I flunked contact lens class

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I’m so depressed. I know that I’m no good at putting in eyedrops and the like, but I really hoped I could master contact lenses. It’s bad enough that I have to have bifocals, but I hoped I could alleviate that pain by using bifocal contacts. But I can’t hold my eye open wide enough, for long enough without blinking. So after a very frustrating half-hour, I called it quits. My lower eyelid was getting irritated and red, so they told me to come back in two days and we’ll try again.

It’s hard enough to master this new skill without having to do it in a room full of people coming and going, offering advice. And the mirror was too low, so I had to kind of crouch down to see…I finally asked her to prop it up an something so I could sit at a better angle.

So who has advice for me? Who else took a long time to master contact lenses? Cheer me up! I can’t be the only inept person out there!

2

You’re not alone. It has seriously taken me 10 years to get real good at putting them in. I can’t put them in sitting at the sink in the bathroom.

I use a vanity mirror. For the right eye, the mirror must be more to the right so my eyeball is looking right for the lens to go in. Reverse is true for left eye.

I wind up holding eye open wide enough for lens with left hand, getting lens very close with right finger, then basically my eyeball rolls up in my head ( i cant watch this part) and I jam the lens onto the eye. Well, maybe jam is a bad word, gently smoosh… how’s that? If at this point you smoosh the lens back on the finger, it means your finger is too wet.

Then, I don’t let go of the open eye, I look to see where the lens wound up on the eyeball. If the lens is a litttle bit this way or that way of center, look that direction to pull the lens center. Then you let go of one lid at a time and blink.

Ugh, I still really hate putting in my lenses.

3

I’ll stick to wearing my glasses. Contacts have always seemed like too much bother to me.

4

It took me quite a while to get the insertion process down and I’m still not exactly fond of putting them in (I have 30-night contacts, but I, uh, fudge the numbers a bit).

Basically I just hold my eye open with one hand, thumb on lower lid and index finger on upper, and try to put the contact on as close to the center of my eye as possible. After it’s in I usually have to look around a bit (still holding my eye open) to shift it into position.

Make sure the lens is moist enough. There’s nothing more frustrating than having perfect form for the insertion only to have the lens refuse to stick because it’s too dry.
On a side note, I wore glasses for about a year before I got contacts, and despite the trouble of putting them in (as well as the occasional irritation from dry lenses), I much prefer the latter. Glasses were easy to use, sure, but they were just so bothersome…and they cut into the bridge of my nose something fierce.

5

I wore glasses for 10 years about. Finally gave in and tried contacts when it became completely and entirely impractical for me to spar in martial arts with my glasses on or off. For about three months, I couldn’t wear them to school, because I would’ve had to get up a solid half-hour earlier to get them in and my eyes would get so irritated. IME, it’s just something you have to practice at, like riding a bike.

My method: I need a mirror in order to do it, directly in front of me. I put the contact on my pointer finger of my right hand, and hold my lower eyelid with my middle finger. My left middle finger of my holds my upper eyelid. I stare straight ahead, and aim for the center of my eye. I have to do this after I’ve showered or been awake for a bit; my blink reflex is (oddly) a lot stronger when I’m groggy.

6

I find that trying to use a mirror just makes it a lot harder. Seeing the finger coming at my eye makes it damn near impossible not to blink. So for the right eye, I balance the contact on my right index finger (it takes a bit of practice to find the proper angle of contact-to-finger), pull down the lower lid with my right middle finger, and put the contact onto the lower part of my eyeball. (This allows me to only briefly see the finger from the corner of my eye, as it were, and greatly decreases the urge to close my eyes.) Then I blink, and blinking makes the contact suck up into its proper position. For the left eye, it’s pretty much the same process, except I also hold the upper lid with my left hand. Sometimes I look up a bit to make the process easier.

7

I use NinjaChick’s method, although I switch hands to put the contact in my left eye. Putting in contacts for the first time is extremely difficult and frustrating, and while it does get easier, it takes awhile. The most important thing, in my opinion, is to have a fierce desire to never wear contacts again and a grim determination to kick your reflexes’ puny asses. Some more practical tips are to rinse out your contacts to make sure you don’t have a piece of lint bugging you all day and that the contact isn’t inside out. Mine have numbers on them to make it easier, but you can also tell if they’re inside out by checking to see whether the rims are curling outward.

