Needing some Help/Information

cmls2010 · #1 (**permalink**) 12-17-2009, 09:19 PM

I was wondering if anyone can direct me tofind information about contact lens (preferrably soft) that are made for someone who wears progressive bifocals and has astigmatism? My eye doctor said there was one coming out last Aug/Sept that was supposed to be quite good, and I would like to have more inforation on it or others like that so I can make an informed decision. Since I got bifocals 3 years ago I haven't worn contact lens, but did so for many years prior to that. Any informatiopn provided will be greatly appreciated.

Knotlob · #2 (**permalink**) 12-18-2009, 04:59 AM

Welcome to the forum cmls2010

I'm no expert on bifocal soft lenses, but I haven't seen any that do astigmatism as well as multifocal, but perhaps a company can do made to order.

I think there would be no problem finding such an animal in Rigid Gas Permeable as they seem to be made to order, more so than soft lenses. Anyway, if your astigmatism isn't severe, normal RGP lenses may be able to correct that with a standard spherical lens.

There are hybrid Rigid Gas Permeable lenses with soft perimeters to make wearing easier, but not sure if they are available fully customised bifocal/astigmatism. Perhaps that was what your doctor was referring to. Look for Synergeyes or perhaps he was referring to Contamac Inc. Hybrid FS lenses, though these just appear to be coated to improve comfort.

Hopefully some other forum members may be able to point you in the right direction.

knotlob

HelpMeRhonda · #3 (**permalink**) 12-18-2009, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knotlob

Welcome to the forum cmls2010

I'm no expert on bifocal soft lenses, but I haven't seen any that do astigmatism as well as multifocal, but perhaps a company can do made to order.

I think there would be no problem finding such an animal in Rigid Gas Permeable as they seem to be made to order, more so than soft lenses. Anyway, if your astigmatism isn't severe, normal RGP lenses may be able to correct that with a standard spherical lens.

There are hybrid Rigid Gas Permeable lenses with soft perimeters to make wearing easier, but not sure if they are available fully customised bifocal/astigmatism. Perhaps that was what your doctor was referring to. Look for Synergeyes or perhaps he was referring to Contamac Inc. Hybrid FS lenses, though these just appear to be coated to improve comfort.

Hopefully some other forum members may be able to point you in the right direction.

knotlob

Hello cmls2010 and Knotlob.

It is my understanding that all RGP contact lenses are custom made. Reading this forum has told me that Knotlob knows a lot more about contact lenses than I do, and so hopefully he can confirm or deny this little factoid I've picked up.

Knotlob · #4 (**permalink**) 12-18-2009, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HelpMeRhonda

Hello cmls2010 and Knotlob.

it is my understanding that all RGP contact lenses are custom made. Reading this forum has told me that Knotlob knows a lot more about contact lenses than I do, and so hopefully he can confirm or deny this little factoid I've picked up.

Hello HelpmeRhonda & cmls2010

The Mail Order websites certainly quote RGP lenses being custom made and they are of course more expensive on a pro lens basis (although they last much longer than softs - even the yearly ones, which will tear eventually). There usually is the option to specify even incremental differences in Base Curve and Diameter also, which you don't get with soft lenses.

Having said that, it must be a nightmare changing production routines for each batch or pair of lenses someone asks for!

knotlob

Droopy · #5 (**permalink**) 12-18-2009, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knotlob

Hello HelpmeRhonda & cmls2010

The Mail Order websites certainly quote RGP lenses being custom made and they are of course more expensive on a pro lens basis (although they last much longer than softs - even the yearly ones, which will tear eventually). There usually is the option to specify even incremental differences in Base Curve and Diameter also, which you don't get with soft lenses.

Having said that, it must be a nightmare changing production routines for each batch or pair of lenses someone asks for!

knotlob

That may be another reason why those RGPs are so pricey. Besides the fact that they can last a year with proper care.

Knotlob · #6 (**permalink**) 12-18-2009, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Droopy

That may be another reason why those RGPs are so pricey. Besides the fact that they can last a year with proper care.

Even up to three years I have read, though maybe these are made of old boots!!

knotlob

Georgiaonmymind · #7 (**permalink**) 12-18-2009, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knotlob

Even up to three years I have read, though maybe these are made of old boots!!

knotlob

Three years? Now, knotlob, you wouldn't be trying to make our friends on Lens 101 make their contact lenses live past their natural life span, would you?

Knotlob · #8 (**permalink**) 12-18-2009, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Georgiaonmymind

Three years? Now, knotlob, you wouldn't be trying to make our friends on Lens 101 make their contact lenses live past their natural life span, would you?

Perish the thought

No these are not soft lenses and they do not contain water, but I have seen here:

http://www.allaboutvision.com/contacts/rgps.htm

'With a little care, they may last for years, as long as you don't require a prescription change.'

and here:

http://www.contactlenses.org/drtest.htm

Cathy Pannebaker, OD

'They are also a very cost effective option, because the lenses can last one year, two years, maybe even three years'

I think my son's lenses must be at least 2 years old, even though he has a habit of loosing things like iPoDs, Cell Phones, Passport, etc.

