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Colored contacts
Hey everyone so I'm 33, have worn glasses since I was in 3rd grade, extremely nearsighted. My vision is about 20/300 in both eyes. I also have astigmatism. Most of my life I've worn glasses but I did try contacts off an on. Couldn't ever really get used to them. But now I've thought about it a lot & have decided I want to ditch my glasses for everyday and go for contacts. I also really want to get a different color contacts than my eyes. I like my eyes (brown) but Ive always felt blue would suit me better because of my dark complexion. Last time I wore contacts about 4 years ago I did ok with them, still had some trouble putting them in but not too bad. Main issue was after about 4-5 hours I'd feel extremely uncomfortable my eyes would feel itchy and dry and just terrible. Are they easier to tolerate now? Also what is the average price of a pair of colored contacts if you pay out of pocket? I also have sensitivity to light, do they have contacts that are tinted in some way? Thanks a lot!
Over the last few years there have been a number of new contact lens models come out on the market, especially among daily disposables, since different people do better with different lenses. Many people do have issues with dry eyes and so they are constantly trying to make more comfortable lenses to help them out. It depends on how severe your issues with things like dryness are, some people can't adapt to wearing contacts.
Although I've never worn colored lenses, I have noticed that many major brands have begun offering colored versions of their lenses the last few years so its possible you'll find something that works for you. However since you had trouble with contacts before, I'd encourage you to first find contacts you are comfortable in first so you know what a good contact lens experience is like. Then you can try the colored contacts, and if they aren't as comfortable, you can decide if they are truly worth the decreased comfort (which likely leads to decreased time wearing them, especially since wearing uncomfortable contacts isn't good for you, for example it might lead to things like rubbing on your eyelid and creating sores that'll lead you to need to stop wearing contacts).
There are rewetting drops that can help with dry contacts, different ones work best for different people so if the first doesn't work well you can keep trying. Perhaps you'll luck out and using drops once or twice a day is enough to keep your eyes comfortable. Or a doctor may recommend other treatments for dry eyes. I don't know if the "itchy" feeling you mention might suggest the issue is actually allergies, if so in addition to the usual general allergy medications, there are also eye drops that may help. There are some over the counter ones you only need to use twice a day or (more expensive) prescription ones you only need to use once a day.
The key thing is to find an eye doctor who is good about letting you try different models until you find some you can wear comfortably, or discover that contacts just aren't going to work for you.
As to the price, their are cheap online sources like VisionDirect, 800Contacts,and some others you could check to get some idea (just search for cheap contacts), and I found that which one was best tended to vary depending on the brand & model I was using at the time (and how fast I needed them, be sure to factor in shipping costs). Google for site reviews to be sure a vendor looks reputable before using them. Last I checked there were also starting to be price comparison sites that would find the best deals for a particular model lens, perhaps even google shopping might work for that now. I hadn't checked for a few years, I stuck with the same vendors for convenience rather than taking time searching, and I stopped needing contacts after cataract surgery last year.
Although I've never worn colored lenses, I have noticed that many major brands have begun offering colored versions of their lenses the last few years so its possible you'll find something that works for you. However since you had trouble with contacts before, I'd encourage you to first find contacts you are comfortable in first so you know what a good contact lens experience is like. Then you can try the colored contacts, and if they aren't as comfortable, you can decide if they are truly worth the decreased comfort (which likely leads to decreased time wearing them, especially since wearing uncomfortable contacts isn't good for you, for example it might lead to things like rubbing on your eyelid and creating sores that'll lead you to need to stop wearing contacts).
There are rewetting drops that can help with dry contacts, different ones work best for different people so if the first doesn't work well you can keep trying. Perhaps you'll luck out and using drops once or twice a day is enough to keep your eyes comfortable. Or a doctor may recommend other treatments for dry eyes. I don't know if the "itchy" feeling you mention might suggest the issue is actually allergies, if so in addition to the usual general allergy medications, there are also eye drops that may help. There are some over the counter ones you only need to use twice a day or (more expensive) prescription ones you only need to use once a day.
The key thing is to find an eye doctor who is good about letting you try different models until you find some you can wear comfortably, or discover that contacts just aren't going to work for you.
As to the price, their are cheap online sources like VisionDirect, 800Contacts,and some others you could check to get some idea (just search for cheap contacts), and I found that which one was best tended to vary depending on the brand & model I was using at the time (and how fast I needed them, be sure to factor in shipping costs). Google for site reviews to be sure a vendor looks reputable before using them. Last I checked there were also starting to be price comparison sites that would find the best deals for a particular model lens, perhaps even google shopping might work for that now. I hadn't checked for a few years, I stuck with the same vendors for convenience rather than taking time searching, and I stopped needing contacts after cataract surgery last year.
If your contact lens are unsuccessful consider refractive surgery especially LASIK
JCH MD
JCH MD
Be happy if you can wear contacts lens successfully and safely. Trying to wear colored contacts will limit the types of contacts your optometrist or ophthalmologist can fit.
The cost of contacts varies considerably because the main cost is the skill and time of the fitting professional not the cost of the contact lens itself.
JCH MD
The cost of contacts varies considerably because the main cost is the skill and time of the fitting professional not the cost of the contact lens itself.
JCH MD
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