8

Hah. I flunked the test to get into contact lens class. It was to see if my eyes were watery enough for contacts, and involved anesthetic eyedrops and two paper strips that get stuck in you eyes for a few minutes. Only the anesthetic didn’t work properly. I thought I could handle it anyways, but ended up ready to faint and/or puke. (I could have gotten contacts anyways, they told me, but there would be a chance that I just can’t wear them and not know.)

In my own defense, it wasn’t nervousness like I thought it was–I just get that reaction from the eyedrops they used, as I unfortunately learned during my last checkup. But I’m sticking to glasses. I don’t think I’m ready for contacts yet shudder

Cheer up, you made it farther than me!

9

Don’t feel too bad! I took all afternoon to get mine in and nearly kicked the doctor in the head. He kept insisting he could get them in and he kept lowering the head of the chair until my feet were nearly in the air. I jumped when he made contact and my feet jerked.
Ooooops!

10

I remember when I first got my contacts (many years ago) they kept having me try to put the left eye contact in first, and I just couldn’t do it. But when I tried the right eye first, for some reason I could do it right away. So you could try switching up which eye you start with. Other then that, I’m afraid I’m not mcuh help my eyes are so…insensitive, for lack of a better word…that I can touch my bare eyeball with my finger at any time and it doesn’t bug me a bit, so contacts were no big deal.

11

When I had them, it took me ages to get them in at the opticiansd when everyone was looking at me and telling me how to do it. I got it eventually and went home. Only took a minute or two to get them in when I was at home.

Maybe the same will happen to you!

12

Y’know I never had difficulty putting mine in or taking them out. If I am putting it in my left eye I put the lense on my right index finger. Then using my middle finger pull the skin down under my eye. With my left hand I pin my lashes up against my eyebrow and then just put the lense in with my finger. Repeat for the other side.

13

A few random tips:

With clean hands, practice touching the white part of your eyes. (Gets you used to fiddling around with your eyes.)

Try to out stare a fish. :smiley: (Gets you practice in not blinking when you don’t want to.)
I basically use treis’ method to put in my lenses, with this modification: I usually don’t set the lens directly ‘down’ onto my eye, I angle it so the part nearest my lower lid goes down first, then gently push the partially on lens down a bit so I don’t have to worry about the top part of the lens catching on my upper eyelashes.

I have very long eyelashes. And yes, I have gotten them caught under the lens. Kinda odd feeling to have the lens on my eye with (still attached) eyelashes underneath it.

To take them off, I put my finger on the middle of my lens and shove it to the outer corner of my eye. The lens wrinkles up and pops off. (Except for when it doesn’t. Then when it wrinkles up I can use a free finger to pluck it off.)

<< I want to move to theory. Everything works in theory. >>

14

I’m not sure if everyone here has the same method or not, but they all SOUNDS different, so I’ll throw in mine:

Dry middle finger, lens wet on the inside. Use ring finger to pull lower eyelid down - if necessary you can use pointer finger to keep upper eyelid up, but it probably won’t be. Tilt head down slightly, so you have to look up into the mirror. Place lens on white of eye, below iris. There will be a “bubble” under the lens, but all edges should be in contact (heh) with the eye. Now, still holding lower eyelid, look down, left, right, up again. Now blink.

Good luck!

15

Ah, yes, also: try to keep your ‘lens’ finger as dry as possible: it helps the contact stick to your eye, rather than finger.

16

A mirror? I never even considered using a mirror. You’re sticking something in your eye - why do you need a mirror to see it?

Anyway, here’s my advice. Make sure the lens is wet; soak it in some fluid. Give your eyes a few shots of moistening fluid as well if you think they’re dry.

Balance the lens on the pad of your strong hand index finger. Check to see that the lens is right side out. Make sure the lens is not dirty. Become one with the lens.

