6 ms·

I am amazed what soft contacts can do. I have a myopia greater than -14 on each eye and the contacts I wear are as thin as any other regular set. In comparison

I am amazed what soft contacts can do. I have a myopia greater than -14 on each eye and the contacts I wear are as thin as any other regular set. In comparison the glasses I have even with the most advanced glass is extremely thick and only a small area doesn't cause color shifting.

j45 2y ago
Lennon was wearing the best shape for high prescriptions. Small, and round. Both will make the highest prescriptions very thin since the flaring out of the lens doesn't happen. Most of the mainstream optometrists don't specialize in frames like these. Lenses are also available in 1.7+ high index in plastic lenses or even higher if you don't mind glass. Glass lenses while brittle at high index, can be additionally hardened as well. It's helpful to find a frame manufacturer that can hide higher prescriptions in the thickness of the frame. Companies like OGI, Anne Et Valentin have suitable frames for high prescriptions, which include adjustable nosepads to get the lenses right, and also a hybrid frame where the lenses might be wrapped in a combination of metal and plastic.
- WWLink 2y ago
  The periscope effect can be pretty darn bad with the small lenses though unless they're right on top of your eye lol.
  - j45 2y ago
    Certain frames can help with that a lot. At least one of the manufacturers above have such an option iirc
SoftTalker 2y ago
I have astigmatism, and have worn rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses starting over 40 years ago. I have tried various types of soft lenses a few times but could never see as well with them.
- sgt 2y ago
  Astigmatism here too. I have soft lenses for sport use but I can't really read with them easily. Things go out of focus often and I have to wait for eyes to re-focus etc if at all possible. But for sport use it's fine. For every day use I use glasses and it's perfect. Except of course for the inconvenience of wearing them! Do you think RGP could be worth trying out for me ?
  - quercusa 2y ago
    I've used RGPs for 45 years (now -6.5) because I've been told multiple times that they provide the clearest vision. They only times I have any issues with comfort is grass allergy season but antihistamine drops work great. They tend to be a bit more expensive up front but they also last for years. My understanding is that even non-toric RGP lenses can correct some degree of astigmatism. Once thing that you can do with contacts is so-called Monovision [0], where one lens is slightly under-corrected and your brain figures out which to use. I'll put on reading glasses for close detail work but otherwise go from driving to working at a computer without any focus troubles. [0] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/monovision https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/monovision
    - mezzie2 2y ago
      > My understanding is that even non-toric RGP lenses can correct some degree of astigmatism. This is correct. Both of my eyes have astigmatism, but in differing amounts. One eye is corrected with a non-toric RGP while the other requires a toric RGP. The line is around a 1.75/2.00.
  - SoftTalker 2y ago
    RGPs are initially not very comfortable, it's been a long time but when I first got them I would only wear then a few hours, then I slowly worked up to wearing them all day. But now I rarely notice them, unless I get a bit of dust or a loose eyelash under one of them (that can be really uncomfortable). The nice thing is that they last pretty much forever and care is pretty easy. Just clean them daily and soak them overnight in disinfectant/conditioning fluid.
13of40 2y ago
I wear soft contacts and one of my eyes has astigmatism. I've never understood how a symmetrical lens can correct an asymmetrical eyeball. Another strange thing I've seen is that after having put these things in my eyes about 2000 times at this point, I think I can tell that they vary in thickness, sometimes even in the same pack, but it doesn't seem to affect their performance. It all seems a little magical, so I guess I should find some time and go down the youtube rabbit hole that probably exists.
- kvgr 2y ago
  Its not symetrical, one part is heavier and turns in the eye. What optometrist told me.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - mywittyname 2y ago
    For mild astigmatism, you can use regular lenses and get pretty good results.
- _yb2s 2y ago
  Astigmatism correction requires toric contacts- you should have a small line you have to orient upwards to align it properly, which myopia only contacts don’t have.
  - foldr 2y ago
    Hmm, I have astigmatism and have never had to worry about the alignment of my contact lenses in order to get good correction. Perhaps they are somehow engineered so that they automatically settle in the correct orientation. Edit: Answer here, by the looks of it: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41237519 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41237519
    - _yb2s 2y ago
      It is much more likely that your astigmatism is very mild, and your optometrist decided not to correct it, and corrected only the myopia. This is common because toric contacts are more expensive, more difficult to put in, less breathable, and fall out easier. As a longtime user of toric contacts, I have tried a dozen brands and every single one has the exact same mark. The shape will keep them from moving out of orientation, but it isn't enough to put them back into orientation if put in wrong, at least not quickly. Care to share exactly what contacts you are using? Do you have astigmatism in one or both eyes? If it is toric and for astigmatism it will say so on the box- many people have it in only one eye, so the boxes will be different, and only one will say toric. If you really are using toric contacts, but not aligning the mark, I am willing to bet you will be able to find the mark, align it properly, and your vision will be remarkably better. Edit: One reason you absolutely need the mark is because the optometrist also needs to be able to tell if they are staying in orientation like they're supposed to, by visually checking the alignment mark. It needs to point straight upwards (vertical). If not, they can prescribe you one that is made pre-rotated to compensate.
tehlike 2y ago
Have you considered LASIK?
- saghm 2y ago
  Not OP, but I'm a lifelong glasses wearer with a strong prescription who has started considering LASIK in recent years; have you had it done, and would you recommend it?
  - password4321 2y ago
    Consult the HN hive mind here (mind the timestamps): https://hn.algolia.com/?query=Lasik https://hn.algolia.com/?query=Lasik
  - SoftTalker 2y ago
    I've only heard from others but the people I've talked to all had some issues post-op which they seemed to rationalize and claimed that it was a net improvement, but I've ruled it out as something I'll ever have done. It would be really nice to have 20:20 vision without contacts or glasses but some of the stuff I've heard (extreme dry eye feeling, distortions, glare/dazzling at night) just don't sound worth it.
    - elliottkember 2y ago
      It changed my relationship with the world. Dependency is the name of the game – it all depends how dependent you are on glasses. If you lost your glasses, would you be able to walk around? I was -6.5 and 3.5 astigmatism and I was stuck if I lost my glasses. Had to carry contact lens boxes and solution with me. Post-LASIK I'm something like +0.5. I get halos if I look directly at overhead street lights at night, that's about it. It's underwhelming as a side-effect. I don't stare at street lights at night very often!
      - SoftTalker 2y ago
        Yeah ideally it sounds nice. But I've never lost my glasses. I don't carry contact lens supplies with me, worst case with my RGP contacts I can clean them with hand soap or dish detergent and tap water in a pinch. How do you do with oncoming headlights while driving at night?