They probably reach the end of their life either through being lost, stood on or scratched. The reason I made the comment about the old boots is that I think in order to improve comfort, some recent developments may have made the RGP lenses relatively easily damaged, compared to some older, lower permeability, 'long lasting/robust' gas permeable lenses.

knotlob

Georgiaonmymind · #9 (**permalink**) 12-18-2009, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knotlob

Perish the thought

No these are not soft lenses and they do not contain water, but I have seen here:

http://www.allaboutvision.com/contacts/rgps.htm

'With a little care, they may last for years, as long as you don't require a prescription change.'

and here:

http://www.contactlenses.org/drtest.htm

Cathy Pannebaker, OD

'They are also a very cost effective option, because the lenses can last one year, two years, maybe even three years'

I think my son's lenses must be at least 2 years old, even though he has a habit of loosing things like iPoDs, Cell Phones, Passport, etc.

They probably reach the end of their life either through being lost, stood on or scratched. The reason I made the comment about the old boots is that I think in order to improve comfort, some recent developments may have made the RGP lenses relatively easily damaged, compared to some older, lower permeability, 'long lasting/robust' gas permeable lenses.

knotlob

As I understand it--and by all means, correct me if I'm wrong--the life span of a pair of contact lenses is based not on when you open the package, but by how many times you wear the lenses.
For example. You open a package of monthly contacts on January 1st, will they expire on January 31st no matter how many times you wear them, or will they expire when you've worn them 30 times, even if the 30th time you insert this particular pair is on the following New Year's Eve?

Knotlob · #10 (**permalink**) 12-18-2009, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Georgiaonmymind

As I understand it--and by all means, correct me if I'm wrong--the life span of a pair of contact lenses is based not on when you open the package, but by how many times you wear the lenses.
For example. You open a package of monthly contacts on January 1st, will they expire on January 31st no matter how many times you wear them, or will they expire when you've worn them 30 times, even if the 30th time you insert this particular pair is on the following New Year's Eve?

Yes for soft lenses - no for RGP lenses (as I understand it).

Monthly disposables, from this forum's posters, last for one month from the date the package was opened, not necessarily 30 days spread over a year for example. The obvious difficulty is sterilisation of the lenses, since Daily Disposables have lead to a culture of relatively carefree handling. I am new to Monthly Disposables, but wear the lenses everyday, so this question has not arisen.

(Tin Hat On - There is an argument I think with one manufacturer (J&J Acuvue?) of weekly/2 weekly lenses, who say you can wear the lens for 7 days 24/7 or 14 days daytime only, which indicates that the manufacturer is agreeing to the actual number of occasions worn, rather than the calendar system).

Soft lenses have an expiry date on them, I think up to 4 years from date of manufacture. They are supplied in a buffered saline solution and the theory is that the sterility of the saline solution my be compromised after the expiry date.

Rigid Gas Permeables don't have an expiry date and I've read they are supplied dry, so there is not an issue of saline becoming non-sterile. RGP contain zero % water so don't dry out. As I understand it and also based on the old PMMA Hard Lenses that I started out with, you can wear the lenses as many times as you like, though you had to be careful how long/day you wore them, because they were impermeable.

In practice, because I often had to take the old hard lenses out in non-ideal places, I would probably have lost them before the 1-2 years likely life, but they could also get scratched if you were careless. The new RGPs supposedly are less prone to deposits and protein and because they are relatively hard, you could clean them more thoroughly. I have recently seen cleaning solutions, which actually contain mild fine abrasives to polish the hard lenses.

So really, unlike the monthly disposable soft lenses, I don't think the RGP lenses actually have a predetermined lifespan, assuming you were ultra careful in handling them and if your prescription did not change.

knotlob

Georgiaonmymind · #11 (**permalink**) 12-23-2009, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knotlob

Yes for soft lenses - no for RGP lenses (as I understand it).

Monthly disposables, from this forum's posters, last for one month from the date the package was opened, not necessarily 30 days spread over a year for example. The obvious difficulty is sterilisation of the lenses, since Daily Disposables have lead to a culture of relatively carefree handling. I am new to Monthly Disposables, but wear the lenses everyday, so this question has not arisen.

(Tin Hat On - There is an argument I think with one manufacturer (J&J Acuvue?) of weekly/2 weekly lenses, who say you can wear the lens for 7 days 24/7 or 14 days daytime only, which indicates that the manufacturer is agreeing to the actual number of occasions worn, rather than the calendar system).

Soft lenses have an expiry date on them, I think up to 4 years from date of manufacture. They are supplied in a buffered saline solution and the theory is that the sterility of the saline solution my be compromised after the expiry date.

Rigid Gas Permeables don't have an expiry date and I've read they are supplied dry, so there is not an issue of saline becoming non-sterile. RGP contain zero % water so don't dry out. As I understand it and also based on the old PMMA Hard Lenses that I started out with, you can wear the lenses as many times as you like, though you had to be careful how long/day you wore them, because they were impermeable.

In practice, because I often had to take the old hard lenses out in non-ideal places, I would probably have lost them before the 1-2 years likely life, but they could also get scratched if you were careless. The new RGPs supposedly are less prone to deposits and protein and because they are relatively hard, you could clean them more thoroughly. I have recently seen cleaning solutions, which actually contain mild fine abrasives to polish the hard lenses.

