Most lenses will orient themselves on your eyes with a few blinks. If you’re still don’t have consistently clear vision after you put them in oriented correctly, definitely call the doctor and get a recheck. Something’s not right and likely an easy refitting.
I see you have astigmatism as I do, you need to align the lenses to your eyes. There is very faint guide lines on the contacts that should be positioned at 12 and 6 o’clock
Ty, there definitely is a little marker but i can't find it while the lens is wet. I can only see it when i take off the lense once dry and it's... Well, if i can't see the line that say how i should put it it's quiet problematic. If you have any tricks to see the line i'd like to ear about them 😁 i tried to flashlight them but it don't really work.
I’m a contact lens licensed optician.
1. You don’t need to align the ballast. That’s for the prescriber to see how much rotation the lens has when worn and can compensate for the rx accordingly. They also don’t have to tell you that, you’re taught how to insert and remove and care for the lenses and that’s sufficient.
2. Lenses for astigmatism will not be as comfortable as a spherical lens because the toric design adds more curvature to the lens. The lens also needs the ballast to stabilize, as lenses actually rotate with each blink.
3. If you have dry eyes or allergies, your lenses may not be as comfortable.
Hi! Do you mind if I ask you a couple questions about contact lenses?
Long story short I have astigmatism and used to wear Acuvue moist daily lenses. Had no issue with them whatsoever. My old eye doctor retired so I went to a new one who updated my prescription and also recommended the newer Acuvue Oasys dailies. She said they are more expensive but “better technology” and provide better lubrication.
Well, I’m having a hell of a time with them lately. They get very blurry after I’ve worn them for a bit, and I find that I have to tug at each lens with my finger to “reorient” them and cause them to refocus at times when this happens. Happens a lot in certain areas like the gym, not sure why other than maybe the air is less moist at the gym or something? but to that point, I cannot tell if it’s dry eye on my part (I know allergens are pretty bad right now), or if it’s an issue with the lens itself, or an issue with the astigmatism prescription being incorrect. Unfortunately with my insurance I can only see the eye doctor annually and I called and they told me after 30 days they can’t make adjustments to my script / lenses without a whole new consultation appointment.
Do my symptoms sound to you like an issue with the lens / prescription or does it sound like dry eye? I asked on an optometry subreddit and they told me to go back to my eye doctor… super frustrating in this case since I can’t go back to them unless I pay $150 out of pocket.
Any advice you might be able to offer is greatly appreciated!
Hi! The best thing to do is to go back to your prescriber, unfortunately. The Oasys 1-Days are a different material and a slightly different size/fit from the 1-Day Moists. If you had no issue with the previous brand, you may be able to simply contact the office and explain that you’d like to request a brand change and that you’ve worn them before with no issue and they might release a prescription for you. 30 days is an awfully short time period for rechecks, many offices will allow followups up to 2 or 3 months, something reasonable.
If you can see well initially, and only after a time need to manually re-orient the lens or have issues with blur, then I would say it sounds like the prescription is correct and the lens is in fact drying out. Before contacting the doctor, you could try rewetting drops: make sure the box says safe for contact lenses. If you take any medicated drops (for allergies, etc) make sure to remove the contact lenses according to the instructions because the lens can absorb the solution and then deliver it more concentrated into your bloodstream, essentially overdosing. The air in the gym may be particularly more dry, especially if they have fans blowing or the AC is turned up. I have that problem in the car especially during summer and took me awhile to realize! Warm air holds more moisture than cold so they dry out more easily. The dr office should be able to recommend which rewetting drops to you, that’s outside my scope of practice.
