Contact Lenses

[tigerbeer]

haven't worn them for about 15 years now. times have changed. they have complete solutions that makes it easier to store and maintain them. disposables are cheap.

its a joy not to wear glasses for the first day today after a long time. both eyes are 6.0 for the power. the only difference is that when i wear glasses, i am short and long sighted. wearing contacts today, i find that i cant read anything near, well i can read but its very very blur the nearer i bring it to the eyes. even typing on this computer, it seems blur. am i missing something here? do i need to get specially ordered contact lenses? or do i just go ahead and throw these contact lenses away. please help. doesn't look like a good idea if i continue to wear them while everything is slightly blur when reading.

need some opinions.

TB.

[lazeeboy]

haven't worn them for about 15 years now. times have changed. they have complete solutions that makes it easier to store and maintain them. disposables are cheap.

its a joy not to wear glasses for the first day today after a long time. both eyes are 6.0 for the power. the only difference is that when i wear glasses, i am short and long sighted. wearing contacts today, i find that i cant read anything near, well i can read but its very very blur the nearer i bring it to the eyes. even typing on this computer, it seems blur. am i missing something here? do i need to get specially ordered contact lenses? or do i just go ahead and throw these contact lenses away. please help. doesn't look like a good idea if i continue to wear them while everything is slightly blur when reading.

need some opinions.

TB.

cant help ,but also would like to know as want contacts but im long and short sighted.......

[eek]

Bifocal contacts are available, but i am not sure if disposable is an option and i imagine they may be more expensive than usual (i used to wear toric lenses before laser surgery and they were more difficult to obtain and double the price).

For info on bifocal contacts: http://www.allaboutvision.com/contacts/bifocals.htm

Rough cost guide from yahoo: http://shopping.yahoo.com/s:Contact%20Lens...ontact%20Lenses

Once you get an updated eye exam you could always order online.

or, maybe it is possible to wear reading glasses with your regular lenses when reading? Although may give eye strain or headaches? One of the more well known opticians could give you advice on this.

Finally, you could always consider lazik. Personally was the best decision i made.

[tigerbeer]

Bifocal contacts are available, but i am not sure if disposable is an option and i imagine they may be more expensive than usual (i used to wear toric lenses before laser surgery and they were more difficult to obtain and double the price).

For info on bifocal contacts: http://www.allaboutvision.com/contacts/bifocals.htm

Rough cost guide from yahoo: http://shopping.yahoo.com/s:Contact%20Lens...ontact%20Lenses

Once you get an updated eye exam you could always order online.

or, maybe it is possible to wear reading glasses with your regular lenses when reading? Although may give eye strain or headaches? One of the more well known opticians could give you advice on this.

Finally, you could always consider lazik. Personally was the best decision i made.

thanks eek, read more about it online and sounds like bifocal is the way to go. my age might matter here and i am 36 years old this year. i must be getting old ! .. glasses work fine today. just wore lenses for 2 hours plus today and removed them so that my eyes can get used to the lack of oxygen getting in all of a sudden.

no money for lasik yet !

TB

[bartender100]

anyone had laser treatment in Thailand ?

[nidge]

anyone had laser treatment in Thailand ?

Yes me. I wrote about it in another post recently. (sorry, can't remember which one). I believe if you are past 40 it's too late although it might be possible now, i had my eyes fixed about 5 years ago.

Let me know if you want more info although it might be a bit out of date.

[JSixpack]

Keep your present contacts and wear reading glasses for reading and possibly computer glasses for computing. No big deal.

You could try monovision: one contact for reading, one for distance. Me, I tried it and didn't like it.

I have multifocal contact lenses and I like them a lot. However, they really aren't that good of a solution for extensive reading. You just don't see close up quite well enough for that. I still often use my reading classes for long computer sessions too.

I have avoided lasik and still intend to do so. Too much risk, too many unknowns for the long term. Google for lasikdisaster and do read thoroughly the main site (seems URLs are bing removed from tis forum), which is something like: http lasik disaster dot com.

