How many of you, just can't wear contacts because of allergies?

Question

How many of you, just can't wear contacts because of allergies?

Why can't you wear contacts and how did you find this out?

Or you can tell me your experience with allergies and contacts.

Answer 1

Let me just say one word for you: Lasik! (more on that later)

I started wearing glasses when I was 4. My vision progressively got worse and my vision ended up being 20/400. (That means that the big E on the eye chart was fuzzy). It actually got worse too and my eye doctor said that he would just stop measuring.

In Jr. High, I started wearing contacts - soft ones. It was hard for me to keep them clean b/c of allergies. The thick mucus that my eyes made pretty much destroyed the lenses.

My eye doctor moved me to gas perms. The protein deposits came off a little easier with cleaning them twice per week w/ enzymatic cleaner. That also broke down the durability of the lenses.

Then came my hard lenses. I still fought the cloudy deposits on the lenses. I kept them extremely clean (to the best of my ability) and they still hurt. And don't let me get around dogs or cats! My eyes would swell shut - contacts and all.

Allergies made it VERY difficult for me to wear lenses. It didn't help that I also had astigmatism, and the lenses were really expensive.

Last August I took the plunge and had Lasik surgery. It was the best decision of my life and I would totally do it again if I had to. I feel your pain! I've been through every type of lens to no avail. If you have serious allergies, contacts may not be for you. (I wish someone would have told me that 15 years ago!)

I hope that helps.

Answer 2

If you're talking about your eyes itching with contacts, here's my 2-cents.

I thought for years that my eyes were too dry to wear contacts. The most expensive eye doctors in St. Louis (Koetting Associates) gave up trying to fit me, because I kept complaining of the itching and burning and dryness (I'm a little bitter, still). They didn't once suggest it might be an allergy. Then by chance, I tried a different kind of cleaning solution - the kind that uses hydroygen peroxide - and rinsed with plain saline. Turns out I was allergic to the preservative in the one-step solutions.

My eyes aren't dry at all! WOOHOO! For wetting drops, I use Blink brand, or single-dose artificial tears that come in a little vial.

Got a 100% improvement. I can wear contacts now. I do have seasonal allergies and take Loratadine (Claritin); no problems with my eyes.

Answer 3

I can wear contacts, but sometimes in the spring, when tree pollen is very high outside, my eyes are so incredibly irritated, and usually for a couple of weeks I wear my glasses in the spring because the pollen and my contacts just don't get along!

Answer 4

when i do have bouts of hayfever, I can still wear my contacts..my eyes just water a lot and I sneeze a lot. My contacts really don't affect my allergies, or vice versa.

Answer 5

i wear my contacts less during allergy season becasue my eyes get puffy and itchy so my contacts just fall out