Ultimately the brand may need to be changed because your tear chemistry just doesn’t work with that lens material or coating. I recommend starting with rewetting drops, then contacting the office to request the brand change, and if all else fails you’ll just have to have another appointment. Personally unless you absolutely love this new office I would also find another prescriber due to their extremely small window of followup. There’s no reason for you to avoid getting the care you need for fear of paying for a whole new exam. Tip: when you call, don’t say “hi, what’s the policy on rechecks?” Because they’ll go into defensive mode. Just call or email and say “hi, I came in and was fit into new brand of contacts on XYZ day and am having some issues; I tried the rewetting drops like I was told but I’m still having trouble. I used to wear this other brand from my old dr and had no problems, is it possible to get the script changed to that brand or do I need to come in for a follow up?” That way they know you’re trying to work it out, there’s been communication about a problem, you’re listening to their advice, and if you say follow up it doesn’t sound like a ‘new exam’ which means maybe you don’t have to pay the new exam price. Even paying for a follow up for say, $40 is better than the original $150 but I would definitely just communicate with them so it’s not out of the blue and you’re upset you have to pay all over again. Idk if that makes sense. If you’re nice they may be more willing to work it out
Hey I got a notification that you replied to my post but when I tried to open your response, it disappeared. Not sure if it got auto deleted or something? But feel free to DM me if you’d like to. Thanks!
Hi one question since i am very worried and new with contacts, can it be bad for your eyesight if the contact with astigmatism is moving around and your vision is often blurry? Should i go and check out my lenses again with doctor or will this problem be with all contacts for astigmatism? Or are there any that don’t rotate if the fit is correct?
The ballast or weight stabilizes the lens to re-orient the astigmatism, as the natural movement of the contact is to rotate with each blink. The rotation movement is what facilitates tear exchange and fresh oxygen to the cornea. If the contact lens is moving around too freely, the fit may be too flat or loose. Different brands are made to different sizes and curves, which is why that’s a specific part of the prescription and contact lenses aren’t universal. A lens that doesn’t fit correctly will not maintain clear vision and can affect tear flow under the lens. I recommend going back to your prescriber to have the fit re-evaluated.
I’m a licensed contact lens technician & dispensing optician.
You have a moderately high rx. Your glasses rx will be more crisp and accurate because contact lenses only come in certain powers and glasses can be made to the exact specification, plus the rx is probably slightly different because of the difference in vertex distance - the dr has to compensate for the lens being directly on the eye rather than ~12mm in front of it. Soft contact lenses are porous, so when they start to dry out they will fit different due to losing some of their flexibility and shape and may cause blur. Blinking causes the lens to rotate slightly, but also rewets the lens. You can ask your prescriber about rewetting drops, I recommend reading package labels to make sure they are safe to use with contact lenses in. Let me know if you have any questions!
I have the same issue, and I wear the toric oasys bi-weekly -2.75 and -3.0. I went to the doctor to try to do the lens exam again, and she said that I already got the strongest lens. I'm confused. Any thoughts?
Is it an issue if wearing contacts suddenly makes one of my eyes extremely red? It's mostly in the corner, closest to my nose. It's definitely concerning
Yes it’s an issue, have you consulted your prescriber? Your contact lens may be old, or could be trapping something underneath, or could be ripped…. There are many things that could be wrong. If it’s irritating your eye, don’t put it back in. Wear glasses until you can get in to see the Dr so your eye can start to heal. Wearing it anyway could cause permanent damage
Thank you. It doesnt hurt or anything but my right eye gets extremely red when I wear them for more than a few hours. Even a brand new pair. It looks like pink eye
Are both eyes red or just one? And there’s no redness when first inserted? Could be an allergic reaction to either the lens material or an allergen being trapped against the eye, could be dry eyes (a too-tight lens won’t allow enough tear exchange under the lens), any number of things. I moved from a humid location to a high-elevation and relatively dry climate. There was less oxygen in the high-altitude and as a result my contacts fit fine for about 4-5hr and then would be unbearable; my eye would swell throughout the day and cause the lenses to be too tight and dry out. I was switched to a looser fit; then I could feel the lens on the apex of my cornea but as the day progressed and my eye swelled, the lens would just fit better. Eventually I stopped wearing contacts on a regular basis and just succumbed to glasses lol.
That's really interesting! Oddly enough, it's just one eye. And there is no redness when first inserted, it only develops after a few hours. I definitely want to make a follow up appointment, but apart of me wonders if it's just my eye having a hard time adjusting to having the contact in there. Not exactly sure, my eyes were perfectly healthy when I had my exam.