Even if you got lasik, you'd probably have to repeat later as your eyes worsened, and you'd still have to wear reading glasses unliess you went for monovision lasik--in which case, why not just have monovision in contact lenses?

Besides lasik, there's the lens replacement solution developed via cataract treatment. Sounds pretty drastic though . . . woudn't try having it done in Thailand at least.

[eek]

anyone had laser treatment in Thailand ?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=122856

[Mighty Mouse]

You could try monovision: one contact for reading, one for distance. Me, I tried it and didn't like it.

As a matter of interest, how long did you trial this concept for?

Monovision lens were fitted to my eyes and after two minutes I told 'em to take 'em out.

Apparently the brain will compensate for the difference in both lenses and time is recommended for this to take full affect but I wasn't prepared to wait for my brain to get working.

Lasek treatment works on the same principle.

I am long sighted but need glasses for low light reading.

With regard to SuperSight surgery I agree that it may be a bit dodgy having it done in Pattaya but I was talking to an elderly Australian guy who had it done at the Sydney Eye Hospital. He is very happy with the result and doesn't need glasses at all. He can now focus on near and far objects. His only complaint is when driving and the brightness of approaching car halogen headlights. They apparently temporarily effect his vision.

[lazeeboy]

hi am thinking of doing this in bangkok ,soon ,how often do you have to go back for check ups after the operation and for how long ,living in samui this could get quite expensive if they are every week for 6 months ,anyone out there know ,thanks in advance

[Tywais]

hi am thinking of doing this in bangkok ,soon ,how often do you have to go back for check ups after the operation and for how long ,living in samui this could get quite expensive if they are every week for 6 months ,anyone out there know ,thanks in advance

I had lens replacement surgery at Bumbrungrad Hospital in Bangkok several years ago. The purpose though was for cataract problems, both eyes. My vision is now better then it has been in over 25 years, though still have to wear reading glasses (multi-focal weren't available at the time). After the procedure he saw me a couple of days later for follow up. Then a month later then 6 months, so not a lot of trips involved.

[lazeeboy]

hi am thinking of doing this in bangkok ,soon ,how often do you have to go back for check ups after the operation and for how long ,living in samui this could get quite expensive if they are every week for 6 months ,anyone out there know ,thanks in advance

I had lens replacement surgery at Bumbrungrad Hospital in Bangkok several years ago. The purpose though was for cataract problems, both eyes. My vision is now better then it has been in over 25 years, though still have to wear reading glasses (multi-focal weren't available at the time). After the procedure he saw me a couple of days later for follow up. Then a month later then 6 months, so not a lot of trips involved.

thanks for that tywais

[JSixpack]

You could try monovision: one contact for reading, one for distance. Me, I tried it and didn't like it.

As a matter of interest, how long did you trial this concept for?

Well, (cough) a few days . I admit I wasn't very patient: the process of letting my brain adjust was uncomfortable and I was also daily driving a motorbike. Quickly decided I could deal with reading glasses after all. And I can. I like my multifocal contacts (from USA; couldn't find them in Thailand), though, except for lengthy reading/computer sessions. I've worn RPG contacts for many, many years w/ no problems.

It's encouraging to hear of successful lens replacement surgery being done in Thailand. Maybe the surgeons are pretty experienced, must be a lot of cataract cases here.

[cathyy]

A different vision correction solution I tried and really loved was gas-permeable "hard" contact lenses. I got much better vision correction with those than I ever got with "soft" contact lenses. Unfortunately, I never was able to master the blink to remove them, so after a couple weeks I had to quit wearing them. It was a sad day.

I have worn bifocals from the time I got my first pair of glasses at 11 years old. I wear them now, because I simply cannot get the precise correction for my astigmatism with soft contacts of any kind. Contact lenses only come with certain values for the astigmatism correction, and while one eye matches that value, the other doesn't so I am left with one blurry eye which drives me batty. I need precise near vision for counted cross-stitch.

[JimsKnight]

Yeah the hard lenses always sound too valuable to me. Soft lenses are a lot easier (I expect) to remove than hard ones.