So really, unlike the monthly disposable soft lenses, I don't think the RGP lenses actually have a predetermined lifespan, assuming you were ultra careful in handling them and if your prescription did not change.

knotlob

Thanks for that explanation, knotlob. You really have a way of making things simple.

Just one thing. What does "tin hat on" mean?

Knotlob · #12 (**permalink**) 12-23-2009, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Georgiaonmymind

Thanks for that explanation, knotlob. You really have a way of making things simple.

Just one thing. What does "tin hat on" mean?

Hi Georgiaonmymind

Tin Hat (must be a European Forum Expression) means I may expect some incoming flak for voicing a controversial or unpopular view or expression! Bye the way, that's a good picture of the tin hat idea

In this case the Acuvue lens wearing regime might suggest that you could wear the Acuvue lens for 14 days, but irregularly over several months with proper sterilisation, instead of binning them after 14 days (which was your original point). I think that would draw negative comment from several of the forum members - but it is sometimes useful to tease these arguments out in discussion.

knotlob

Joeyrosschandler · #13 (**permalink**) 12-28-2009, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Georgiaonmymind

Thanks for that explanation, knotlob. You really have a way of making things simple.

Just one thing. What does "tin hat on" mean?

The cat in the (tin) hat is a nice touch. Judging by the way the guy is mugging for the camera I don't think he means to be taken seriously.

Joeyrosschandler · #14 (**permalink**) 12-28-2009, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knotlob

Hi Georgiaonmymind

Tin Hat (must be a European Forum Expression) means I may expect some incoming flak for voicing a controversial or unpopular view or expression! Bye the way, that's a good picture of the tin hat idea

knotlob

When you say "tin hat" do you mean tin foil, like the gentleman above, or something a bit more substantial?

I watch BBC America so I'm familiar with a lot of British/European expressions such as "a spanner in the works" and "ring me up on me mobile sometime," but this is a new one.

Knotlob · #15 (**permalink**) 12-28-2009, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joeyrosschandler

When you say "tin hat" do you mean tin foil, like the gentleman above, or something a bit more substantial?

I watch BBC America so I'm familiar with a lot of British/European expressions such as "a spanner in the works" and "ring me up on me mobile sometime," but this is a new one.

It's just a metaphorical expression since the reaction/flame is verbal/written not physical. But I would be thinking something more substantial than tin foil.

'Incoming' is another expression like that one - from the military expression for incoming rounds of artillery shells!

knotlob

Steuhrob · #16 (**permalink**) 12-28-2009, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knotlob

It's just a metaphorical expression since the reaction/flame is verbal/written not physical. But I would be thinking something more substantial than tin foil.

knotlob

I would imagine that if you're expecting "flak" for an unpopular opinion, you'd want something solid.

Knotlob · #17 (**permalink**) 12-28-2009, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steuhrob

I would imagine that if you're expecting "flak" for an unpopular opinion, you'd want something solid.

That even looks quite Teutonic !!

knotlob

Joeyrosschandler · #18 (**permalink**) 01-18-2010, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knotlob

That even looks quite Teutonic !!

knotlob

This has been a very educational thread. I learned about the English language as well as about RGP contact lenses. What a neat website.

HelpMeRhonda · #19 (**permalink**) 02-04-2010, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knotlob

That even looks quite Teutonic !!

knotlob

Yes, it might look a little more Teutonic if it weren't for the American Eagle on it. What's more American than a dollar bill if not a Bald Eagle?

Knotlob · #20 (**permalink**) 02-04-2010, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HelpMeRhonda

Yes, it might look a little more Teutonic if it weren't for the American Eagle on it. What's more American than a dollar bill if not a Bald Eagle?

Obviously the Americans liked the helmet so much they copied it and stuck an eagle on it

knotlob

Joeyrosschandler · #21 (**permalink**) 03-01-2010, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knotlob

(Tin Hat On - There is an argument I think with one manufacturer (J&J Acuvue?) of weekly/2 weekly lenses, who say you can wear the lens for 7 days 24/7 or 14 days daytime only, which indicates that the manufacturer is agreeing to the actual number of occasions worn, rather than the calendar system).

knotlob

I have heard that and come to believe it myself. I thought that was why they were called 1-2 week lenses instead of one or the other like monthly or daily contacts.

FitnessMistress · #22 (**permalink**) 06-30-2010, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Georgiaonmymind

Thanks for that explanation, knotlob. You really have a way of making things simple.

Just one thing. What does "tin hat on" mean?

That's a great picture, Georgiaonmymind. Especially the cat in the (tinfoil) hat. "This is Limbaugh. She doesn't want her thoughts to be read by aliens either, right Limbaugh?"

Georgiaonmymind · #23 (**permalink**) 06-30-2010, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FitnessMistress

That's a great picture, Georgiaonmymind. Especially the cat in the (tinfoil) hat. "This is Limbaugh. She doesn't want her thoughts to be read by aliens either, right Limbaugh?"

I guess they have each other, unless the cat runs away.