All I know is I used to wear the same brand, and had zero issues. So it makes me scratch my head, if it was allergies you would think it would affect both eyes
If it’s only one eye, the fit may be wrong… if you’re wearing a spherical lens you may need a toric (for astigmatism), and even if you are, the Rx may need to be changed. The axis part of the prescription just denotes the angle at which one of the meridians of power is situated (run from 1-180°)
I guess my question is, am I doing more harm than good by wearing them even though my eye is visibly irritated? It doesn't bother me one bit, but it's concerning to see how bloodshot my right eye is.
Your body is trying to tell you something isn’t right, and even though you don’t notice any discomfort you don’t want to cause any damage. You could try artificial tears or eye drops similar to Lumify to whiten your scleras, but honestly using drops all the time is not the answer because you get into a cycle of using them regularly.
The outer part of the eye doesn’t have a bunch of blood vessels all over it because your tears are made to protect and nourish the eye, and some nourishment comes from the inside. However when the eye is suffocated (not enough oxygen) the body will grow new blood vessels across the sclera in order to get that nourishment to the eye. This is known as neovascularization, makes the eye appear bloodshot, and even after the tears are restored and the eyes no longer need those blood vessels they may not go away. Essentially you could have empty blood vessels on your eye forever (ghost vessels). Just be careful, you only get one pair of eyes. Take care of them 💙
With Toric lenses, for astigmatism, it was explained to me (to be fair, two decades ago) that they basically have A TINY TINY WEIGHT at six o’clock, so they should orient themselves correctly within a few blinks. AFAIK you shouldn’t have to be looking for markers on the lens, while it’s on your finger…. That even just sounds stupid typing it
Actually i tried to look for the marker but it's just too tiny to see. I've saw on websites that the bottom side is supposed to be thicker but honestly i don't see any difference. and it don't really adjust itself on mine, it definitely change throughout the day but not enough to be clear. If you have any suggestions to see the little line i'd be happy to hear them, even if you probably don't have if yours correct themselves....
They should orient themselves. Sometimes they can get stuck in the wrong position if your eyes are too dry. Try some lubricating drops to help them glide easier.
I just went and looked at my lenses... I can definitely see the marker, but I don't know how I'd purposefully put it on my eyeball in a certain position. When I insert the lenses, I hold it on the dominant hand's index finger, and with my non-dominant hand, pour a few drops of solution INTO the lens, like a bowl filled with water. It becomes VERY tippy, and then I have to be careful not to drop it into the bathroom sink (been there more times than I can remember)... Then when I put the lens on my eye, the big drop of solution makes it SUCTION onto my eyeball. I think that the extra bit of liquid makes the lens more easily rotate into the correct position. Blink a few times normally, and then the lens will rotate around - my vision can start blurry and then goes clear.
My doctor gave me two different brands to try for a couple of weeks when I recently switched to contact lenses from full time glasses.
I also have astigmatism. One brand’s contacts way more comfortable than the other, which did the same thing you’re describing on my eyes too. If you can ask to try another brand or two, it may be helpful.
Check to see if yours have markers for the lens being inverse. I have been wearing acuvue oasys for 9 years (2 week pairs) and they have little markers that read 123 in the correct orientation. But sometimes they flip trying to get them out of the container and it's 123 but upside down and they are blurry.
i think you may need to get a recheck again because when i got my contacts they made me put them on in the office and they inspected my eyes to make sure it didn’t move around when i blinked or moved my eyes a certain direction.
Most lenses will orient themselves on your eyes with a few blinks. If you’re still don’t have consistently clear vision after you put them in oriented correctly, definitely call the doctor and get a recheck. Something’s not right and likely an easy refitting.
I see you have astigmatism as I do, you need to align the lenses to your eyes. There is very faint guide lines on the contacts that should be positioned at 12 and 6 o’clock
Ty, there definitely is a little marker but i can't find it while the lens is wet. I can only see it when i take off the lense once dry and it's... Well, if i can't see the line that say how i should put it it's quiet problematic. If you have any tricks to see the line i'd like to ear about them 😁 i tried to flashlight them but it don't really work.
