Contacts becoming cloudy/misty

[Asif]

I am currently wearing a lens called semi-limbal (s-lim) made by jack allen, in my ungrafted eye

http://control.netbenefit.com/users/www ... m_lens&a=0

At first i was given a fit to try and they would become very cloudy/misty within an hour or so. The longest I got was 3 hours without problems. Then since reporting this problem to my cl clinic i was given another fit which was flatter. The are better than the last fit but am still getting some problems.

I was told that i got this because I may have dry eyes. I have tried systane but doesnt really help much and neither does aquify. Is it more likely to be the fit or dry eyes, when i used to wear my soft-perms in between days with the s-lim lens i never had problems with the lens becomeing cloudy.

Has anyone had this problem before and know how it can be rectified.

Also, the directions for using systane states to use throughout the day when required. I use this before inserting and after removing my lenses. Is systane a temporary fix for dry eyes? As I want something that has longer effects. Is there anything that can remedy dry eyes as I have not had this problem before.

Thanks in advance

[GarethB]

I use systane as and when throughout they day at first for about a month and now using it before I put my lenses in and again at night when I take them out is fine.

Have not fund a cure for dry eyes as I think lens solutions can cause dry eyes in some people so drops is just a management system.

There is also a very very remote chance that your eyes are reacting to the lenses. I had this problem in June and it took a while for the irritation to go down. Systane has prevented the irritation coming back as it puts a lubricating layer and the cornea and the eye lids so my eye lids are not rubbing on the lens to get irritation.

Hope this helps.

Gareth

[Lynn White]

I would just like to make sure it is your lens that is becoming misty and not your eye! Misting or clouding of the cornea is oedema or swelling of the cornea due to poor oxygen supply.

If you are sure it is the lens itself that does this (ie if you remove the lens and clean it, your vision is immediately better) then the lens may well not be wetting and this can be down to the material the lens is made out of and/or the solution it is soaked in. Mreely changing the solution can sometiems cure this problem.

If the lens itself is causing the problem, sometimes a polish can sort that out if the surface is repelling liquid.

Its certainly something you should go back to your fitter and discuss!!


Lynn

[Rob Armstrong]

I had this exact same problem, I too have dry eyes.

Sometimes it used to happen instantly within a few minutes of insertion, (just long enough to pack everything away!) other times it was a slightly more gradual misting up that could happen within half an hour (just long enough to have left the house!) or, if I was lucky, I'd be OK until my eyes got sleepy in the evening.

It was partially down to the fit, and new lenses did usually solve the problem - but it turned out it was solving the problem merely because it was a fresh new lens, not necessarily because it was a different fit.

It was due to poor wetting of the lenses. Even after cleaning, there was some sort of residue on the lens - I used to have to hold it up to the light to see if it was clouding up, and if so (more often than not) I'd have to clean it again.

This was even though I had been moved onto Miraflow, an alcohol-based (and therefore more powerful) cleaner.

It was suggested that I wasn't rinsing it off of the lenses properley, so I got into the habit of really blasting my lenses with a squirty bottle of saline repeatedly, (after cleaning and before insertion) and this DID help. (But you go through saline like crazy - good job saline is cheap).

They also tried me on Refresh drops to use when my lenses started to mist up, and this would buy me more useful wear time, although it couldn't keep me going all day.

So basically it's a combination of dry eyes and a residue on the lenses, which is hampering wettability. Keeping the eyes wet and more thorough lens cleaning (and rinsing), perhaps with different soloutions, should help improve things.

Hope that helps.

Rob.

[Susan Mason]

Hello all

I too have had the same problem just today at a hospital appointment to pick up a new left scleral lens.

I haven't worn a lens in the left eye for about 8 weeks as I have been waiting for the new one and today at the hospital within seconds of putting the new lens in it was like looking through a steamed up bathroom mirror whilst trying to read the eye chart. Needless to say I couldn't see much at all.

Upon looking at the eye further my fitter was able to confirm my thoughts and confirm that the lens was not wetting properly and would benefit from a thorough clean however, the good news was the fit looked ok. So here I am back at home and just about to start to give the lens a good clean and soak and hopefully at next wear it will be a little better.

Susan

[rosemary johnson]

I remember when I frist got the RGP sclerals, and they would never wet properly.
Aaarghhhh! It must have used bottles and bottles of Boston (or whatever it was in those days).
Eventually discovered it was not being thorougly clean - I could get away with cleaning the PMMA lenses "every so often" but the RGPs have to be done every day.
Must have used GALLONS!!!! of water trying to wash away the HORRIBLE PONG!! of Boston cleaner.
Then I went back to the good old Fairy Liquid - never had another problem since. (Well, not that sort of problem ......)

Rosemary

PS: I'm sure no-one would, but ... do NOT use washing up liquid on soft contacts. Only RGP materials, PMMA ("Perspex") or glass. Not that many people on here will still be wearing glass contacts.