paveleck@ihlpl.UUCP (Bob Paveleck) (06/04/85)
I've also had slight problems with saline solutions containing thimerosol,
so if you're using them, I'd try using an unpreserved solution (either
a commercially-available one, such as Bausch & Lomb's "Sensitive Eyes",
or a home-made solution of distilled water and salt tablets).
There are a few other possible reasons why your eyes get irritated
from the contacts:
(1) Your tear flow isn't very great (those of us who have extended-wear
lenses and sleep with them in can attest to this). You can't make
your eyes produce more tears, but you can use some wetting solutions
(like Allergan's "Lens-Wet", which can be used on both hard and soft
lenses) occasionally to relieve the discomfort.
(2) You don't use the enzymatic cleaner often enough. My optometrist
recommends that the enzymatic cleaner be used once a week (I've had
good luck and relatively long lens-life this way), but the amount
of protein deposits you get on your lenses (which is what the enzymes
are supposed to counteract) varies with the individual. The main
point is that infrequently-cleaned lenses tend to cause irritation in
some people (as the lenses lose their ability to absorb water).
(3) You might be exposing your eyes to noxious materials, some of which
are tough to escape (like paint fumes, smoke, pollen, dust, etc.).
I'm somewhat allergic to ragweed pollen and when spring and fall roll
around (the seasons of highest pollen counts), my eyes tend to get
irritated more often.
I hope this helps you with your contact lens problem. I've worn soft
lenses for 8 years without many problems, but some people just don't
adapt well to them. I hope that, by following some of the suggestions
made on the net, you'll be able to conquer the problem.
Bob Paveleck
ihlpl!paveleck