j45 2y ago

Lennon was wearing the best shape for high prescriptions. Small, and round. Both will make the highest prescriptions very thin since the flaring out of the lens doesn't happen. Most of the mainstream optometrists don't specialize in frames like these. Lenses are also available in 1.7+ high index in plastic lenses or even higher if you don't mind glass. Glass lenses while brittle at high index, can be additionally hardened as well. It's helpful to find a frame manufacturer that can hide higher prescriptions in the thickness of the frame. Companies like OGI, Anne Et Valentin have suitable frames for high prescriptions, which include adjustable nosepads to get the lenses right, and also a hybrid frame where the lenses might be wrapped in a combination of metal and plastic.

WWLink 2y ago
The periscope effect can be pretty darn bad with the small lenses though unless they're right on top of your eye lol.
- j45 2y ago
  Certain frames can help with that a lot. At least one of the manufacturers above have such an option iirc

SoftTalker 2y ago

I have astigmatism, and have worn rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses starting over 40 years ago. I have tried various types of soft lenses a few times but could never see as well with them.

sgt 2y ago
Astigmatism here too. I have soft lenses for sport use but I can't really read with them easily. Things go out of focus often and I have to wait for eyes to re-focus etc if at all possible. But for sport use it's fine. For every day use I use glasses and it's perfect. Except of course for the inconvenience of wearing them! Do you think RGP could be worth trying out for me ?
- quercusa 2y ago
  I've used RGPs for 45 years (now -6.5) because I've been told multiple times that they provide the clearest vision. They only times I have any issues with comfort is grass allergy season but antihistamine drops work great. They tend to be a bit more expensive up front but they also last for years. My understanding is that even non-toric RGP lenses can correct some degree of astigmatism. Once thing that you can do with contacts is so-called Monovision [0], where one lens is slightly under-corrected and your brain figures out which to use. I'll put on reading glasses for close detail work but otherwise go from driving to working at a computer without any focus troubles. [0] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/monovision https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/monovision
  - mezzie2 2y ago
    > My understanding is that even non-toric RGP lenses can correct some degree of astigmatism. This is correct. Both of my eyes have astigmatism, but in differing amounts. One eye is corrected with a non-toric RGP while the other requires a toric RGP. The line is around a 1.75/2.00.
- SoftTalker 2y ago
  RGPs are initially not very comfortable, it's been a long time but when I first got them I would only wear then a few hours, then I slowly worked up to wearing them all day. But now I rarely notice them, unless I get a bit of dust or a loose eyelash under one of them (that can be really uncomfortable). The nice thing is that they last pretty much forever and care is pretty easy. Just clean them daily and soak them overnight in disinfectant/conditioning fluid.

