Contact lenses vs Glasses
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They cannot possibly correct -7 to 0, from what I was told. That is about 5 times what they can do.
There is no way for the CAA or anybody else to tell you wear them at night. They also work slowly - over weeks or months.
No doubt the CAA medical department is wise to anyone trying to use these to sneak under the limit anyway.
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That's an interesting article...
However, they say
the effect of overnight OK lenses on corneal shape is temporary, and wears off over a few days if the lenses are not worn. To maintain the optical effect, lenses must be re-inserted and worn every night (or in some cases, every 2nd or 3rd night).
which is a quite different timescale to what I was told by one optician in Brighton selling them; he said the timescale they work on is weeks, not days.
Scarring is surely only from infections?
There is another aspect of this: if you sleep on your side, and the pillow pushes against your eye, that could squash the eye in the same way. I normally sleep on the RH side and sure enough my right eye has much more astig than the other. I wonder if anybody else notices this. It might explain why it sometimes appears that one's last eye test was duff; the resulting glasses don't work properly despite having spent a few hundred quid on them. Of course opticians normally blame crap eye tests on Specsavers...
However, they say
the effect of overnight OK lenses on corneal shape is temporary, and wears off over a few days if the lenses are not worn. To maintain the optical effect, lenses must be re-inserted and worn every night (or in some cases, every 2nd or 3rd night).
which is a quite different timescale to what I was told by one optician in Brighton selling them; he said the timescale they work on is weeks, not days.
Scarring is surely only from infections?
There is another aspect of this: if you sleep on your side, and the pillow pushes against your eye, that could squash the eye in the same way. I normally sleep on the RH side and sure enough my right eye has much more astig than the other. I wonder if anybody else notices this. It might explain why it sometimes appears that one's last eye test was duff; the resulting glasses don't work properly despite having spent a few hundred quid on them. Of course opticians normally blame crap eye tests on Specsavers...
Join Date: Feb 2007
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I'm wearing hard contacts (-1.5 or thereabouts) and have been doing so for about 20 years. No problems when flying at all - even aeros.
Due to distortions at the edges of the frame I get a headache within 15 minutes if I switch to glasses so I have not worn those for a long time. In bed, with my lenses removed, I don't try to watch TV, but read a book instead (or watch the iPad).
On commercial airliners, or on hot days, I do get a bit irritation from the dry air. But that doesn't just mean my eyeballs are dehydrated - it means my whole body is dehydrated. So I use it as a sign to drink more, and that usually solves the problem. (It introduces another problem but that's not the subject of this thread.
)
My medical specifies that I need to bring a spare set of spectacles too when flying. I have substituted this with a spare set of lenses when I'm flying aeros. Easier to carry in my pants pocket - the glasses case would be quite a hazard if dislodged from the pocket when flying aeros. And of course I typically don't have a problem with two lenses at the same time. So I can simply replace the one that gives a problem, while leaving the other in place. But to be honest, with only -1.5 I can still see pretty decent shapes in the distance and I can probably land the plane just fine if it's just one lens that's missing. (Note that carrying spare lenses instead of spare glasses may not be legal, depending on the interpretation of the regulations and the interpretation of the word "spectacles". But common sense in this case tells me that it's probably safer, in my particular situation, to carry spare contacts instead of spare glasses.)
Hard contacts do take a week or two to get used to if you've never worn them before. But in the long run they're relatively cheap and pretty easy to maintain.
Due to distortions at the edges of the frame I get a headache within 15 minutes if I switch to glasses so I have not worn those for a long time. In bed, with my lenses removed, I don't try to watch TV, but read a book instead (or watch the iPad).
On commercial airliners, or on hot days, I do get a bit irritation from the dry air. But that doesn't just mean my eyeballs are dehydrated - it means my whole body is dehydrated. So I use it as a sign to drink more, and that usually solves the problem. (It introduces another problem but that's not the subject of this thread.
)My medical specifies that I need to bring a spare set of spectacles too when flying. I have substituted this with a spare set of lenses when I'm flying aeros. Easier to carry in my pants pocket - the glasses case would be quite a hazard if dislodged from the pocket when flying aeros. And of course I typically don't have a problem with two lenses at the same time. So I can simply replace the one that gives a problem, while leaving the other in place. But to be honest, with only -1.5 I can still see pretty decent shapes in the distance and I can probably land the plane just fine if it's just one lens that's missing. (Note that carrying spare lenses instead of spare glasses may not be legal, depending on the interpretation of the regulations and the interpretation of the word "spectacles". But common sense in this case tells me that it's probably safer, in my particular situation, to carry spare contacts instead of spare glasses.)
