (I would often change after 3, 3.5 weeks myself, mostly because I forget exactly when I opened the last pair) but EIGHT weeks is way too long, and potentially dangerous to your eyes.  When I was a teenager I was terrible at following contact guidelines and ended up with microblisters on my cornea.  Older contacts also are more prone to protein and bacterial building up on the lens as well.  If you seriously damage your eyes, you could be setting yourself up for pretty expensive issues in the future.  That's being penny wise but pound foolish.

I've switched to daily disposables, and bought a pair of glasses that I like and look good in ($95 at Warby Parker, paid for with HSA money).  Every day that I won't be outside in the sun (the main reason I dislike wearing glasses is the sunglasses problem), I wear glasses instead of contacts.  That's probably half the days, so boom.  Spending half as much money on contacts, giving my eyes a healthy break, and not risking eye damage.

[I'm a red panda]

...until you hit your mid 40s.  ;)

My husband woudl told that aging wouldn't effect LASIK's ability to keep the correction of distance vision. It just isn't going to prevent the standard need for readers.

Since I'm blind as a bat- I'd like to be able to see past my elbows.

[Spork]

...until you hit your mid 40s.  ;)

My husband woudl told that aging wouldn't effect LASIK's ability to keep the correction of distance vision. It just isn't going to prevent the standard need for readers.

Since I'm blind as a bat- I'd like to be able to see past my elbows.

Right.  It's just a bunch of folks think they're going to get rid of glasses/contacts forever.  About age 42, you're back in them.

I'm blind as a bat, too.  I've never been a fan of corrective surgeries, but I know quite a few people that are happy as they can be with it.  I also know several that would go back and avoid it if they had the chance.  There can be side effects, some of them pretty bad.  And glasses/contacts always corrected me back to 20/20...  If that wasn't the case, I'd certainly opt for some type of surgery.

[Bicycle_B]

...until you hit your mid 40s.  ;)

Do people go back to contacts after standard macular degeneration sets in? Everyone I know went for low correction glasses that they wear while reading.

Presbyopia.  Macular degeneration is a bad thing.  A very bad thing.

It depends.  Swapping glasses off and on is a royal pain.  To me, it's a much worse pain than putting on glasses once in the morning (or contacts).  But I assume it's a personal preference.  Hard lenses make awesome bifocals. They put concentric circles with 2 differing prescriptions in them and your brain just "knows" which one to use.

Presbyopia - the thing where at 40something, you can't see close things any more.  Got it.

I use a different variation of contact lens prescription to overcome presbyopia.  I use "MonoVision" - one eye gets a prescription for distance vision, the other for close vision.  Again, the brain "knows" which one to use.  Was such a relief to not be putting reading glasses on and off.  Plus, I don't look as super-old in the company of people of under 40. 

Can't use Lasik in my case because my eyes have too much curvature.  But it's a good thing for those who qualify.

[Cowardly Toaster]

...until you hit your mid 40s.  ;)

My husband woudl told that aging wouldn't effect LASIK's ability to keep the correction of distance vision. It just isn't going to prevent the standard need for readers.

Since I'm blind as a bat- I'd like to be able to see past my elbows.

Right.  It's just a bunch of folks think they're going to get rid of glasses/contacts forever.  About age 42, you're back in them.

I'm blind as a bat, too.  I've never been a fan of corrective surgeries, but I know quite a few people that are happy as they can be with it.  I also know several that would go back and avoid it if they had the chance.  There can be side effects, some of them pretty bad.  And glasses/contacts always corrected me back to 20/20...  If that wasn't the case, I'd certainly opt for some type of surgery.

When I was in the military I could have gotten the PRK surgery paid for by Uncle Sam. The kind of eye surgery that fighter pilots are allowed to have. I had it all set up, and I chickened out. Something about it just seemed wrong.

[catccc]

I have dailies and wear them occasionally, mostly for working out when glasses can get in the way.  I will reuse the dailies for a couple weeks or so before tossing them, usually.  There are also some online sources (uk/canada based) that allow you to purchase w/o a current rx.  Just make sure you know what you are buying!

[Spork]

...until you hit your mid 40s.  ;)

My husband woudl told that aging wouldn't effect LASIK's ability to keep the correction of distance vision. It just isn't going to prevent the standard need for readers.

Since I'm blind as a bat- I'd like to be able to see past my elbows.

