Removing Lenses

[withnall]

Just curious as to how others here remove there lens.

I was talking with a mate yesterday and she does it looking at the mirror with a clean towel beneath her and head facing the mirror. My optician told me to do it while looking over a mirror(head facing down) but lately, i have noticed that if i do not catch the lens in hand, it falls onto mirror. I am afraid that it might chip.

What is everyone elses method and nay advice.

Thanks

[Sweet]

Hhmmm with practice and what you prefer, you do find that the way you are normally taught, which is using a mirror and a towel is not always needed.

I lower my head, look down, and put my hand underneath while i pull the corner of my eye and it pops out. You just need to make sure that you catch it! LOL! Though it is not as hard as it sounds.

My twin sister picks it off her eye with finger and thumb, though i find this hard work, and i really worry that i am going to squash it!! LOL! But i guess it is what you are used to.

If you are looking down in a mirror, but then using your hand to catch it then you probably don't need the mirror as you won't be able to see it? Maybe, (if you are not going to catch it)you could just do it over a towel, and then you hopefully won't lose it and you don't have to worry about scratching it. This is kinda the theory in using a towel anyway!

I have never needed a mirror to put one in which is a good thing as i don't see well enough to see anyway, and likewise i have never used a mirror to take one out. I guess in time you just learn where your eye is!

Hoping that you get some good responses and can find a way that is easy for you.

Sweet X x X

[John Smith]

Well, for my scleral, I tend to use a little rubber sucker. Wet it, and stick it on the lens just above the centre.

Then with a slight twist and lift action, I easily break the suction which is holding the lens in place, and then gently remove it from my eye.

[GarethB]

I do not have the Scleral, but I have got lazy and just use a plunger for my corneal lens.

This is because if I need to remove a lens in a hurry in the laboratory surrounded by chemicals, my fingers are kept away from the lens.

As we all know when a lens plays silly whats its you just need to remove them damn quick.

[withnall]

Thanks guys for replies. I am just a little worried as i have only been wearing these things 3 months.

I broke one at the start as during my insertion and removal lesson, i was told to give lens a slight pinch to remove excess solution but when i got new one i did not pinch anymore. The lab replaced it as they said it might have been faulty. Another one cracked on my on sat . I took it out as normal , put a few drops of solution on lens and then placed in case with more solution, i noticed a blue dot so tiped with finger and seen that it was cracked, maybe it was the fingernail taht did it or maybe it was the way i removed the lens.

I was fine with them up to that point but am now very nervous removing them. As we all know it is a necessity to wear them and i do not want to be making trips to get new ones every few months.

Has anyone else damaged lenses.

[jayuk]

Im gna tempt fate here!

But in 10 years of lens wear Ive not lost a lens! But have had some serious funy episodes!...within last 2 years I have had them fly out my eye and caught them lol......few times they have just flicked onto my cuff....and other times on the table...

Worse case was when I could only wear a lens in one eye...went to Tesco's and did my shopping, putting the shopping away in the car and the unthinkable happened!...the lens flew out!.....and it was a dark winter nite!....I was 10 miles from my flat and in manchester!...lol...luckily the Sec Guard there was a top guy and scoured the floor and it was right under the rear tyre!..just as well I didnt reverse to get better visiabilty of the floor!..took about 45 mins to find....but that 45 mins was like 45 hours !

However in terms of taking them out.......try this if you can.....close your eyes, look down, put ur first three fingers on the top eye lashes and pull the lid down by the eye lashes...ull find that the top lid removes the lens and puts it in the lower portion of the eye...then simply lower lid and presto!......however this only works with Corneal and RoseKs the best.....

[withnall]

Hi JAYUK

Did you find the first year of lens wear hard. I though i was becoming a pro. I use Rose K lenses.

Was laughing at the Car Park story. Sorry. i bet it was not funny at the time. You were so lucky to find it. I just feel a little cursed . i was doing fine until the right lens but i think it was more to do with my sharp fingernail than the way i removed it. Just a little nervous after it happening.

Think i am definetely going to stop the method of looking directly over a mirror as the lens can hit the mirror if i do not catch with hand and it may caus it to chip.

[Sweet]

Hhmmm ok i have never had rose K lenses but i'm going with the idea here that being made from different materials they can chip more easily? Thirteen years of RGPs and touch wood i haven't actually chipped one, so i was just curious. I have managed to break a couple but that's because i actually stepped on one, lol, so not funny when i was about to drive home, and also because i managed to squeeze one which was old and it broke!

Hehe, Jay i haven't god forbid lost one either! Although i have spent a lot of time in the past on my hands and knees looking for it, and also taking apart the U bend on the sink, to find it floating there lol! This SHOULD make me remember to always put the dam plug in, but i did the same dam thing last week, and only managed to catch it quick before it floated down the plug hole!!!

I am also lucky that it is tinted blue which makes it dam easier to find! And as most know if you are looking for one on a carpet, a wet finger will find it even if you can't see it!!! Don't expect it to fall straight down though, as sometimes it can bounce on things, so do expect the unexpected, and look everywhere! LOL!

Yes, i guess there is some use in a towel, if not for chipping for me as much, but for safety. But as Gareth said sometimes you just don't have a choice and suddenly you really need to take it out NOW because it suddenly hurts, or you get something in your eye!! LOL!

In practice though it really isn't so hard, and you do manage to get it right more than you get it wrong!! Although sometimes it is hard to remember that when you are stressing to find it!

Thanks for your email i will reply later as i'm about to go out, but yes i do remember now that how i take it out has a name (blink method) and i find it works well for me. Also as it is in your hand it is right there ready for you to put solution on for cleaning, so that makes sense too!

Would just add that the more you worry and stress on it, the worse you will feel in being comfortable with it. At the end of the day it would be hell if you lost one, but hey, it's a piece of plastic not your eye! It would be dam arkward and you would probably have a few days or so near blind, but it CAN be replaced, and also as most would probably agree here, ALWAYS have a spare one at home, as this really does take the worry off losing or breaking it!

Take care! Love Sweet X x X

[withnall]

Thanks sweet

Totally agree with you about eyse important and it is only plastic but my initial cost of Consultants, opticians adn new contacts was about 450 sterling. Might get a spare set. Think the cost is about 150 sterling which is not too bad.

It takes 5-8 working days to get a new set made and delivered which is a bummer.Oprician gave a spare one while waiting which is close to own one.

So far touch wood, have not had a contact fall out.

[GarethB]

The information shows the usual RGP, Rose K and Sclerals all made from the same type of material. When I first had lenses, they would chip.

I was told with my lenses to put a drop of solution inside prior to putting in my eye to help give a lubricated surface on which the lens settles. It also helps if the lens slips off centre when it is first put in the eye. was told aswell by putting the solution in that it reduces the chance of micro bubbles getting trapped under the lens. These do not damage the eye or affect vision, but do cause an indentation on the cornea that makes a nice place for infection to start if you are not good at keeping your lenses clean.