Contact Lenses

[Potential]

Hi,

I’m aiming to become a commercial pilot and was at Gatwick last week for my class 1 medical. As I had expected, I was awarded my class 1 with the condition that I “shall have available corrective lenses.” I have fairly minor short-sightedness and presently do not wear my glasses on a regular basis – only occasionally when reading from a distance (for example at lectures with PowerPoint presentations) or when driving for long periods of time.

I’m now considering giving contacts a go since I do not particularly like wearing glasses and I think the full peripheral vision they offer would be better for flying. Can any existing pilots that wear contacts give me any advice on this subject? I’ve read that high water quantity lenses are not advised due to the low humidity in pressurised cabins and that hard lenses don’t allow enough oxygen to pass through. Am I correct with this?

I will obviously be speaking to my optician, but wanted to see what other pilots with experience of wearing contacts had to say on the matter.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[soggyboxers]

Potential,

I've been wearing contacts for a few years now (though I fly helicopters, not fixed wing) and I find them great - very liberating after a number of years of wearing spectacles. I use the monthly change varifocal contacts and only take them out at night and one day a week on my day off. It also means I can wear any sunglasses I like without the need for prescription lenses and when the weather is very hot and humid, I'm not constantly having to take off my spectacles and wipe them as they steam up. My optician in UK is a former RAF fixed wing transport pilot and he advised me on the best ones to use.

[niknak]

In ATC I work in a permanantly air conditioned environment and find it very difficult to wear even the best contacts for more than 3 to 4 hours and I have stopped including them for medical purposes, add a pressurised cabin atmosphere and I suspect that you may suffer.
I agree that spectacles are a pain in the whatsit, but its a matter of what you can work with.

[Potential]

Thanks for your responses. I've been to an optician today and I've got some daily use contacts to give them a go. So far I'm very impressed and I'm considering giving weekly or monthly ones a try if my eyes adjust OK. I suppose it will just have to be a case of personal experimentation when I reach the cockpit. Any further advice would still be appreciated.

[tony2F]

Potential, I wear the monthly lenses that you put in at the start of the month and take out at the end, they are more expensive and don't suit everyone , but i get checked frequently for dryness etc. I've been wearing this type for two years in all kinds of atmospheres, cockpits, bars, offices, air conditioning and have no problem whatsoever. I think that this type has a silicone base allowing a greater % of oxygen to the eye and even when sleeping. I would never go back to full time glasses wear and also would never get surgery, no need to, these are brill. Thats my 2 cents worth. Hope it helps..:ok:

[Sid Departure]

Hi Potential,
I've been wearing contact lenses for 20 years. I currently use Ciba Vision's Night&Day lenses. See HERE (http://www.cibavision.com.au/lenses/night_and_day.shtml)
Although these lenses can be worn continuously for 30 days, I do take them out at night. These are very comfortable lenses and I've never had any trouble with dryness, whilst flying. I recently flew from Aus to europe and had my lenses in for over 40 hours, 24 of those hours were in an aircraft and I had no dryness or irritation problems.
Cheers Sid

[Potential]

Do you have to take the weekly/monthly lenses out while swimming/showering?

[Vee One...Rotate]

I was advised to. Apparently there are some nasty critters in water that don't agree with contacts.

[soggyboxers]

Potential,

I leave mine in for showering and I leave them in when I swim (which is almost every day). All I do after swimming is to either use some eye drops, or if I'm going straight home, I take them out and give them a rinse in leans cleaning solution

[Arturo Lan]

Sid_Departure,

I checked the web site and these contacts seem to be a good option. I have one question though. They advertise contact lenses for astigmatism. My question is what happens if you have bot myopia and astigmatism. Are there any contacts for these cases?
I am thinking of wearing contacts so I can use sunglasses without having to use prescrption ones, but I was wondering how I can correct both myopia and astigmatism.

Thanks,
Arturo.

[LocoDriver]

I have worn contact lenses for 31 years, and for the last two years have worn the new silicon disposables(monthly) . I actually get at least two months from these type. (bausch and lomb) made in Ireland, says the label on the Box. ( I am in New Zealand, on the other side of the world, so they must be available world-wide)
I have uncorrected of -4.5 in both eyes, and astigmatism of -1.25 also in both, these lenses can correct for astigmatism, no problems.
They have been the best lenses I have ever had, more expensive than most, very water soluble, and perfect for flying. This gives me 6/5 vision in both eyes, keep my medical assesor smiling, and my class one intact.
I am a flying instructor, but have worn them on long international trips on a 747, and after 24 hours, you still cant feel them.
As for swimming, I tend to use a cheaper pair of disposables, to avoid getting any 'bugs' on the good ones!- that is either in the sea, or the lovely thermal pools we have down-under.
Please PM me if you require any further info, I think a good Optometrist will put you on the right track.
Cheers!
:ok:

[Arturo Lan]

Hi LocoDriver,

Thanks for the info.
I will look for that brand and try them on.
I have -4.00 and -0.75 astigmatism on one eye , -4.25 and -1.25 astigmatism on the other.

Best,
Arturo.

[Sid Departure]

I checked the web site and these contacts seem to be a good option. I have one question though. They advertise contact lenses for astigmatism. My question is what happens if you have bot myopia and astigmatism. Are there any contacts for these cases?

Hi Artura,
You'll need to discuss this with our Optometrist. I'm sure there are as Loco Driver has indicated. There has been quite an advancement in contact lenses in the last 5 years.
Cheers Sid

[thedeadseawasonlysick]

Could anyone give me a rough idea of how much per month for these lenses.

Thanks.

[LocoDriver]

Hi there Sid Departure.

Re these lenses, I think the max astigmatism correction available at this time, is around -2 dioptres.
I am walking proof of the correction available for myopia and astigmatism.

With these silicon lenses, they let more oxygen thru than any another type, my optomerist has indicated my eyes have never been so clear..........

I pay about $40 new zealand dollars for a pair, they can last for 2 to 3 months with good care(just a light rub every few days with saline, no cleaning fluid required).
In two years , I have never had one split, or go hard.

They are the very best available , contact lens technology has really advanced in the last three to four years.

Hope this helps.........
:ok: :ok: