Wearing Contact Lenses

[Check Mags On]

Hi

This is a question for anybody flying jets who needs to wear glasses or contact lenses.

I've tried the search function but to no avail.

I will be flying two sector days with between 4 and 6 hour legs, so all in all I need to wear my glasses for upto 12 hours at a time.

How many of you wear contact lenses?
Do you have problems with your eyes drying up?
Are they uncomfortable after 12 hours?

I have been to the optician and I am fine wearing lenses for that length of time, but with the aircon that we have to fly with, it would be nice to get any contact lens wearers opinions.
Especially if you did wear contacts and went back to specs.

Thank you

CMO

[Sphinx]

I wear contact lenses and fly jets up to 12 hours at a time. Yes they can get a little dry, but you can combat this in two ways. First ask about lenses which let more air through the membrane - they are usually a little more expensive, but worth it as they let more oxygen through to your eye. Second carry some eye drops which are compatible with your lenses.

With these measures I have no problems wearing my lenses for the full duration of the flights plus the journeys to and from work. In fact they are more comfortable than glasses for the same period I think.

[BizJetJock]

I agree with Sphinx re the flying, although interestingly I find mine get gritty if I drive a car for long periods, so I prefer glasses for that. Also interestingly, my JAR medical specifies that I must wear contacts rather than glasses (obviously with a spatre pair of glasses for emergencies), although my FAA one allows me the option.

[Loose rivets]

Originally Posted by BizJetJock

my JAR medical specifies that I must wear contacts rather than glasses

I would be very interested in why they make this stipulation. do you know the reason? LR

[Flughaven]

I used to wear the once a day lenses but now use night and day monthly for the past 3 years. I must say I find them fantastic!! You put them in once a month and leave them (you sleep with them etc) Currently work my 900hrs (no prizes for guessing which airline) per year, and only a few times have I had to change them after 3 weeks. Not a bad price either at £25 per month

[vapilot2004]

RE: JAR Medical

I would be very interested in why they make this stipulation. do you know the reason? LR

I would guess the increased field of vision that contacts have over glasses.

[Eddie_Crane]

Originally Posted by Flughaven

I used to wear the once a day lenses but now use night and day monthly for the past 3 years. I must say I find them fantastic!! You put them in once a month and leave them (you sleep with them etc) Currently work my 900hrs (no prizes for guessing which airline) per year, and only a few times have I had to change them after 3 weeks. Not a bad price either at £25 per month

HI I am curious as to how you keep your eyes hydrated with those sort of lenses, are these particularly.. ehmm "gas-permeable" that you can keep them on for so long? Do you have to use any specific "eye-drops" to avoid them drying up on your cornea?
I heard about these contacts, but never tried them myself, although I'd be interested (assuming my eyes can tolerate wearing contacts for weeks on end...).

edited for spelling mistakes!!

[niknak]

As an ATCO I work in a permanently air conditioned environment, not too different to constant flight deck conditions as far as the eyes go.
I gave up wearing contact lenses two years ago because I couldn't find any which could cope with it all.
Does anyone have experience of any of the newer brands which they could recommend please?

Ta.

[vapilot2004]

I've had great luck with AccuVu Advanced and also carry a bottle of Renu moisture drops.

One thing I have noticed is that when I am dehydrated, even slightly, my natural tears lessen a great deal. More water/juice and less coffee/tea and also a good re-hydration after a night at the club for me.

I used to wear a Toric lens, which did gave me sharper vision due to a slight astigmatism. It is thick and prone to drying - I don't wear these anymore.

Good luck mate !

[Chilli Monster]

Both for Flight Deck (Corporate) and work (ATCO) I use Specsavers "Easyview" monthly disposables. In addition a couple of phials of any water or saline based, contact lens friendly eye drops if you feel your eyes drying out does wonders.

Niknak - Don't have any problems with the above during early or late shifts, but go back to specs during nights. No major problems following that routine.

[Non Normal]

I work in a constantly air conditioned environment, starting at the screen for up to 18 hours per day (and sometimes longer).

I'm using 30 day extended wear lenses, and I haven't had many problem with them. The only time I have ever had even a bit of dry eyes was when I fell asleep for an extended period on the plane (talking 5+ hours). Even then, all I needed was a few drops of Blink & Clean (cleaning eye drops) and they were fine again. If don't sleep for hours and hours on the plane, dry eyes don't seem to happen.

[Luke SkyToddler]

These new fangled 30 day extended-wear leave-in-eyes contact lenses are the absolute business, you can literally put them in and forget about them for a month.

Feels a bit weird waking up with your lenses still in and maybe by the time they've been in for 3 straight weeks, they feel a tiny bit scratchy first thing in the morning, but even then by the time you're through the shower they're back to normal and you've forgotten they're there. Take out and throw away at the end of the month and replace with new ones and that's it, about 30 seconds worth of maintenance time required every month. I've just about forgotten altogether that I'm a short sighted git.

The brand I use is Ciba vision 'night & day' and the cheapest website I've found for them so far is www.visiondirect.co.uk

[Capt.Goodlife]

I tried out different kind of contacts. But in every occasion my eyes dry out very fast so I am forced to wear glasses now.