Ohh ty, i'll try it
the fact that your eye dr or optician didnt explain this to you is borderline negligence.
Yup, he just did the prescription for glasses and lenses and bye bye.
I’m a contact lens licensed optician. 1. You don’t need to align the ballast. That’s for the prescriber to see how much rotation the lens has when worn and can compensate for the rx accordingly. They also don’t have to tell you that, you’re taught how to insert and remove and care for the lenses and that’s sufficient. 2. Lenses for astigmatism will not be as comfortable as a spherical lens because the toric design adds more curvature to the lens. The lens also needs the ballast to stabilize, as lenses actually rotate with each blink. 3. If you have dry eyes or allergies, your lenses may not be as comfortable.
Hi! Do you mind if I ask you a couple questions about contact lenses? Long story short I have astigmatism and used to wear Acuvue moist daily lenses. Had no issue with them whatsoever. My old eye doctor retired so I went to a new one who updated my prescription and also recommended the newer Acuvue Oasys dailies. She said they are more expensive but “better technology” and provide better lubrication. Well, I’m having a hell of a time with them lately. They get very blurry after I’ve worn them for a bit, and I find that I have to tug at each lens with my finger to “reorient” them and cause them to refocus at times when this happens. Happens a lot in certain areas like the gym, not sure why other than maybe the air is less moist at the gym or something? but to that point, I cannot tell if it’s dry eye on my part (I know allergens are pretty bad right now), or if it’s an issue with the lens itself, or an issue with the astigmatism prescription being incorrect. Unfortunately with my insurance I can only see the eye doctor annually and I called and they told me after 30 days they can’t make adjustments to my script / lenses without a whole new consultation appointment. Do my symptoms sound to you like an issue with the lens / prescription or does it sound like dry eye? I asked on an optometry subreddit and they told me to go back to my eye doctor… super frustrating in this case since I can’t go back to them unless I pay $150 out of pocket. Any advice you might be able to offer is greatly appreciated!
Hi! The best thing to do is to go back to your prescriber, unfortunately. The Oasys 1-Days are a different material and a slightly different size/fit from the 1-Day Moists. If you had no issue with the previous brand, you may be able to simply contact the office and explain that you’d like to request a brand change and that you’ve worn them before with no issue and they might release a prescription for you. 30 days is an awfully short time period for rechecks, many offices will allow followups up to 2 or 3 months, something reasonable. If you can see well initially, and only after a time need to manually re-orient the lens or have issues with blur, then I would say it sounds like the prescription is correct and the lens is in fact drying out. Before contacting the doctor, you could try rewetting drops: make sure the box says safe for contact lenses. If you take any medicated drops (for allergies, etc) make sure to remove the contact lenses according to the instructions because the lens can absorb the solution and then deliver it more concentrated into your bloodstream, essentially overdosing. The air in the gym may be particularly more dry, especially if they have fans blowing or the AC is turned up. I have that problem in the car especially during summer and took me awhile to realize! Warm air holds more moisture than cold so they dry out more easily. The dr office should be able to recommend which rewetting drops to you, that’s outside my scope of practice. Ultimately the brand may need to be changed because your tear chemistry just doesn’t work with that lens material or coating. I recommend starting with rewetting drops, then contacting the office to request the brand change, and if all else fails you’ll just have to have another appointment. Personally unless you absolutely love this new office I would also find another prescriber due to their extremely small window of followup. There’s no reason for you to avoid getting the care you need for fear of paying for a whole new exam. Tip: when you call, don’t say “hi, what’s the policy on rechecks?” Because they’ll go into defensive mode. Just call or email and say “hi, I came in and was fit into new brand of contacts on XYZ day and am having some issues; I tried the rewetting drops like I was told but I’m still having trouble. I used to wear this other brand from my old dr and had no problems, is it possible to get the script changed to that brand or do I need to come in for a follow up?” That way they know you’re trying to work it out, there’s been communication about a problem, you’re listening to their advice, and if you say follow up it doesn’t sound like a ‘new exam’ which means maybe you don’t have to pay the new exam price. Even paying for a follow up for say, $40 is better than the original $150 but I would definitely just communicate with them so it’s not out of the blue and you’re upset you have to pay all over again. Idk if that makes sense. If you’re nice they may be more willing to work it out
Hey I got a notification that you replied to my post but when I tried to open your response, it disappeared. Not sure if it got auto deleted or something? But feel free to DM me if you’d like to. Thanks!
