Cloudy/foggy lenses

[timtim]

My RGP's are doing pretty well so far...I'm getting use to them and get very good vision. The main complaint I have is they seem foggy a lot. Its most noticeable when I am looking at something pretty bright...for example if I am walking towards a window that is letting bright sunlight in. It looks almost like it is very foggy everywhere.

I don't think its a cleaning thing, because I have been cleaning the lenses very well, and I soak them out very well with Saline very well to make sure to get all of the cleaner off (At first, I wasn't removing the cleaner well enough, which was causing problems of its own).

Anyone else have this, or know why it may be happening? Or could it just be something that comes along with getting used to them?

[Lynn White]

Timtim

when does it get foggy?? Straight away or is it more noticeable after you have worn them an hour or two? And does it clear momentarily with blinking or make no difference? Would you say the fogginess is like barbecue smoke.. ie more like looking through light smoke??
Lynn

[timtim]

Yeah its more like a light smoke. I would say it happens after I've been wearing the lenses for a little bit, but not for too long. Maybe after an hour or a couple hours. It doesn't really get better when I blink either.

[Andrew MacLean]

I used to get an effect like this. In my case it had two causes:

1 My "blink" was not complete; my eyes did not completely close when I blinked so that there was a build up of viscose tears on the lens, right at the point where I needed to look through it.

2 Protein build up. I think this may have been associated with 1, but in any case it was easily removed by soaking my lenses each week in protein removing solution.

Andrew

[Matthew_]

It sounds like protein build up to me. The light makesit more noticeable.

[Sarah M]

I had something simliar a few months ago - was a brand new lens too. Would happen an hour or so after putting it in, so I was forever taking it out and cleaning it, but made no difference.

Went back to the optician, who thought the material wasnt letting enough oxygen throught to cornea, got a new one made with thinner material. It's still happening, but not as bad.

Sarah

[Lynn White]

Sarah is voicing my suspicions. What you describe can be due to lack of oxygen getting through the lens - its called oedema. To be on the safe side, I would suggest calling your Contact lens fitter and seeing if you can get an appointment to check this out.

Lynn

[timtim]

Sarah M-did getting a thinner lens help the problem significantly?

It really seems like maybe somethings wrong. I see great out of the lenses, but there's a big haze, mainly around bright lights. I have an Ipod, and I was in a completely dark room, and turned on the lighted screen, and I could REALLY see a haze in my eyes looking at the bright screen. Looks like there is smoke in front of it almost.

I am also going to do an enzymatic cleaning tonight and see if this helps it tomorrow. The lenses are very new also though which seems kind of strange.

[timtim]

In addition to the fogginess, when I go outside at night time (driving, for example), any street lights or other lights really seem to flare up. The light extends much higher than I should see it, and it moves if I move my head while looking at it. Also, if I look right into a pretty bright light, it is VERY bright, quite piercing. Any ideas what this could be?

I've always had a lot of light sensitivity, and my doctor actually told me that one of the toughest things about working with me is how sensitive my eyes are. But still, the haziness and the way lights are looking seem like something that could be made better with some changes to the lenses. He actually made a change to my left lens the other day that helped the problems quite a bit, but I'm still dealing with some issues.

[John Smith]

Tim,

The oedema that Lynn has mentioned effectively means that it's your eye that is fogging up, not the lens. Basically, your cornea is drawing in water to get extra oxygen. As it becomes waterlogged, you'll see the fog, and then your cornea could also change in shape slightly, meaning that contacts or glasses are now the wrong prescription... but only until your eye recovers. As it dries out, the prescription will become your "normal" fit again.

Unfortunately, my new cornea in my right eye has that problem (exacerbated by the fact that I have few endothelial cells after my 9th rejection episode) which has stopped me wearing RGP sclerals. I've not played with other lenses though, as I have decent enough vision most of the time wearing glasses.

Make sure that your lens fitter knows about this; and ask them if they want you to pre-wear the lenses before your next appointment.