Contact Lenses Question

[ExFlyBoy5]

Background: I am nearsighted and have distant vision of 20/50'ish. My near vision is pretty much perfect...so no readers required. I have grown tired of cleaning glasses all the time and am giving contacts a try.

Although a pain to put in and take out, I do like how my far vision looks. However, this has my near vision all sorts of messed up. I was supposed to have the second follow up after a week's trial today but has been postponed until at least next week because of weather.

I have read that one of the solutions is a single monovision lens. Basically I would use a single contact in the dominant eye for far vision and not have a lens for the near vision and my brain would make the corrections and I wouldn't have the issues with my near vision being blurry with both lenses.

The question I have is...can I wear a single lens NOW in my dominant eye until I can follow up w/ the ophthalmologist or is this not advisable? I don't think it would cause unwanted issues if I did this for a week but I don't really know.

 

[audreyh1]

I have terrible near-sighted vision and have worn contacts for decades. I simply use cheap readers for reading and computer work along with my contacts.

I was occasionally offered to have two different lenses, one for close, one for distance, but that never appealed to me. I thought it would be weird using my binoculars and camera.

 

[travelover]

I wore a single contact for years. I sort of stumbled onto the solution and it worked so well that I just went with it and my ophthalmologist blessed it. Later one eye corrected itself so I have 20/20 vision in that eye and I don't wear glasses at all, except for night driving, to increase my light gathering power.

 

[pjm-7]

I have totally lousy vision and have worn contacts since junior high. About ten years ago I thought I'd try the monovision contact routine; distance vision in the right eye and close up for the left eye. It has worked reasonably well. I know I need an eye exam and update my lenses since I find myself needing the cheater readers occasionally. I wear hard gas-permeable lenses because soft lenses cannot fit my prescription.

Note: Do not get monovision lenses and a new car around the same time. It's odd enough initially to try and see out of the left outside mirror, with a new car you don't know where anything is!

 

[MBAustin]

I did monovision for many years and it definitely works once your brain adapts. However, I would not try it on my own without the eye doctor input, as the prescription might be different because they won't be trying to get both eyes to work together.

 

[Ready]

It can’t hurt to try it out and see how things look. I’ve had mono vision for many years. I remember when I first got them it took almost a month for my brain to adapt. Now I don’t notice it any more. So if you try it out you may not like it right away. Keep in mind it takes time for your brain to adapt.

 

[Philliefan33]

It won’t hurt to try wearing just one contact for a week until you can get another appointment. In fact it will give you some information to help make the decision.

I didn’t wear contacts until about four years ago. I need correction for both far and near. I went with the monovision and it worked well until I started learning to play pickleball. I couldn’t track the ball well while wearing contacts.

I have since switched to a progressive lens in each eye, one a little stronger for close work. It works much better for depth perception that the monovision.

 

[Sunset]

I just wear my glasses for going outside, and sometimes watching TV.
Otherwise I walk around without them in the house.
My vision is not too bad.

I tried contacts once, I liked how I looked, but I kept sticking my fingers in my eye to adjust my glasses that were no longer there.

I don't see any issue with trying a contact in 1 eye for a week (but not a doctor). Otherwise there would be lots of warnings about this, on the contact box.

There were studies done long ago where they put prisms on people to invert the world, after a week or two of stumbling around the brain corrected the input and they saw everything fine. Then the sadistic researchers removed the prisms so the people had normal glasses, everything was inverted again!, this time it took less time for the brain to re-correct and make the view normal.

 

[swakyaby]

When I was w*orking, I wore one contact lens for distant vision, and one contact for reading. The optometrist had me wear the near vision contact in my dominant eye. It was easy for me to adjust to it, and it worked well for me. But at home, I usually wore glasses or switched to distant vision contacts in both eyes for binocular vision.

Another person at w*rk said she tried the monovision contact lenses but her brain could not adjust. She put up with headaches for a month before giving up.

I don’t think there’s any harm trying out one contact lens in the non-dominant eye for a trial period.

 

[skipro33]

As long as it's only nearsightedness and no astigmatism involved, I would think one eye with and one without a contact would be o.k. for a test. The question is; which eye gets near and which gets far vision? I think it is determined by which is the dominant eye. I suggest you google how to determine which eye is your dominant eye and google again which eye then is near and which is far vision and apply your contact accordingly.