But in the UK they are trying to phase out the long-term (1 to 3 month) soft lense option by introducing more people to the dailys and bi-monthly soft lenses. He did tell me the reason (something to do with the nanny state worrying about people over-using them) but it sounded like a way of making more money off the customers to me.

I've always preferred soft lenses than glasses, although there is more focus and sharpness of vision from glasses and (I expect hard lenses)

[paulsmithson]

Have worn soft lenses daily for over twenty years. Backed up with cheapo reading glasses and no problems at all.

The freedom lenses over glasses give you is unbelievable-no wiping rain off the lenses ( or sweat here).

brought a decent supply with me but will have to buy rep;acement soon. Anyone have an idea of the costs here.

I do know the prescription and could buy on line I guess, What about customs duty then?

[toptuan]

You could try monovision: one contact for reading, one for distance. Me, I tried it and didn't like it.

As a matter of interest, how long did you trial this concept for?

I've tried the bi-focal contact lenses. They slipped and slid around the eye too much to get a good focus on either reading or far vision.

However, I've been wearing gas-permeable hard contact lenses, monovision (one contact for reading/the other for far vision), for about 6 years now and am quite happy with them. I teach, and am constantly looking from notes or a textbook, to a classroom full of students. The brain automatically adjusts to immediately read through one eye, and look at the students through the other.

It takes about a full month for the brain to adjust, but after it does, you are unaware of the difference between the eyes. Depth perception suffers a little, but it hasn't hindered me except when threading a needle! Driving or watching the cinema is no problem.

The only further accommodation I make is I have reading glasses for extended reading periods at home, and computer glasses for extended periods at the computer. Both glasses are the cheap reading glasses you can get for less than 250 baht, and I knock out the lens for the reading eye, thus adjusting the "far-sighted" eye to read or compute.

The only new thing I might try are the soft contact lenses in monovision. The hard ones are difficult in the dusty environment in which I live, and I understand the soft lenses are much more comfortable in such conditions.

Edited October 17, 2007 by toptuan

[samran]

I used to wear hard lenses (and loved them) but I had so many problems as my eyes are relatively dry that an spec of dust meant that they became painful to wear. Since moving back to Thailand, the hard lenses became a non-option. The dust of BKK meant that my eyes were in pain more ofthen than not. So I switched back to soft monthly disposables, and am happy.

Can someone tell me though, what are 'computer' glasses? Would they help me as I tend to get a slight dull headache when using the computer, especially wearing normal glasses but also sometimes with the contact lenses.

[Sheryl]

OP -- given your young age it could just be a matter of needing time to adjust to the contacts. Older people, on the other hand, do indeed lose the ability to accomodate to near vision (which is not the same as the far-sightedness some people have from an early age), and will then need to do one of the following in order to have both good distant and near vision:

1) Bifocal glasses or 2 separate pairs of glasses

2) Contacts with reading glasses w2hen/as needed

3) Bifocal contacts if you can find them here

4) Monovision with contacts: depending on your vision this might mean only contact lens in 1 eye and none in the other, or it might mean lenses in both eyes but leaving one eye ündercorrected i.e. less than 20/20. The greater the difference between the vision in the 2 eyes the longer and harder it will be for your brain to adjust, and I suspect the poster who found it impossible to adjust may have had a greater difference in vision than was really necessary. Usually just leaving one eye at around 20/30 or 20/40 (with other eye corrected to 20/20) will be adequate and the adjustment to that is not not too difficult (although might be best to start when you don't need to drive or do computer work for a day or so).

5) Monovision with lasik. I had this and it worked very well, I was about 45 years old when the procudere was done (here in Thailand) and I'm 55 now and still fine with it. To get optimal monovision results with lasik should do one eye at a time, let the first eye stabilize and then do the second. If one eye has less prospects for full correction do that one first and see what the results are then go for the easier eye. Altrhough it may cost a bit more than doing both eyes at once, this approach allows the surgeon to fine-tune the results much more accurately.