Right.  It's just a bunch of folks think they're going to get rid of glasses/contacts forever.  About age 42, you're back in them.

I'm blind as a bat, too.  I've never been a fan of corrective surgeries, but I know quite a few people that are happy as they can be with it.  I also know several that would go back and avoid it if they had the chance.  There can be side effects, some of them pretty bad.  And glasses/contacts always corrected me back to 20/20...  If that wasn't the case, I'd certainly opt for some type of surgery.

When I was in the military I could have gotten the PRK surgery paid for by Uncle Sam. The kind of eye surgery that fighter pilots are allowed to have. I had it all set up, and I chickened out. Something about it just seemed wrong.

Are you sure about that part?  And let's be clear.  "Allowed to have" by FARs and "what the military and airlines think about it" are very different.  Last I checked, both the military and the major airlines were very very skeptical about surgically corrected vision.  It will get you a class I medical.  I'm not sure it will get you through the door of a job interview.

At one point I did ortho-K for a class I physical... and then ended up going a different path... but ortho-K is reversible.  (Not recommended, btw.  It's expensive and really doesn't get you much.)

[Dave1442397]

I wear monthly contacts, and need reading glasses too.

Once this surgery becomes available, I'm going for it - http://ocumetics.com/

[Tiger Stache]

I wear gas permeables. I started in high school, then one year a new optometrist got me to switch to soft lenses. I went back to GP the next year. My lenses last a long time.

[I'm a red panda]

Are you sure about that part?  And let's be clear.  "Allowed to have" by FARs and "what the military and airlines think about it" are very different.  Last I checked, both the military and the major airlines were very very skeptical about surgically corrected vision.  It will get you a class I medical.  I'm not sure it will get you through the door of a job interview.

At one point I did ortho-K for a class I physical... and then ended up going a different path... but ortho-K is reversible.  (Not recommended, btw.  It's expensive and really doesn't get you much.)

I don't have friends who are fighter pilots who have had the surgery, but I know someone who is a bomber pilot and someone who is a cargo pilot- and the AF paid for both of them to have PRK.

[Spork]

Are you sure about that part?  And let's be clear.  "Allowed to have" by FARs and "what the military and airlines think about it" are very different.  Last I checked, both the military and the major airlines were very very skeptical about surgically corrected vision.  It will get you a class I medical.  I'm not sure it will get you through the door of a job interview.

At one point I did ortho-K for a class I physical... and then ended up going a different path... but ortho-K is reversible.  (Not recommended, btw.  It's expensive and really doesn't get you much.)

I don't have friends who are fighter pilots who have had the surgery, but I know someone who is a bomber pilot and someone who is a cargo pilot- and the AF paid for both of them to have PRK.

My understanding is that if/when they get out, this will still put a red flag on their job applications.  It won't necessarily disqualify them, but it makes them less desirable.  Maybe things have changed, but I've got multiple buddies in the industry (and thought for a while I was going to take that path myself).  That's what I've heard over and over from folks in the industry.  Maybe it's not as big a deal these days.

[Sibley]

I've worn contacts since I was 15, and I'm 31 now. It was pretty much beaten into me (not literally) that you don't screw with your eyes. I change lenses every 2 weeks and take them out at night.

The problem with not following what the eye doctor says is you're fine - until you're not. And the "not fine" can be devastating. Yeah, they're horror stories, with the additional horror of being true.

[I'm a red panda]

Are you sure about that part?  And let's be clear.  "Allowed to have" by FARs and "what the military and airlines think about it" are very different.  Last I checked, both the military and the major airlines were very very skeptical about surgically corrected vision.  It will get you a class I medical.  I'm not sure it will get you through the door of a job interview.

At one point I did ortho-K for a class I physical... and then ended up going a different path... but ortho-K is reversible.  (Not recommended, btw.  It's expensive and really doesn't get you much.)

I don't have friends who are fighter pilots who have had the surgery, but I know someone who is a bomber pilot and someone who is a cargo pilot- and the AF paid for both of them to have PRK.

My understanding is that if/when they get out, this will still put a red flag on their job applications.  It won't necessarily disqualify them, but it makes them less desirable.  Maybe things have changed, but I've got multiple buddies in the industry (and thought for a while I was going to take that path myself).  That's what I've heard over and over from folks in the industry.  Maybe it's not as big a deal these days.

Maybe they won't be able to get commercial jobs because of it.