 

[f35phixer]

i wear a mono prescript for my vision, there were times at work when i would be looking at computer all day that i needed to put cheaters on........ not a big deal, i had computers in several rooms i worked in, had them cheaters placed all over ;-) Now since retirement i have not used them for home computer working..................... the prescrip work fine for me, golfing when i'd BOMB that 333 yard drive I'd be able to follow it all the way into woods and FIND it !!!!

 

[nobody]

They make some contacts now that have readers built into them. The gal I am seeing has them and they help some. If I wear my contacts then I need readers a lot, so I don't wear my contacts that much anymore.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Thanks for the info...I appreciate it. I am going to give it a try and see how it works. Hopefully our snow will be gone soon and I can get an appointment.

 

[Freedom56]

I wore contacts for over 25 years (Acuvue 2). I removed them daily and replaced them every two weeks. They cost about $12 for a box of 6. My vision was L -2.25 and R -1.50 when I started wearing them and after 25 years my vision was L -3.00 and R -2.25. When I reached my late 40's I had problems with my near field vision and needed reading glasses but my near field vision was perfect without contacts. It became more frustrating so instead of wearing a low power contact in one eye, I just decided to stop wearing contacts and wore glasses for distance only. My vision improved year after year after I stopped wearing my contacts causing me to replace my glasses every year. After 9 years without contacts, my vision is now L -1.25 and R -0.75 and only use glasses for driving. I still don't need reading glasses. My ophthalmologist said that some people experience vision improvement with age but dropping contacts appeared to accelerate the improvement.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I wore contacts for over 25 years (Acuvue 2). I removed them daily and replaced them every two weeks. They cost about $12 for a box of 6. My vision was L -2.25 and R -1.50 when I started wearing them and after 25 years my vision was L -3.00 and R -2.25. When I reached my late 40's I had problems with my near field vision and needed reading glasses but my near field vision was perfect without contacts. It became more frustrating so instead of wearing a low power contact in one eye, I just decided to stop wearing contacts and wore glasses for distance only. My vision improved year after year after I stopped wearing my contacts causing me to replace my glasses every year. After 9 years without contacts, my vision is now L -1.25 and R -0.75 and only use glasses for driving. I still don't need reading glasses. My ophthalmologist said that some people experience vision improvement with age but dropping contacts appeared to accelerate the improvement.

That is quite interesting. My vision is far from "bad" and the glasses is good for watching TV and driving but not really needed. I have been fortunate in that being almost 47 years old, my near vision is still nearly perfect. I tried the single contact trick for a little bit the AM but it was too awkward (lack of depth perception) so I am back to just wearing the glasses. I don't think contacts are for me.

 

[Koolau]

I eventually had to stop wearing contacts because I could NOT get enough gas permeation to the eye. Fortunately, this roughly coordinated with my need for cataract surgery. Doc suggested one eye for reading and one eye for distance. I sad NO! I want both eyes for distance and I'll wear readers. I want to drive without glasses and read with glasses. I did not trust that my eyes would adjust if they were different prescriptions. SO, Doc did it HIS way and for 20 years I've struggled. I need glasses for BOTH now. I go cross eyed when reading (and now when driving - even with glasses.) I do NOT recommend "one size fits all" when setting up your prescription (or, eventually if you get cataracts removed.) I suggest "pick" distance or close as your non-glasses option. I'm just one example so never forget that YMMV.

 

[Walt34]

I've had monovision naturally for decades. In the fifth grade my right eye went nearsighted but my left eye remained 20/15 until I was ~45, then needed minimal correction. The only time I wear glasses or contacts is for driving.

 

[SheitlQueen]

I wear monovision. I like it. I would try wearing it around the house and see how you do with it. The prescription may need to be adjusted at your appointment.

 

[braumeister]

I wear monovision. I like it. I would try wearing it around the house and see how you do with it. The prescription may need to be adjusted at your appointment.

Good point. It seems to suit some just fine, while others never get used to it.

I considered it when getting my cataracts done, but the surgeon said he would only recommend it to someone who was already comfortable using monovision contacts. Since cataract IOLs are one and done, I decided not to do that.

 

[braumeister]

I've had monovision naturally for decades. In the fifth grade my right eye went nearsighted but my left eye remained 20/15 until I was ~45, then needed minimal correction. The only time I wear glasses or contacts is for driving.

A perfect candidate for a monocle!

I actually have a friend who wears a monocle. It always provokes a laugh from people who meet him, but he's done it for at least 15 years and loves it.