My experience with lasik in Thialand was excellent but I went to the very best and paid more accordingly. Wouldn't recommend anyone doing otherwise.

[tigerbeer]

Hi Sheryl and the rest,

thanks for your input. seems like my only working is sticking to glasses or keeping reading glasses when i need them. I wore contacts the first day for 2 hours and never got back to it. The more i read this thread, might be worth a trying the contacts back again.

thanks all.

TB..

[jfchandler]

Regarding the comments about hard contact lenses (rigid, gas permeaable), I've happily worn them for more than 20 years with little problem (except for the occasional wind blown dust/dirt in the eye problem). And that includes the time I've stayed in BKK and elsehwere in Thailand.

One particular advantage is your eye doctor can employ a technique called orthokeratology, which basically involves using precisely curved hard lenses to reshape the real curve of your eye to optimal vision levels. By doing this, which is like a temporary, non-surgical Lasik effect, you get good vision with the lenses on and keep that benefit for varying periods, even with the lenses off (because your eyes retain the corrected curvature for some time). I wear my lenses for work during the day, and tend to take them off at night and on the weekends at home.

Using hard lenses also tends to keep your natural vision from further deteriorating through the years, obviously, depending on the natural state of your eyes and their particular problems. There's also no hassle about buying and replacing soft lenses all the time. One pair of hard lenses usually will last a year or so, though if you flush one down the sink, it means paying for a replacement.

One challenge, though, where I could use the advice of others here. In my initial checks around BKK, I find many outlets for soft lens solutions. But I've yet to find any in BKK for HARD LENS SOLUTIONS, which are different and intended just for hard lenses. Fortunately, having a feel for this before I moved permanently to BKK, I brough a large supply of Bausch and Lomb hard lense solutions from home in L.A.with me.

But, I'd really like to find an outlet for hard lens solutions here. Today, I stopped by a Charoen Optical shop in BKK on my way home, and they seemed to think I was crazy for asking. They also could offer no suggestions of where else I might go to find them. Among the Thais I know, I don't know any who use hard lenses. Softs seem to be the norm here... maybe because you constantly have to be buying more!

--John in BKK

[JSixpack]

. . . . One challenge, though, where I could use the advice of others here. In my initial checks around BKK, I find many outlets for soft lens solutions. But I've yet to find any in BKK for HARD LENS SOLUTIONS, which are different and intended just for hard lenses. . . .

But, I'd really like to find an outlet for hard lens solutions here. . . . Among the Thais I know, I don't know any who use hard lenses. Softs seem to be the norm here... maybe because you constantly have to be buying more!

--John in BKK

Hope somebody knows the answer to this. I can't find any solution here for my RGPs either. Like you I try to stock up when I visit a more developed country, but eventually I run out and turn to the soft lenses solution.

Thais won't wear hard lenses because they are not as comfortable as soft, esp. at the beginning. Unable to withstand the discomfort, they can't get past the break-in period. Even the mere thought of putting something in one's eyes is weird enough--very unThai--but, after all, vanity compels.

[samran]

in the mall that sits in between Siam Discovery and Paragon, there is a glasses shop on either the second or third floor, that as of about 18 months ago, sold hard lense solution.

[jfchandler]

in the mall that sits in between Siam Discovery and Paragon, there is a glasses shop on either the second or third floor, that as of about 18 months ago, sold hard lense solution.

Thanks much for the reply. I'm assuming you're referring to the Siam Center building, which is the one between Siam Discovery and Siam Paragon. I'll check it out, and advise back here. --John.

[jfchandler]

in the mall that sits in between Siam Discovery and Paragon, there is a glasses shop on either the second or third floor, that as of about 18 months ago, sold hard lense solution.

Thanks to Samran for the tip on this... As promised in my prior post, I went today and checked out Siam Center with good success in finding Boston solutions for hard (gas permeable) contact lenses.

On the second floor, as promised, there is a Paris Miki Optical shop that carries Boston cleaning solution for 330 baht and Boston soaking solution for 370 baht. The Thai staff lady I met there today spoke English, and suggested calling them first to make sure they have the desired product in stock. Today, they only had a couple bottles of each on the shelf. Their phone is 02-658-1187.