13of40 2y ago

I wear soft contacts and one of my eyes has astigmatism. I've never understood how a symmetrical lens can correct an asymmetrical eyeball. Another strange thing I've seen is that after having put these things in my eyes about 2000 times at this point, I think I can tell that they vary in thickness, sometimes even in the same pack, but it doesn't seem to affect their performance. It all seems a little magical, so I guess I should find some time and go down the youtube rabbit hole that probably exists.

kvgr 2y ago
Its not symetrical, one part is heavier and turns in the eye. What optometrist told me.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- mywittyname 2y ago
  For mild astigmatism, you can use regular lenses and get pretty good results.
_yb2s 2y ago
Astigmatism correction requires toric contacts- you should have a small line you have to orient upwards to align it properly, which myopia only contacts don’t have.
- foldr 2y ago
  Hmm, I have astigmatism and have never had to worry about the alignment of my contact lenses in order to get good correction. Perhaps they are somehow engineered so that they automatically settle in the correct orientation. Edit: Answer here, by the looks of it: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41237519 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41237519
  - _yb2s 2y ago
    It is much more likely that your astigmatism is very mild, and your optometrist decided not to correct it, and corrected only the myopia. This is common because toric contacts are more expensive, more difficult to put in, less breathable, and fall out easier. As a longtime user of toric contacts, I have tried a dozen brands and every single one has the exact same mark. The shape will keep them from moving out of orientation, but it isn't enough to put them back into orientation if put in wrong, at least not quickly. Care to share exactly what contacts you are using? Do you have astigmatism in one or both eyes? If it is toric and for astigmatism it will say so on the box- many people have it in only one eye, so the boxes will be different, and only one will say toric. If you really are using toric contacts, but not aligning the mark, I am willing to bet you will be able to find the mark, align it properly, and your vision will be remarkably better. Edit: One reason you absolutely need the mark is because the optometrist also needs to be able to tell if they are staying in orientation like they're supposed to, by visually checking the alignment mark. It needs to point straight upwards (vertical). If not, they can prescribe you one that is made pre-rotated to compensate.

tehlike 2y ago

Have you considered LASIK?

saghm 2y ago
Not OP, but I'm a lifelong glasses wearer with a strong prescription who has started considering LASIK in recent years; have you had it done, and would you recommend it?
- password4321 2y ago
  Consult the HN hive mind here (mind the timestamps): https://hn.algolia.com/?query=Lasik https://hn.algolia.com/?query=Lasik
- SoftTalker 2y ago
  I've only heard from others but the people I've talked to all had some issues post-op which they seemed to rationalize and claimed that it was a net improvement, but I've ruled it out as something I'll ever have done. It would be really nice to have 20:20 vision without contacts or glasses but some of the stuff I've heard (extreme dry eye feeling, distortions, glare/dazzling at night) just don't sound worth it.
  - elliottkember 2y ago
    It changed my relationship with the world. Dependency is the name of the game – it all depends how dependent you are on glasses. If you lost your glasses, would you be able to walk around? I was -6.5 and 3.5 astigmatism and I was stuck if I lost my glasses. Had to carry contact lens boxes and solution with me. Post-LASIK I'm something like +0.5. I get halos if I look directly at overhead street lights at night, that's about it. It's underwhelming as a side-effect. I don't stare at street lights at night very often!
    - SoftTalker 2y ago
      Yeah ideally it sounds nice. But I've never lost my glasses. I don't carry contact lens supplies with me, worst case with my RGP contacts I can clean them with hand soap or dish detergent and tap water in a pinch. How do you do with oncoming headlights while driving at night?