Hard contacts do take a week or two to get used to if you've never worn them before. But in the long run they're relatively cheap and pretty easy to maintain.
Join Date: Sep 2011
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I've been wearing contacts for 20 years (daily ones).
For the medical, I needed a prescription which also stated I've been wearing the lenses "constantly and successfully for over 8 hours for a period of at least one month" so if you aren't currently wearing lenses, then it may take a while before you can get to that stage.
I also have a Medical cert which states I must "carry a spare set of spectacles" - note that it says spectacles so I'm not sure that Backpacker's substitution of other contact lenses is acceptable (though his cert may be worded differently)??
To be honest, if I lost a lens in flight then it is _way_ easier to pop out the other lens and put on glasses (both of which for me are a one handed operation) than to find a very small lens packet, open it without dropping the lens (both hands needed), check the lens isn't inside out, and then try to insert the lens (again both hands and not clean ones, increasing the chance of irritants on the lens)...
For the medical, I needed a prescription which also stated I've been wearing the lenses "constantly and successfully for over 8 hours for a period of at least one month" so if you aren't currently wearing lenses, then it may take a while before you can get to that stage.
I also have a Medical cert which states I must "carry a spare set of spectacles" - note that it says spectacles so I'm not sure that Backpacker's substitution of other contact lenses is acceptable (though his cert may be worded differently)??
To be honest, if I lost a lens in flight then it is _way_ easier to pop out the other lens and put on glasses (both of which for me are a one handed operation) than to find a very small lens packet, open it without dropping the lens (both hands needed), check the lens isn't inside out, and then try to insert the lens (again both hands and not clean ones, increasing the chance of irritants on the lens)...
Join Date: Apr 2012
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I actually have had similar experience, but not necessarily with flying. It was reffing basketball. I am a contact lens wearer, but I got an eye irritation and couldn't wear my contacts. So I had to wear my glasses when reffing the basketball game and it was so difficult. I couldn't see anything out of my peripheral and there were times when I just couldn't see what I needed to. So I understand to a degree the frustration you are feeling.
Don't let being worried about touching your eye stop you from trying contacts. I promise you'll be able to overcome it and after a few weeks you'll wonder how you ever struggled in the beginning.
Also, as previously mentioned there is so many new developments in the world of contact lenses that even if your eyes are dry like mine, there are special contacts to help keep in moisture. But it is true that my eyes get dry on planes, and when your eye gets dry the eye gets a little irritated, but I am only wearing the Acuvue 2, not like the Acvue Oasys or other contacts specially designed for dry eyes.
Some people who have astigmatism do see better with glasses than with contacts, but then again, their are contacts designed specifically for astigmatism (toric lenses). But it just depends on you.
If one of your contacts happens to pop out while you are flying you can just pop out the other one (as you practice taking them in and out you'll get the hang of taking them out quickly) and put on your glasses, or you can just fly with only one in for a short time until you can take care of it.
Advice: always carry your glasses, contact solution, and a contact case with you wherever you go and have them handy. You never know when you'll need it.
Don't let being worried about touching your eye stop you from trying contacts. I promise you'll be able to overcome it and after a few weeks you'll wonder how you ever struggled in the beginning.
Also, as previously mentioned there is so many new developments in the world of contact lenses that even if your eyes are dry like mine, there are special contacts to help keep in moisture. But it is true that my eyes get dry on planes, and when your eye gets dry the eye gets a little irritated, but I am only wearing the Acuvue 2, not like the Acvue Oasys or other contacts specially designed for dry eyes.
Some people who have astigmatism do see better with glasses than with contacts, but then again, their are contacts designed specifically for astigmatism (toric lenses). But it just depends on you.
If one of your contacts happens to pop out while you are flying you can just pop out the other one (as you practice taking them in and out you'll get the hang of taking them out quickly) and put on your glasses, or you can just fly with only one in for a short time until you can take care of it.
Advice: always carry your glasses, contact solution, and a contact case with you wherever you go and have them handy. You never know when you'll need it.
