Fear of contacts. bad experience. help?!
Question: i want to get contacts really bad. i tried last summer and my eye doctor was not helpful and made me even more scared. i want to try again this summer at a different eye place but im scared of sticking something in my eye. i blink every time and it takes forever. how long did it take your first time? please help. :)
Answers: i want to get contacts really bad. i tried last summer and my eye doctor was not helpful and made me even more scared. i want to try again this summer at a different eye place but im scared of sticking something in my eye. i blink every time and it takes forever. how long did it take your first time? please help. :)
The first couple of times you put them in your eyes (or try to) is freaky. It feels pretty unnatural to put your finger directly in your eye... it's a reflex to blink when something is approaching your eyeball. As long as you're blinking as soon as your finger gets to your eye, you won't get the lens in there. Here's what works for me:
1. make sure your hands are clean, and rinse the lens in contact solution to make sure it's wet and free from any specks of dust, etc. Make sure the lens isn't inside out by looking at it in profile (the edges of the contact should not flare out at all at the top... if you can't tell, try flipping it the other way to see the difference)
2. use your thumb and index finger of your non-dominant hand to hold your eye open as wide as you can. Be firm enough that you will be able to stop the blink reflex but don't hurt yourself
3. use your other index finger to pick up the contact (just touch the dome shaped part, in the center, and it should stick to the end of your finger) It's also best if you use the flat part of the tip of your finger, so that your fingernail isn't going to touch your eyeball!
4. get the contact close enough to your eye that you can put the contact in while looking down. I usually rest my ring finger on the top of my cheek bone to keep my hand in the right place (eventually this is how you can do it without looking if you have to) Then, look down as far as you can, so that you can't really see your finger going into your eye.
5. Gently push the contact onto your eye (it should do most of the work for you by 'suctioning' onto your eyeball). Once it's in place, roll your eye around to make sure it's on properly.
It won't hurt, and gets much easier after you get the hang of it. I recommend getting the softest kind of lens (O2 Optix and Acuvue Oasis are the best I've tried) for comfort, and to allow the most oxygen into your eye. They say you can sleep in them, but I don't recommend it... it's best to let your eyes 'breathe' as much as possible.
Here's a tip for taking them out: wet your fingers with contact solution first... this reduces friction and makes it more comfortable to take them out. Use the same 'looking down' trick. Use the 'pads' of your index finger and thumb to squeeze the sides of the lens together and remove it. Eventually you'll get so used to sticking your fingers in your eyes you'll be able to watch it no problem.
Good luck! It's so nice to have the freedom from wearing glasses some of the time!
I had experienced similar problems when I went in for semi-soft lenses. But when I switched to soft lenses, it was very comfortable. Now I can insert contacts inside my eye within 2-3 minutes. It just needs a little practice, I'm sure you'll be able to do it, so don't worry. And removing the contacts is much more easy.
Maan the first time I tried to put on my new contacts I was late for school. I seriously stood there in front of the mirror for 30-40 minutes just trying to get one eye! O_O I blinked every time, teared up, my eye was freaking RED/PURPLISH xD ok no not purple but yeah really irritated. It seemed like an impossible task..But i finally managed to get one in. And then the second one wasnt as hard it took me about 15 minutes.
Yeah, it CAN be done. You just need a little.. well, a LOT of patience. xD
If you could see me now, i get them in in less than 30 seconds. And i put them on my friends, in less than a minute! xD
You have to lubricate, make sure the contact is flipped the right way, have clean hands, perhaps some soft music....
lol. Hold your eye open with your other hand, have the contact in the pad of your finger, and look up (i think it feels more natural) and just go slowly youll get there eventually.
And dont worry about contacts, i mean if you follow good hygiene by washing them and washing your hands itll be ok. Most problems in the eye related to contacts are because of dirty fingers / contacts.
the first time, it took be about 40 min to do one eye! i got so fed up i just wore glasses that day. i think part of the problem was that the person who was showing me how to put the lenses in was wrong. she told me that i should put it on the lower part of my eyes and just roll your eyes around. that didnt really work for me. now i just put it right in the center of my eye, the pupil part and roll my eyes to get rid of the air pockets trapped in the lenses. it only takes me like 10 seconds now. i had the lenses for about a year now.
hoped i helped!
i guess i'm the exception. i was also afraid of putting stuff in my eyes, but i just decided to do it and be brave :)
it took a few minutes, but wasn't bad. it still takes me the same amount of time, and i've been doing it for years.
if you just focus on putting in the lense and not on your fear, it's a bit easier. i know, easier said than done! but you can do it. we all started sometime :)