[JetBlast]

The only health question I was ever asked on any airline application was if I currently held a first class medical certificate. I was asked to bring that certificate to interviews. No questions at all about vision. Perhaps in the past airlines cared, but now at least in the US they only care that you meet the standards to hold a first class medical. FWIW my last interview was just a few months ago with one of the "Big 3" US majors.

Other countries have more strict standards for medical certification and corrective surgery can be disqualifying in some of them. If planning to stay in the US I would check with an Aviation Medical Examiner well versed in the paperwork the FAA will want to see to approve a first class medical after LASIK or PRK.

As to the original question, I wear contacts which correct me to 20/20. Mine are the throw away every two weeks variety. When they're new I can wear them all day and forget I'm wearing them. After a few weeks the start bothering me toward the end of the day and that's when I'll get a new pair.

[1967mama]

I'm in daily disposables. They're expensive but I hve very dry eyes and also get a lot of protein deposits on weeklies so they are uncomfortable and bothersome in my eyes after three days. I never stretch the days ... don't want to mess with my eye health.

ETA: I also wear magnifiers to read

[kimmarg]

I stopped wearing contacts about 2 years ago because they were causing me to have massive headaches at the end of the work day (I stare at 3 computer screens all day).  I've been thinking about going back and trying them again because I'm getting tired of cleaning these glasses non-stop and it sucks that transitions don't work in the car.  However, from a financial perspective, glasses are better since they can last a few years.

I wear contacts AND reading glasses at work for computer screens and it works great. Next time you get your eyes checked be sure to tell them about this and they can get you a perscription that works for the computer distance which is often between reading and standard 'distance'.

[kimmarg]

I've worn contacts since I was 15, and I'm 31 now. It was pretty much beaten into me (not literally) that you don't screw with your eyes. I change lenses every 2 weeks and take them out at night.

The problem with not following what the eye doctor says is you're fine - until you're not. And the "not fine" can be devastating. Yeah, they're horror stories, with the additional horror of being true.

This. I have monthly contacts. I change them every month to 6 weeks depending on how much I'm wearing them. I can feel when they are old and grimy. I've got very bad vision and it's taken a lot of work to get me into a perscription and contact set up that works so I don't save money here. I can feel the difference as soon as I put in the contacts between the cheap-o walmart solution and the expensive brand name stuff. My spouse can use the cheap stuff no problem but I only do if we're out of the good stuff.

[JLee]

Yes.  I used to stretch out the use and wearing schedule and then I got a corneal ulcer after ~10 years. I'm a lot more careful now.  In the big picture, saving $100/year on contacts isn't worth it.

[MayDay]

I switched to dailies because the two week ones bothered my eyes well below two weeks. I often threw them away after just a couple days.

My optometrist switched me to dailies but said I can wear them for two days, taking them out overnight. This seems like a perfect balance for me. My eyes always feel good now. The cost is a bit higher, but it's mostly because I wear them every day now rather than constantly having to wear my glasses.

[JoshuaSpodek]

Lasik about 10 or 15 years ago. Contacts would turn my eyes bloodshot in minutes so they stopped being an option, though I had worn them for years before. Not sure the problem, but lasik was better.

20/15 for most of that time.

In my early 40s dropped to 20/20. At 45 I still don't need glasses but every now and then I need to squint to see details at distance, though I have friends whose vision with contacts is still worse than mine without.

I'll need reading glasses soon, but that's a separate issue. I don't think you can avoid that.

[BTDretire]

I've been wearing contacts for about 15 years.
I wear them until they are uncomfortable, I never take
them out unless I'm changing them. 12 pair lasts me
well over 1 year.
  Over the years I have went from a 2.5 to 5.25.
If I took them out, I would not be able to read a clock
in the morning. I could make my coffee,
but I usually do that in the dark anyway, so I could
probably have my eyes closed.
 I wear a 2X glasses with my contacts for computer use
and and pretty much anything within arm length.

[JLee]

I've been wearing contacts for about 15 years.
I wear them until they are uncomfortable, I never take
them out unless I'm changing them. 12 pair lasts me
well over 1 year.
  Over the years I have went from a 2.5 to 5.25.
If I took them out, I would not be able to read a clock
in the morning. I could make my coffee,
but I usually do that in the dark anyway, so I could
probably have my eyes closed.
 I wear a 2X glasses with my contacts for computer use
and and pretty much anything within arm length.

If those aren't continuous wear lenses, be careful....