Eye problems? Consult Dr. Richie !

[WhItEFox]

How and where are you going to store your extended contact lens?
Saka do you know any alternative solutions (I tried water and gosh, feeling ko nilagyan plastic retina ko!)
It's dangerous to leave it overnight sa eyes...
So pano?

[Ira]

You store your contact lenses only in contact lens containers, using the cleaning and disinfecting/rinsing solutions. There is no substitute for that. Never, never use just plain water to clean the lens. It will harm your eyes. If you accidentally leave your stuff at home and you don't have any place to store them, I guess the least harmful would be to just leave the contact lens on your eyes and remove them the minute you get home. Since you're using extended wear, that gives you more leeway in wearing them longer. If you have the lubricating/anti-dryness eye drops with you, use them frequently. If you have access to any container (e.g., a small soup bowl maybe) and you don't have the solution, just clean and dry the container well, rinse and then immerse the lenses in sterile saline solution (you can buy this by liter at any drug store, they're pretty cheap) to wash off superficial dirt and germs and to prevent them from drying out, cover the bowl to prevent evaporation, and remember to clean the lenses well with the solutions and leave them soaking for at least a few hours before you even start wearing them again once you get home. Do not reuse the contact lenses until you've done the cleaning/disinfecting part.

[_candies_]

wala! di ko naman tinatanggal to eh! minsan 1 month naka- lagay sa eyes ko.

[eyedoc]

Notes on contact lenses from an ophthalmologist who's seen its complications:

1. Never sleep with your contact lenses on. Your contact lenses (even extended wear) need to be cleaned daily. Furthermore, your cornea (the clear front part of your eye) is avascular (it has no blood vessels), therefore it gets its oxygen supply from the atmosphere and its nutrients from the tear film. Wearing your contact lenses for long periods deprives your eyes of much needed oxygen and nutrients, which lead to various complications...and may even lead to blindness. Try to remove them after 8 hours of use.

2. Always use STERILE solutions. Never water from the tap. It's not worth it na magtipid ka sa solutions. With so many brands out there on the market, I don't believe na mawawalan ka ng choices. For extended wear lenses, you may use the solutions intended for soft contact lenses.

3. It always pays to have a pair of eyeglasses, kahit pang back up lang. If you have red eyes, or you run out of solution, stop using your contact lenses. Don't waste your eyes to vanity.

4. Even with disposable contact lenses, you still have to remove it at the end of the day. Clean and store it like you would soft or extended contact lenses.

5. Always see if an ophthalmologist when you feel that something's not right with your eyes. If it becomes red, if it hurts, if your vision becomes blurred...if caught early, we can salvage your eyes from possible permanent damage.

6. If you don't have the personality na magtitiyaga kang maglinis gabi gabi ng contact lenses, huwag na lang. Mag eyeglasses ka na lang. Or you may consider laser correction.

[WhItEFox]

Thanks docs for your immediate response.

Kase, my friend, ewan ko kung ginawa nya talaga told me that pwede daw saliva gawing solution..yucckk..

Question:
And is it really advisable to soak contact lens in a protein remover tablets once a week?

I havent bought any protein tablets lately, effective ba talaga?

And..

Is there a difference between local and imported saline solutions? I used to buy Renu but then I compared that the local solution's price is almost half the price of Renu so I bought a local one. Is it because Renu is imported or is it worth buying it?

[harley quinn]

Cool! An eye doctor!

What does it mean when eyes show signs of 'contact lens abuse?' Is the condition reversible? I forgot to ask my doctor to elaborate on it when he made the diagnosis the last time I saw him.

Thanks for your time.

[eyedoc]

And is it really advisable to soak contact lens in a protein remover tablets once a week?

It's recommended to soak the contact lens in protein remover tablets at least once a month, more frequently if you notice whitish deposits forming on your lenses. Of course, if there are too many deposits and they cannot be removed by the enzymatic tablets, it's best to change your contact lenses. These tablets work by "digesting" the proteins that form on your lenses. (The proteins could trigger a sort of immunologic response, much like an allergic reaction to your contact lenses.)

Is there a difference between local and imported saline solutions? I used to buy Renu but then I compared that the local solution's price is almost half the price of Renu so I bought a local one. Is it because Renu is imported or is it worth buying it?

