dwv@ihuxu.UUCP (D. W. Vollman) (06/27/84)
Below is a summary of responses I received from my request for info on torric contact lenses. Thanks to all who responded. As a sidenote, I decided to get the lenses and I will post a review after I have worn them for a while Dave Vollman AT&T Bell Laboratories ..!ihnp4!dwv ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >From mhuxl!ulysses!wb Fri Jun 22 04:47:40 1984 remote from ihnp4 As toric lenses were recommended to you, I assume that you, like myself, suffer from astigmatism. I wore glasses for many years and then tried hard lenses. My vision was great, but I could not get used to them (like putting finger nails into your eyes!). I then tried the gas permeable hard lenses and they weren't much better. Also, I'm allergic to mercury compounds in my eyes and they had to be sterilized in chemical solution. For the past four years I've been using soft toric lenses. I started with Bausch & Lomb lenses which I boiled daily and cleaned enzymatically every two weeks. They lasted about 2 years and then my doctor suggested a new type of soft toric which does not have to be enzymatically cleaned. I can't remember the complete name of the manufacturer, but it had "Wellsley" in it. My astigmatism cannot be completely corrected with soft torics, but I'd rather have 20/25 vision then go back to either glasses or hard lenses. Hopefully by the time my current lenses wear out a new type of "silicon" lens will be available which is supposed to correct as well as hard, but fell like soft. Bill Beblo Bell Communications Research 600 Mountain Avenue Murray Hill, New Jersey 07974 (201) 582-7365 >From whuxle!mp Fri Jun 22 01:16:53 1984 remote from ihnp4 One of the opthalmologists I went to suggested them too, if that's any reassurance. His boss said no, though, because it would be too hard to fit me (I need high diopter correction (8.75), and since toric lenses are relatively new they're only manufacturing the more "popular" low-diopter types). If the torics don't work out, maybe you can try gas-permeables. >From houxm!hogpc!pegasus!phoenix!eagan Thu Jun 21 18:40:38 1984 remote from ihnp4 i dont know what torric lenses are, but i had problems with hard lenses after several years of success. i now wear polycon lenses. they are gas permeable, a little to keep clean, but lots more comfortable. good luck. m. eagan >From ignatz Thu Jun 21 22:44 CDT 1984 remote from ihuxx I have toric soft extended wear contacts, and have had for over a year. They do work, and have been well worth the effort and expense. I will mention that you'd better get an optometrist or opthalmologist who knows his/her stuff--the fitting has to be perfect, or you'll have vision and/or comfort problems. But I say, go for it! Any questions, feel free to ask. Dave Ihnat ihuxx!ignatz From **NSC** Fri Jun 22 18:52 EDT 1984 >From ihuxs!tjm Fri Jun 22 17:49:56 1984 remote from ihnp4 Date: 22 Jun 84 17:49:56 CDT (Fri) From: ihnp4!ihuxs!tjm Message-Id: <8406222249.AA12306@ihnp4.ATT.UUCP> Received: by ihnp4.ATT.UUCP; id AA12306; 22 Jun 84 17:49:56 CDT (Fri) To: ihnp4!ihuxu!dwv Subject: Re: Need info on torric contact lenses In-Reply-To: your article <334@ihuxu.UUCP> Dave, I'm on my second set of soft lenses, one of which is toric. They're great. I had hard contacts some years ago so I sympathize with your wanting to get rid of them. The first day I had my hard lenses, the doctor said to try and keep them in for a half-hour, and I just made it -- couldn't wait to get them out. Upon getting the soft lenses, the doctor said don't keep them in for more than five hours or so the first day, and five hours were no problem ( note I hadn't worn hard lenses for several years before getting the soft ones, so it wasn't that my eyes were used to lenses, they're just very comfortable. ) I only need one toric lens, but for comfort, fit, etc. it's indistinguishable from the regular soft lens. ood luck, Tim Mahar ihuxs!tjm From balfanz Mon Jun 25 12:08 EDT 1984 >From balfanz Mon Jun 25 11:09 CDT 1984 remote from ihuxs Subject: Toric Contact Lenses I have had a toric contact lense for almost 2 years now with no problems. The eye doctor recommended soft contact lenses to me after my eye glass prescription changed dramatically every year for 3 consecutive years (very depressing). He started me out on normal soft contact lenses in both eyes. But the astigmatism is worse in my left eye and I couldn't see well. So the eye doctor used a toric lense for my left eye. The toric lense is thicker at the bottom to provide a weighed effect which keeps the contact from rotating as you blink. Then there are three engraved lines at the bottom of the lense that help change the reflection of the light to correct for the astigmatism. The toric lense is easier to put into my eye because it is more rigid and doesn't want to fold like a normal soft contact lense. The only problem I have had with my toric lense was when the eye doctor was first fitting me with it. The first lense I had was "supposed" to be the proper fit for my eye but it was too big and made my eye water constantly. It wasn't painful, but I guess it brushed against the inside of my eye lid enough to make my eye think it was something to rinse out. So, my eye doctor got me a lense a size smaller and it has been fine ever since. From: ihnp4!decvax!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdccs6!ix900 (David Sewell) Find out first why your hard lenses are uncomfortable, if possible. If your problem is allergies you're still likely to have difficulties with soft lenses--that's been my experience, anyway.