Hold the lens finger level in front of your face. Pull your eyelids open with the first two fingers of your weak hand. Lean your head forward into the finger holding the lens. Lean your head all the way back while holding the lens onto your eye with your finger. When your head is all the way back lift your finger off the lens; gravity will hold it in place. Close your eye and look around in different directions to center the lens. Open your eyes and repeat with second lens.

17

Good advice by Nightsong. Get used to touching your eyes with the finger tips. I’ve been wearing contact lenses for nearly 30 years. They were a lot worse in the 70’s people! Also extended wear contact lenses are your friend. I can wear mine for up to 60 days without taking them out.

18

When I first started wearing contacts, it took me well over half an hour to get one in. Aside from the many excellent tips suggested above, I found it easier to learn by sitting down and leaning over a mirror (the hand-held kind) on the floor in front of me. Not only was it more comfortable (not having to stand the whole time), but if I dropped a contact, it would only fall a foot or so on to the mirror, so I wouldn’t have to poke around all over the sink trying to find it.

And have you practiced getting them out yet?

19

Yes, I have had trouble with contacts since I started using them. The first time putting them in took a loooong time and I was near tears. Fortunately, the optical techs (??) were very kind and patient with me.

My method is similar to treis’. I found that switching to the opposite hand made it easier to hold my lid open. I also pin my upper eyelashes to my brow with my same-side finger. I try to lean over a mirror or tilt my head forward a bit for wall mirrors. Yes, I still have to use mirrors to put them in (but I can take them out w/out a mirror.) The contact rests on the pad near the tip, but not on the tip, of my forefinger. I rest my middle finger on my cheek to steady my hand, and line up the the contact with my eye. Then I roll my eyes up a bit and insert the lower edge of the contact on the lower half of my iris, rotating my finger slightly up to release the contact. Before I roll my eyes back down, I slowly close my eyes then rotate them around a bit to seat the contact in place. Sometimes I lightly place a finger on my closed eyelid while rotating to center it (but only if my eyes are too dry). Oh yeah, good idea to add a drop of wetting fluid to your eyes before you put the contacts in, so they’re nice and moist. The fluid in you eye will just suck the contact right on.

Obviously, be sure to start with freshly washed, DRY hands, otherwise you’ll smudge body oils, dirt or lint (use a less linty hand-drying towel) on the contact before it even gets into your eye. (If you use soap, rinse well. Soap stings horrendously.) You DO NOT want even the tiniest piece of lint on your contact. It will feel like there’s a rock in your eye all day long. Also, make sure your contacts don’t have any tears. Good way to avoid a scratched cornea.

If you don’t succeed, just stop trying for a while until the eye irritation calms down. It’s that much harder to put contacts into irritated eyes. Lastly, give your eyes a break and don’t wear them way past the recommended time like I did. Dumb, I know. The resulting eye infection is much, much worse than anything I’ve ever experienced including natural childbirth. Don’t mean to scare you (…or maybe I do). Be good to your eyes and you’ll be just fine.

Try to avoid wearing contacts in an extremely dusty environment or, if unavoidable, use wetting drops liberally and often. You may find your eyes become excessively dry when you first start wearing them, so keep your wetting drops always on hand (I always had a bottle in my purse, one in the car, a few at home, and one at work). Don’t use regular Visine either. I think it’s considered to irritating to the eye or something (anyone?).

Hang in there, you’ll get it. I would have added the advice to get comfortable touching your eye before you attempt the contacts, but someone has already mentioned that. That helped me. Even holding your finger less than an inch away, directly in front of your pupil for a period of time might help get used to seeing it there.

If you’re like me, once you’ve graduated contact lens insertion training, you’ll be back asking us how to get the cursed things out. That’s another fun lesson. But doable, even if you do have to go to bed with one stubborn contact still in once in a while. :wink:

Now, why would he do that? Did he offer to go home with you to take them out that night and put them in the next morning?

You’d think he’d realize you have to learn sometime. Better at the office, when he can give you pointers (no pun intended), right?

20

Geez…guess who’s changing out his contacts tonight?