How Important is Base Curve on Contact Lenses?

Hi there, I've been fitted with contacts with base curves of 8.4, 8.5
and 8.6 at various time. I now only wear contacts for a few hours at
a time (eg going out, or swimming or other athletic sort of stuff).
That's due to dry eyes with long wear and no longer being vain enough
to bother. I've found contacts on line for a cheap rate with choice
of BC of 8.3 or 8.7, both just outside my usual range. Is it better
to go slightly smaller or slightly wider? The contacts in q are
Acuvue 2.

thanks

 

Thank you, yes I can appreciate that. Nonetheless, being a bit of
risk taker, if anyone does know the answer to my question, I'd also
appreciate that (smiley face).
Thanks.

 

Also, I can say that power, brand and diameter are all the same as
I've been prescribed before, it's just they're Acuvue 2 instead of
Acuvue Oasys or Dailies, both of which I've been prescribed in the
past.

.... and my guess would be it's safer to go up a little, which may make
for slightly drier eyes, from what I've read, rather than down a
little and have them too tight - but I'm one asking the question so if
you're reading this, please don't think I know - I don't!

 

womble schreef:

It's not only the BCR which is important.
Stepping back from Acuvue Oasys to the older Acuvue's 2 for instance
could be a bad move.

Do you really think you get an advice here from specialist's here who
are making a living off just giving those advises?

Dream on.

Jan (normally Dutch spoken)

 

Good point Dr Judy, and I will continue using dailies when I travel
(for ease) and in winter when I don't swim a lot.

But I live on the coast in Australia and in summer I swim 4 or more
times a week, and I need to be able to see the waves, and with the
extremely good deal I've seen on Acuvue 2, it works out quite a bit
cheaper to use those even if only 4 times a week, than to use the
dailies for the same period. And as I only wear them for an hour or
so at a time, cheap is even more inviting cos I dont' get so much use
out of them.

I've also checked now, and the material is the same as the Acuvue
dailies I used to use, so the one and only thing that is different is
the base curve, so I'll go for one or the other. If it's not a matter
of health issues and just a comfort factor, then I don't so much care,
cos I'll only be wearing them for an hour or so, but if it's safer to
err by having the base curve sligthly too big, rather than slightly to
small, I was hoping for advice. But if it is too complex to be able
to say even that, I'll just take a stab and go for the bigger size as
in my ignorance it seems that would be less likely to be a risk.

I'd ask my optometrist, but I just had a fitting for contacts
recently, and the place I go to has different optometrist all the
time, for this fitting I had 2 different optometrists, one who gave me
2 trial lenses, which I had hoped would give me a lense I could
actually feel comfortable wearing full time, not just for swimming,
but they weren't comfortable enough. So when I came back there was a
differnet optometrist, and he had no further suggestions to make in
terms of comfort, so I just decided to go for the cheapest option, and
stick with short wearing periods. So he gave me a list of about 7
contacts, based on the prices in their catalog, and said I could
choose between them rather than specifying the exact one. As far as I
can tell, Acuvue 2 could just as well have been on the list, though
perhaps the marginally thicker centre made it seem inappropriate in
terms of comfort, but for an hour's wear, I don't care about that so
much. And I don't really want to have to have another whole visit for
just the one factor, base curve.

Any of the ones I've tried have been equally comfortable, just not for
long periods. When I was younger and vainer, I did wear them all day
every day, but now, total comfort is more important. And they are
comfortable for an hour or two.

And I certainly do appreciate that professional fittings are very
important, and I've had many in my 30 years of wearing contacts on and
off, (with cleaning regimes and disinfections ranging from boiling, to
peroxide and neutralising tablets, protein removal treatments, and the
current all in one chemical treatments) I just thought I could get
away without another appointment, when I've just had 2 in the last 2
months and when most of the aspects of the lenses match ones I've
already had, and in the situation when the actual period they are in
my eyes is so small. I do appreciate eye threatening disease can come
about through inappropriate behaviour around contacts and wouldn't
want to encourage others not to get professional fittings. But as I
said, I have had 2 appointments in the last 2 months, and am an
experienced wearer, who is going to be wearing contacts for only an
hour or two at a time.

Thanks

juliet

 

Looks like you're right Jan... (what does schreef mean?)

 

There is no way that an Acuvue 2 can be cheaper than a daily lens on a
unit basis.

What do you propose to do with the lenses between uses?

Do you intend to swim in them without the protection of goggles?


DrG

 

womble schreef:

Jan (normally Dutch spoken)

 

My opinions are as follow
1. Problem are more to material and Acuvue 2 and infact all Acuvue are not good for you and you need to get a more suitable type of contact lenses for dry eyes management.
2. Advice not to wear contact lenses for swimming as you are in danger of contamination fpr chemical and bacterial infection. Our eyes immunization system is only to wash away any danger facing the eyes and contact lenses hold back water esp. Acuvue type of lenses.