Blame it on colonial mentality, but we often think that mas high quality ang imported stuff. That is not always the case. If you don't have any problems using the solutions made locally, go ahead and use them.

What does it mean when eyes show signs of 'contact lens abuse?' Is the condition reversible?

harley quinn, it's hard for me to comment on your case. There are lots of side effects of contact lens misuse. Could you tell me what brought you to your eye doctor in the first place? What were your symptoms? Eye redness? Pain? Blurring of vision? Itchiness? I'll try to answer as best as I can in lieu of seeing you.

BTW, congrats to Ira! You've been doing a good job here on Pex! I wonder if I know you... What specialty are you in? Keep up the good work!

[shooting_star]

hi. just wanted to ask what i should do about my lenses.... coz one has been turning slightly yellow even though i've been cleaning them after everytime na i use them....

and what's the easiest way to know which is the "right side up" of the lens?

thanks.

[eyedoc]

one has been turning slightly yellow even though i've been cleaning them after everytime na i use them....

How old are your contact lenses? If they are over a year old it may be time to change them...

what's the easiest way to know which is the "right side up" of the lens?

Well...some contact lenses like the ones made by Wesley Jensen have the indicators on their contact lenses (in Wesley Jensen, you should see the letters W J facing you). Not all contact lenses have this though. You can read the instructions on the pack of your particular pair of contact lenses (or ask the optometrist or ophthalmologist who sold you the contact lenses) if there is such an indicator. As a rule, if the contact lens feels uncomfortable (with foreign body sensation or "puwing" or tearing ,redness or pain, as soon as you put it on, it's very likely na baligtad siya.

[Ira]

Originally posted by eyedoc

BTW, congrats to Ira! You've been doing a good job here on Pex! I wonder if I know you... What specialty are you in? Keep up the good work!

Thanks for the good words, eyedoc. And again, thanks for taking care of the ophtha questions. I'm in neurosciences. Knowing how small the medical field in Metro Manila is, we've probably bumped into each other at least once.

[harley quinn]

Originally posted by eyedoc
harley quinn, it's hard for me to comment on your case. There are lots of side effects of contact lens misuse. Could you tell me what brought you to your eye doctor in the first place? What were your symptoms? Eye redness? Pain? Blurring of vision? Itchiness? I'll try to answer as best as I can in lieu of seeing you.

I actually just went to him for a regular check-up. No, I did not have any symptoms at all. Okay, maybe I thought I needed refraction but that was it. If it helps any, I've been using contacts for more than a decade, having started since I was in my first year of highschool. I must admit that I have abused them, using them for an average of 14-16 hours per day and occasionally sleeping with them,too. I thought my doctor mentioned something about seeing 'new blood vessels'? Does that mean anything to you?

Regarding disposable lenses, are we really just supposed to use them for a max of 2 weeks? What happens if I use them longer than that? Do you personally think disposables are more economical?

Again, thanks for your time!

[eyedoc]

Now, it's a bit clearer to me. Your cornea is supposed to be avascular, that is, they are not supposed to have any blood vessels in order to maintain its clarity. However, if it's deprived of oxygen (which it normally gets directly from the atmosphere) and nutrients (which it normally gets from your tear film), it will form new blood vessels (usually from the limbus - that's the junction between your cornea and the white sclera- moving inwards) in an attempt to get a fresh supply of both from your bloodstream. This simply means that you're wearing your contact lenses too long.

If you have neovascularization (new blood vessels), I'm afraid that it's rather difficult to make it go away. What I would advise is for you to control your contact lens usage, keep it down to 6 - 8 hours a day max, and if you're just at home on a weekend, use your glasses. This would prevent further proliferation of new vessels.

Most disposable lenses are supposed to be used only for 2 weeks. I know there's a brand (Precision UV) which is good for 1 month. Better follow the suggested manufacturers instructions on the optimum time of usage. Treat them as daily wear lenses, though, meaning you have to use them 8 hours max then clean and soak them overnight. The advantage of disposable contact lenses is not necessarily the cost (I'm afraid I don't know all their price tags. The optometrists and optical shops are usually the ones who have a wider range of lenses.) It's the fact that you, in effect, have a new pair of lenses every 2 weeks, with less protein deposition (so no need for enzyme tablets) and thus clearer lenses with less antigenic reactions.

