How many people here wear contact lenses?

[alnorth]

I've worn contacts since I was about 15. I never had the option of choosing glasses (except as an emergency backup) because my vision is weird. One eye is pretty good, the other is damn near blind, so on my pair of emergency glasses, one lens is a LOT thicker than the other. That is bad because with those glasses I pretty much have either double vision all the time, or a headache with my mind constantly focusing the 2 clear dancing images into one.

So, I've pretty much always been told by the eye doctor that I had to have contacts, and I love them. Even if I could regularly use glasses instead, I wouldn't now. I use 2 week disposables, taking them out every night, carefully following all the cleaning directions my eye doctor has given so I dont get any eye problems that would force me back to glasses, which as described earlier, would suck for me.

I have no desire for laser surgery, for a couple reasons. One, my vision is not stable, the prescription shifts every 2 or 3 years so it would probably not be a good permanent solution for me. Two, I am perfectly happy with disposable contacts. They are comfortable, convenient, inexpensive with my vision plan at work, so there is no reason for me to want to take the risk of eye surgery.

[Elwaysux]

I wore glasses for years and then went to contacts for about 5 years. Had lasik 10 years ago and it was life changing. I highly recommend lasik if you are a candidate.

[angelo]

I wore glasses for 10 years and contacts for 20.

I made the leap to lasik in march.
I am thrilled with the results.
I just turned 40 so I opted for the monovision. One eye for distance and one for close up. I do not even notice now.
My distance vision is 20/15 and my close up is 20/15 also.
I would recommend this to anyone.

Ang

[Rain Man]

I'm afraid to get contacts, and I'm afraid to get lasik. On the lasik, no one knows what happens to an eye that's had lasik for 40 years and is aging, so until a full generation dies with perfect vision I'm going to hold off. On the contacts thing, I'm a little squeamish about having stuff in my eye, and after taking a light-speed rock to the glasses when mowing the lawn as a teenager, I'm kind of comfortable with glasses being a kind of armor protection for my eyes.

Plus I also think that glasses are kind of cool face jewelry.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

On the contacts thing, I'm a little squeamish about having stuff in my eye, and after taking a light-speed rock to the glasses when mowing the lawn as a teenager, I'm kind of comfortable with glasses being a kind of armor protection for my eyes.

Plus I also think that glasses are kind of cool face jewelry.

Touching your eye is a really tough skill to learn. Even though it was so long ago, I still remember how hard I struggled with it years ago the first few weeks as a teenager, overcoming the basic lower-brain instinct that nothing should ever touch your eye.

Now I can do it like nothing, I'll still blink if a bug is coming at me, but I could touch my finger to my eye without blinking, with no problem at all.

[DBOSHO]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I'm afraid to get contacts, and I'm afraid to get lasik. On the lasik, no one knows what happens to an eye that's had lasik for 40 years and is aging, so until a full generation dies with perfect vision I'm going to hold off. On the contacts thing, I'm a little squeamish about having stuff in my eye, and after taking a light-speed rock to the glasses when mowing the lawn as a teenager, I'm kind of comfortable with glasses being a kind of armor protection for my eyes.

Plus I also think that glasses are kind of cool face jewelry.

That was my big thing about them, but trust me, after you put them in a few times, its no big deal.

[Fire Me Boy!]

I wore contacts in high school in the early-mid 90s and in college, then started having issues caused by not getting enough oxygen to my eyeball. Went back to glasses for years and made the leap back at the beginning of this year. Much better experience this time around.

In February I got a 1-year supply the doc said I could "easily" stretch to 2 years.

[JD10367]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

I wore contacts in high school in the early-mid 90s and in college, then started having issues caused by not getting enough oxygen to my eyeball. Went back to glasses for years and made the leap back at the beginning of this year. Much better experience this time around.

Yes, the early contacts were not very oxygen-permeable. I tried them in the late 80s and after a week with them I went back for a follow up, and my optometrist said, "Oh, um, you need to stop wearing them." I said, "Why?" he said, "Well, they're making veins grow across your eyes and, if they touch, you'll go blind."

[demonhero]

n00b, birth control goggles next month for me. I've had to wear contacts since high school, but I'll be getting Lasik as soon as uncle sam pays for it.

[Sanka]

I use to wear contacts. I just got glasses though, during the spring time I can't wear contacts because of my allergies. I lose atleast 2 contacts during the spring because they just pop out.

[SCTrojan]

Wore contacts for about 25 years. Got PRK about 18 months ago. Pretty good decision. My wife just did Lasik and she loves it. Neither of us miss taking out and putting in lenses.

Like someone else said, you'll get over the eye touching thing really quickly. I'd much rather wear contacts than glasses.

[88TG88]

I wear 'em

they cool

[Sanka]

I forgot to mention, I like wearing contacts, but the females seem to like me with the glasses look as well.

[MoreLemonPledge]

80/20 contacts/glasses. I'd love to get LASIC at some point, because I'm pretty much blind without them (-7.75, if you know what that means).