Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1+some 2/3/84; site dual.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!dual!hav From: hav@dual.UUCP (Helen Anne Vigneau) Newsgroups: net.med Subject: Re: Information wanted on extended wear hard lenses Message-ID: <735@dual.UUCP> Date: Fri, 3-Aug-84 20:14:05 EDT Article-I.D.: dual.735 Posted: Fri Aug 3 20:14:05 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 4-Aug-84 23:50:25 EDT References: <991@tekchips.UUCP> Organization: Dual Systems, Berkeley, CA Lines: 26 It would probably depend on the anomaly in your eyes. I've had extended wear (*SOFT*) lenses since about a year ago and am as delighted with them as when I first got them. They are supposed to last 6-12 months; my first lasted 11 months. (One lens fell out while I was in a bar. My boyfriend and I looked around on the floor but never found it. We assume it disappeared on the bottom of someone's shoe. The other lens developed protein deposits after ~8 months, which blurred my vision slightly but did not make it unwearable.) You are supposed to take these things out and clean them every one to two weeks, but I have gone as long as 1+ month with no adverse side effects (I wouldn't recommend doing this *too* often though.). Be wary of potential allergies to some of the chemicals used to clean and store the lenses. One of these is thimerosal which contains mercury. I developed severe redness and itching in both eyes, but after this had been diagnosed I found that I could do quite nicely with "homemade" saline solution (NaCl tablets plus distilled H2O) or the non-preserved saline such as Bausch & Lomb's "Sensitive Eyes" formula. These lenses are probably somewhat more expensive than the lenses you mentioned. Mine cost $300.00, which included the lenses, fitting, care kit, and all follow-up visits. A replacement pair was $100.00. After having worn glasses for over half my life and *HATING* them, the extended wear contacts were truly a worthwhile investment. Think about it. Helen Anne Vigneau Dual Systems Corporation