If I seem a bit obsessive about minimizing contact lens wear time and daily cleaning of lenses, I have a good reason to. Like I mentioned, I've seen many cases of complications of contact lens misuse, some with disastrous, difficult to manage outcomes, which could have been prevented with proper care.

Please take good care of your eyes. You only have 1 pair.

[KingTriton]

I always tear my contact lenses, so far I have already torn or left to dry up because i forgot to put solution around 7 pairs already So what I did was I shifted to disposable plus its more hygienic

[shooting_star]

Originally posted by eyedoc


How old are your contact lenses? If they are over a year old it may be time to change them...

my left one (the one that's turning slightly yellow) is 7 months old and my right one is around 4 or 5 months old (i lost one lens).

Well...some contact lenses like the ones made by Wesley Jensen have the indicators on their contact lenses (in Wesley Jensen, you should see the letters W J facing you). Not all contact lenses have this though. You can read the instructions on the pack of your particular pair of contact lenses (or ask the optometrist or ophthalmologist who sold you the contact lenses) if there is such an indicator. As a rule, if the contact lens feels uncomfortable (with foreign body sensation or "puwing" or tearing ,redness or pain, as soon as you put it on, it's very likely na baligtad siya.

thanks doc!

[boardbuster]

Originally posted by eyedoc
Now, it's a bit clearer to me. Your cornea is supposed to be avascular, that is, they are not supposed to have any blood vessels in order to maintain its clarity. However, if it's deprived of oxygen (which it normally gets directly from the atmosphere) and nutrients (which it normally gets from your tear film), it will form new blood vessels (usually from the limbus - that's the junction between your cornea and the white sclera- moving inwards) in an attempt to get a fresh supply of both from your bloodstream. This simply means that you're wearing your contact lenses too long.

Aren't there any soft contact lens that is semi-permeable such that some oxygen is allowed to go through?

[eyedoc]

my left one (the one that's turning slightly yellow) is 7 months old and my right one is around 4 or 5 months old (i lost one lens).

Shooting Star, although I mentioned that 1 year is the AVERAGE time to change your lenses, it depends on a lot of factors like the lenses itself, the matter of handling, the solution used etc. The range when contact lenses (except disposables) need to be changed range from 6 - 15 months depending on the factors I mentioned, the average being 8 months to 1 year. It is always better to just change your contact lenses if it already shows changes, especially since the age of the lenses is actually within the "need to be changed time frame".

As a rule, if the contact lens feels uncomfortable (with foreign body sensation or "puwing" or tearing ,redness or pain, as soon as you put it on, it's very likely na baligtad siya.

BTW, another way to know if your contact lenses are right side up is to look at its edges after it has curved. If the edges looks "tikwas" (think ends of hair curled outward), it's inverted. The edges should follow the curve of the contact lens itself and shouldn't go in a different direction. (This is better sana with a demo...Hope you guys understand what I mean).

Originally posted by boardbuster
Aren't there any soft contact lens that is semi-permeable such that some oxygen is allowed to go through?

Although contact lenses are supposed to be semipermeable, there is a real reduction in the amount of oxygen the cornea gets because of the physical barrier. This is especially so when we are sleeping. Think of it as breathing through a piece of thick cloth. You can still breathe but with more difficulty.

Originally posted by Ira
And again, thanks for taking care of the ophtha questions. I'm in neurosciences. Knowing how small the medical field in Metro Manila is, we've probably bumped into each other at least once.

You're very welcome! Glad to help. Yup, we might even know each other already!

[shooting_star]

thanks doc!

[obsidian]

Tama si eyedoc. To check if the lens is on its correct side: look at the edges. If the lens looks like a soup bowl, meaning the edges curl downward instead of straight up, it's inverted. THe lens should look like a letter C lying on its back. And if it's uncomfortable to wear,it's inverted.

[farfalla]

hi!! just wanted to know lang, is it o.k if i don't use the lubricant solution anymore? kasi di ba, depende naman if i feel comfortable with my contacts the whole day, if it feels like hindi na nagddry?

and about those all-in-one solutions (for lucricating, rinsing, soaking, etc.), mas o.k ba siyang gamitin kaysa sa separate na lubricant and cleaner? effective din ba ang paglinis niya sa lens?

thanx!

[MJaka]

Doc, true ba na pwedeng gamitin ang Sprite as emergency solution kapag naiwan yung lens case and solution? Advise ito ng opthalmologist ko e. Pero I never tried it.