How can I get my contacts to feel comfortable?

Question

I have tried contacts several times over the years, without success. I can put them in and take them out with no problems. In the past they have just been so uncomfortable they would give me a headache. I am now trying them again. I have tried two brands of dailies and they seem to make my eyes itch and I am very aware of them. I do have eye allergies and I have Pataday for that. I also have something called GPC which many contact users have (small bumps on the underside of the eyelids that cause some irritation). Even with those two conditions, most people are able to wear contacts. I am now trying a two week lens (taking it out each day though) and using Clear Care solution. My eyes are not quite as itchy, but they are dry and I use Systane for that. They just can't seem to get comfortable. I am aware of them all the time and it is very annoying. I really want to be successful in wearing them comfortably. Can anyone help with some advice?

Answer 1

See your eye doctor or possibly ANOTHER eye doctor.  I was in a similar situation.  I had tried lenses in the past but they weren't ever comfortable, and worse -- they'd actually fall out of my eyes regularly.  For kicks, I tried to do contact lenses again this year.

The first eye Dr I saw earlier this year tried 2 sets of lenses on me over multiple visits.  Sometimes they were absolutely PAINFUL, like getting something very sharp stuck in my eye.  At other times it felt like there were metal rings stuck on my eye. At other times it felt like someone had taken sandpaper to my eyes.   After a few more visits she finally said I should NEVER wear contacts and stormed out of the room.

2nd eye Dr I saw was much more patient and has tried several different pairs of lenses.  Got the comfort issue MUCH better, but the vision was terrible.  I couldn't see my computer screens at work or home, couldn't read, vision would get sharper and fuzzier.  After many visits her response was that I saw fine in her opinion, despite me not being able to read or see anything that was backlit.

Ended up seeing a 3rd eye dr, one of top research ophthalmologists in the nation,  who finally got it right. He said the 1st Dr was totally wrong  and that with my prescription (high myopia) I SHOULD be wearing contacts instead of glasses.  He was right.  Vision with the contacts he prescribed is  better than I've seen in 20+ years, lenses are absolutely comfortable, to the point that after 30 hrs of wearing them straight I don't even know they're there.  

So what'd the other doctors get wrong?

1) prescription.  All of the other drs were trying to use lenses which were much too strong for me.  My eyes apparently have a very wide level of accomodation, so I'll "see" 20/20 on a chart with various lenses, but it doesn't mean it's the right script.

2) Wrong size/base curve.  This caused the lenses to not fit right against the cornea, causing blurriness and unstable vision.  

3) Wrong material.  Lens materials are vastly different and it's amazing how much differently the eye reacts to them.  I had a few lenses where my eyes would turn bright pink and become painful within 2 hrs of inserting the lenses.  My current ones feel like they're there for about the first 3 or so minutes then that's the last I notice them.  Seriously, after 30 straight hours my eyes still looked nice & white and I honestly couldn't feel the lenses.  And it was a long, bad day.

Keep your hope up and keep on trying.  See other doctors if you have to. Most importantly, find a Dr that's willing to listen to what you have to say about how the lenses feel and how well you can see out of them. After all, YOU are the paying customer and it's YOU that has to live with the lenses.  There's no way I'd ever go back to wearing glasses. My glasses are far more of a hassle than the lenses and the vision's nowhere near as good, even with brand new lenses in them.  

Answer 2

you should try checking with your eye doctor.