When Calcuim Isn't a Good Thing.
Written: Oct 30 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Convenient, cost effective, stable lenses.
Cons: Haven't found one yet!
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| Freak369's Full Review: Johnson & Johnson Acuvue Lenses |
If you wear contact lenses you know the do’s and don’t of care and cleaning. You are reminded of this each time you fork out your hard earned cash for your eye exam to get a new prescription for your lenses as well. One thing most eye care experts won’t tell you is that your lenses could be getting torn up from calcium deposits. Small little white drops that form on the lens that can agitate your eyelids and leave your eyes feeling sore and dry. Until a few years ago I bought standard contact lenses that I would faithfully clean every night, never sleep in and use the chemical tables to clean every week. No matter how much I cleaned, scrubbed and enzyme treated these little white spots would never completely disappear. At close to $80.00 a pair I was getting more and more frustrated.
I had to make a hard choice between wearing glasses, corrective surgery or contact lenses. Glasses just aren’t a 24 hour a day option for me since I am almost always running around like a chicken without a head – if I can’t even keep track of my keys how am I going to find my glasses if I set them down? I do have glasses but I use them mostly for working on the computer or watching television. Corrective surgery just plain scares me to death. I am a paranoid person – what happens if someone sneezes in the middle of the operation? “Sorry, we had a little trouble with your left eye but your right eye is just fine”. So I am left with contact lenses.
When I went for my two year exam I was seen by a different doctor, and lucky for me he was able to help my with my calcium deposit troubles. No amount of cleaning will completely remove them once they have been etched onto the surface of the lens. I don’t care what any doctor says, once they are on there it is a lost battle. When disposable contacts were first available the price was a bit high – roughly $45.00 - $60.00 per box (depending on prescription, tinting and brand). I am blessed to have the same prescription for each eye so I can get away with buying only one box at a time. Acuvue lenses were not the first disposable lenses I tried but they are the ones I have chosen.
As I said, I have the same prescription for each eye (-2.00) with a bas curve of 8.7. I am also lucky that this is a common type of power / base curve since I can walk into any vision center and buy them if I need them. You will need to have a current prescription for them if you plan on getting them at a different vision center so be prepared. Also, make sure you get your prescription back; they can make a copy of your original prescription for their files. Don’t let them boss you around!
Bausch & Lomb make a “twin” lens called the Optima FW that comes with a polymacon tint that is purely used to visibility (translation: it’s easier to find if you drop it). I had trouble with some of the “eggs” (the individual blister packs that the lenses come in) from B & L. One lenses seemed to be stuck to itself, it has wrapped around and the ends were touched together. A gentle tug didn’t do the trick so I tried with a bit more force only to see the lens stretch out. Even if I had gotten it apart it would have been too distorted to provide me with a good fit and good vision. I did return the defect to the store and got a replacement lens but never got an explanation as to why or how it happened.
Acuvue lenses come in extended or daily wear; and the choice is a tough one to make. Do you want to wear your lenses for a week straight (including sleep time) and pitch them or just for daily use for two weeks? I have opted for the daily wear since I spend large chunks of time on the computer. I can switch to my glasses (and thus look like a complete computer geek) to prevent headaches and dry eyes.
I purchase my Acuvue lenses at – of all places – Wal-Mart vision center. The eye exam was a bit pricey - $69.00 for daily wear or $79.00 for extended wear but to buy the lenses there saves me money, time and aggravation. I should have just gotten the daily wear exam and saved ten dollars – it’s the same prescription so if you want to get either lens in the future you can. I got a “trial pair” of extended wear lenses after my exam and liked them but decided to go with the daily wear since I could squeeze out a few extra days with them. I also like the daily wear once for the simple reason that they don’t dry out as much as the extended wear lenses.
I also like getting my lenses at Wal-Mart vision center because I get a starter pack with each purchase. In the starter pack you get a six ounce bottle of the combination cleaner / saline solution, a small bottle of eye drops – perfect size for your purse or knap sack – and a new lens case. This saves me from having to buy the saline solution and daily cleaner at the store and have an extra bottle for in the car or first aid kit. I have never gone through an entire bottle before I buy a new box so I end up with extras.
I purchase my Acuvue lenses by the box (6 single “eggs” / blister packs) for the price of $14.99. You can also stock up on them if they are having a sale – usually the day after Thanksgiving and in mid summer. I can get them on sale for $11.99 for a box of six and stock up.
If you haven’t tried Acuvue and find yourself suffering from calcium deposits from regular lenses then I suggest you consult your eye care physician to see if you can try a sample pair. In most cases they will provide you with different colored lenses as well as the standard clear ones. Don’t be afraid to ask for the samples, you might just find a product that is perfect for you.
Recommended:
Yes
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