Postby Knight » Sun 05 Mar 2006 1:43 am
I think, the thing to keep in mind is that everyone is different and many seem to react to slight discomfort, especially in the eye, with much difference. I'm not putting anyone down as we all feel pain differently, it is just when I was at the eye clinic a few years back a guy totally over reacted, freaked out and started swearing when he had his first lens in, so no doubt he went away and made a big deal and fuss about it, yet there was a kid there, happily wearing two lenses and hardly a peep out of her. So the horror stories are a mix of isolated cases and different circumstance (dare I say it) personality and character, whereas usually wearing RGP lenses for the majority of us isn't too bad at all. The natural state of the eye is to have no foreign body in it, or else the production of tears will increase to get rid of it, like any piece of debris, sometimes your eye will go red, feel itchy, even hot because it simply doesn't like a disk of plastic sitting in there.
When you start wearing lenses you have to train your eye to adapt to it and sometimes that adaptation takes a lot longer in others than it would with some, so patients and perseverance play a part and more often than not, it does pay off. But don't take days off, unless advised to by your doctor, when starting off and you skip a day, mostly you'll have to start at the beginning with the wear time ... so move slowly and try regulate the times you begin wearing them.
As has already been said, building the wear time up is important. Although an hour may be a bit much if you're overly sensitive to the idea or physically having a hard time adjusting, so increasing the time from the initial hour by 30min increments daily up to about 8-9hrs is probably a more ideal way to proceed. Remember you're in control and dictate how to proceed, so its all in your own time and comfort level.
I will mention also, general discomfort in wearing RGP lenses is based on two main factors I think; a good fit and other medical conditions like eczema or hay fever.
A really well tailored fit by your optometrist, based on their skill, experience and equipment will help in being able to get you a lens to wear for any length of time. KC is a difficult thing, as it can progress and change shape in fits and starts over short periods of time, so occasionally you might discover wearing one lens is great and yet another is really uncomfortable. It’s a balancing act, because remember how RGPs work - unlike soft contacts that take on the shape and contour of the eye RGPs don't and that's the issue with these lenses, in a sense, they mould and form the eye into a more regular condition, so there's always going to be real contact with the surface of the eye, in giving us better sight were spectacles can't.
Having other medical conditions, sensitive eyes, eczema or hay fever can, and do, contribute to discomfort of wearing RGPs. To begin with, I had hyper sensitive eyes, nearly always red, wearing lenses was very difficult but something I knew was going to give me my sight back - so I hung in there, dealt with it and got over it. Now I can happily wear a contact for 15hrs usually and sometimes 18hrs if I need to without any next day pain. The KC in that eye has stabilised, the lens is a extremely great fit doesn't really push or sit on any one small point, so the comfort and hydration is excellent and that's the point.
You will have bad days wearing these lenses, but honestly in my opinion, those are few and far between. It can be overwhelming to begin with, but with enough time it does become routine, hang in there, stick with it, practice and it will be fine.
Good luck and stay up beat about it. Try not be afraid, we've all been there, and you can cope easily enough!
Only those with KC know the hidden beauty of a Christmas Tree.
) - say 2-4 weeks. Then, for most of the time, you won't know that the lenses are there, apart from the vision improvements.