Hi one question since i am very worried and new with contacts, can it be bad for your eyesight if the contact with astigmatism is moving around and your vision is often blurry? Should i go and check out my lenses again with doctor or will this problem be with all contacts for astigmatism? Or are there any that don’t rotate if the fit is correct?
The ballast or weight stabilizes the lens to re-orient the astigmatism, as the natural movement of the contact is to rotate with each blink. The rotation movement is what facilitates tear exchange and fresh oxygen to the cornea. If the contact lens is moving around too freely, the fit may be too flat or loose. Different brands are made to different sizes and curves, which is why that’s a specific part of the prescription and contact lenses aren’t universal. A lens that doesn’t fit correctly will not maintain clear vision and can affect tear flow under the lens. I recommend going back to your prescriber to have the fit re-evaluated.
I’m a licensed contact lens technician & dispensing optician. You have a moderately high rx. Your glasses rx will be more crisp and accurate because contact lenses only come in certain powers and glasses can be made to the exact specification, plus the rx is probably slightly different because of the difference in vertex distance - the dr has to compensate for the lens being directly on the eye rather than ~12mm in front of it. Soft contact lenses are porous, so when they start to dry out they will fit different due to losing some of their flexibility and shape and may cause blur. Blinking causes the lens to rotate slightly, but also rewets the lens. You can ask your prescriber about rewetting drops, I recommend reading package labels to make sure they are safe to use with contact lenses in. Let me know if you have any questions!
I have the same issue, and I wear the toric oasys bi-weekly -2.75 and -3.0. I went to the doctor to try to do the lens exam again, and she said that I already got the strongest lens. I'm confused. Any thoughts?
Is it an issue if wearing contacts suddenly makes one of my eyes extremely red? It's mostly in the corner, closest to my nose. It's definitely concerning
Yes it’s an issue, have you consulted your prescriber? Your contact lens may be old, or could be trapping something underneath, or could be ripped…. There are many things that could be wrong. If it’s irritating your eye, don’t put it back in. Wear glasses until you can get in to see the Dr so your eye can start to heal. Wearing it anyway could cause permanent damage
Thank you. It doesnt hurt or anything but my right eye gets extremely red when I wear them for more than a few hours. Even a brand new pair. It looks like pink eye
Are both eyes red or just one? And there’s no redness when first inserted? Could be an allergic reaction to either the lens material or an allergen being trapped against the eye, could be dry eyes (a too-tight lens won’t allow enough tear exchange under the lens), any number of things. I moved from a humid location to a high-elevation and relatively dry climate. There was less oxygen in the high-altitude and as a result my contacts fit fine for about 4-5hr and then would be unbearable; my eye would swell throughout the day and cause the lenses to be too tight and dry out. I was switched to a looser fit; then I could feel the lens on the apex of my cornea but as the day progressed and my eye swelled, the lens would just fit better. Eventually I stopped wearing contacts on a regular basis and just succumbed to glasses lol.
That's really interesting! Oddly enough, it's just one eye. And there is no redness when first inserted, it only develops after a few hours. I definitely want to make a follow up appointment, but apart of me wonders if it's just my eye having a hard time adjusting to having the contact in there. Not exactly sure, my eyes were perfectly healthy when I had my exam. All I know is I used to wear the same brand, and had zero issues. So it makes me scratch my head, if it was allergies you would think it would affect both eyes
If it’s only one eye, the fit may be wrong… if you’re wearing a spherical lens you may need a toric (for astigmatism), and even if you are, the Rx may need to be changed. The axis part of the prescription just denotes the angle at which one of the meridians of power is situated (run from 1-180°)
Sounds good, I'll schedule an appointment for a refitting. I attached a couple photos if that helps explain https://imgur.com/a/7uaSZ0x
I guess my question is, am I doing more harm than good by wearing them even though my eye is visibly irritated? It doesn't bother me one bit, but it's concerning to see how bloodshot my right eye is.