While browsing nearby, I also came across the Eye Club shop on the second floor of Siam Center. They had Boston cleaner on the shelf for 350 baht, and said they could order the soaking solution (though they didn't have any on hand today). Their phone is 02 251-2795.

If anyone else knows of any other outlets around BKK for hard lens solutions, please chime in. Both of the shops I mentioned above have other locations around BKK, but the two staff ladies I spoke with were less than sure than their sister stores carried the same products. Some, they said, only sell soft lenses and thus wouldn't stock the other kinds of solutions.

Any further information, much appreciated. --John, formerly of L.A.

[Steve2UK]

anyone had laser treatment in Thailand ?

Yes me. I wrote about it in another post recently. (sorry, can't remember which one). I believe if you are past 40 it's too late although it might be possible now, i had my eyes fixed about 5 years ago.

Let me know if you want more info although it might be a bit out of date.

Not generally so - even 9 years ago when I was 48 and had Lasik done in London (and I'm sure the potential has expanded since then). Similar experience to Sheryl, wonderful improvement immediately and you can probably expect to need an "update" after about 10 years.

[Lazy Sod]

I had Lasik earlier this year with Dr Chansue at TRSC Bangkok and I recommend it without hesitation.

[simon43]

I started wearing glasses for short-sightedness at 5 years old, then changed to hard contact lenses at 18 years, then gas-permeable at 38 years, finally had Lazik done at 44 years old.

Prior to Lazik, my eyesight was -12 in both eyes (= blind as a bat!!). I can tell you that having Lazik surgery was one of the most life-changing experiences for me. I went from being unable to see 2 inches beyond my nose without glasses/lenses, to having perfect vision.

I had each eye Laziked separately, and one eye was corrected for perfect vision, whilst the other was slightly over-corrected, to allow for changes in my eye-sight as I grew older.

The operation was done in London and I have never had any eye-problems since then. (Although 2 weeks after these operations I was in Hat-Yai during Songkran and evrryone was rubbing talcum power into my face/eyes!!)

Simon

[sleepyjohn]

anyone had laser treatment in Thailand ?

I believe if you are past 40 it's too late although it might be possible now, i had my eyes fixed about 5 years ago.

That's not right Nidge in fact back to front you should be old enough for your vision to have settled down before Lasik.

Me: Very pleased although suffer a little from waking with dry eyes and considering going to ask for plugs.

I have one eye focused slightly longer then the other so I can both read and look up easily, and often wear thin glasses for driving and if it's dim or small writing wear thin reading glasses but mostly my eyes go naked.

[Interman]

in the mall that sits in between Siam Discovery and Paragon, there is a glasses shop on either the second or third floor, that as of about 18 months ago, sold hard lense solution.

Thanks to Samran for the tip on this... As promised in my prior post, I went today and checked out Siam Center with good success in finding Boston solutions for hard (gas permeable) contact lenses.

On the second floor, as promised, there is a Paris Miki Optical shop that carries Boston cleaning solution for 330 baht and Boston soaking solution for 370 baht. The Thai staff lady I met there today spoke English, and suggested calling them first to make sure they have the desired product in stock. Today, they only had a couple bottles of each on the shelf. Their phone is 02-658-1187.

While browsing nearby, I also came across the Eye Club shop on the second floor of Siam Center. They had Boston cleaner on the shelf for 350 baht, and said they could order the soaking solution (though they didn't have any on hand today). Their phone is 02 251-2795.

If anyone else knows of any other outlets around BKK for hard lens solutions, please chime in. Both of the shops I mentioned above have other locations around BKK, but the two staff ladies I spoke with were less than sure than their sister stores carried the same products. Some, they said, only sell soft lenses and thus wouldn't stock the other kinds of solutions.

Any further information, much appreciated. --John, formerly of L.A.

Anybody have a price on Orthokeratology (CRT) baht ???