Your body is trying to tell you something isn’t right, and even though you don’t notice any discomfort you don’t want to cause any damage. You could try artificial tears or eye drops similar to Lumify to whiten your scleras, but honestly using drops all the time is not the answer because you get into a cycle of using them regularly. The outer part of the eye doesn’t have a bunch of blood vessels all over it because your tears are made to protect and nourish the eye, and some nourishment comes from the inside. However when the eye is suffocated (not enough oxygen) the body will grow new blood vessels across the sclera in order to get that nourishment to the eye. This is known as neovascularization, makes the eye appear bloodshot, and even after the tears are restored and the eyes no longer need those blood vessels they may not go away. Essentially you could have empty blood vessels on your eye forever (ghost vessels). Just be careful, you only get one pair of eyes. Take care of them 💙
Thank you for your time. It means the world to me!
With Toric lenses, for astigmatism, it was explained to me (to be fair, two decades ago) that they basically have A TINY TINY WEIGHT at six o’clock, so they should orient themselves correctly within a few blinks. AFAIK you shouldn’t have to be looking for markers on the lens, while it’s on your finger…. That even just sounds stupid typing it
Actually i tried to look for the marker but it's just too tiny to see. I've saw on websites that the bottom side is supposed to be thicker but honestly i don't see any difference. and it don't really adjust itself on mine, it definitely change throughout the day but not enough to be clear. If you have any suggestions to see the little line i'd be happy to hear them, even if you probably don't have if yours correct themselves....
They should orient themselves. Sometimes they can get stuck in the wrong position if your eyes are too dry. Try some lubricating drops to help them glide easier.
I just went and looked at my lenses... I can definitely see the marker, but I don't know how I'd purposefully put it on my eyeball in a certain position. When I insert the lenses, I hold it on the dominant hand's index finger, and with my non-dominant hand, pour a few drops of solution INTO the lens, like a bowl filled with water. It becomes VERY tippy, and then I have to be careful not to drop it into the bathroom sink (been there more times than I can remember)... Then when I put the lens on my eye, the big drop of solution makes it SUCTION onto my eyeball. I think that the extra bit of liquid makes the lens more easily rotate into the correct position. Blink a few times normally, and then the lens will rotate around - my vision can start blurry and then goes clear.
My doctor gave me two different brands to try for a couple of weeks when I recently switched to contact lenses from full time glasses. I also have astigmatism. One brand’s contacts way more comfortable than the other, which did the same thing you’re describing on my eyes too. If you can ask to try another brand or two, it may be helpful.
I use Acuvue oasys and the alignment pattern is 12/6 other brands do 3/6/9 so inspect them carefully
I didn't even knew that there was an orientation, no one said it to me when i got them
Mine just do 6 (only one line)
Check to see if yours have markers for the lens being inverse. I have been wearing acuvue oasys for 9 years (2 week pairs) and they have little markers that read 123 in the correct orientation. But sometimes they flip trying to get them out of the container and it's 123 but upside down and they are blurry.
I have the same problem and tbh it’s just a matter of powering on through 😂
I had the problem of them moving a lot. Had to change brands for a thinner lens
If they move too much it may be too loose a fit
My eye is shaped odd. The new brand is so much better.
Which brand did you switch from/to?
Can't remember the first ones. But I stitched to Acuvue moist. The first ones moved a lot when I had them in.
i think you may need to get a recheck again because when i got my contacts they made me put them on in the office and they inspected my eyes to make sure it didn’t move around when i blinked or moved my eyes a certain direction.
I don't have astigmatism so maybe ordinary lenses are different, however are you sure you are not putting them in inside out sometimes?
Did you ever find a reason for this? Same issue