Is aftercare essential when you wear contact lenses? What should I do?

I started wearing contact lenses a year ago. I had a free fitting and trial at Rayners Opticians but because of a disagreement over monthly lens payment methods (they wanted me to pay by direct debit but my parents didnt want to) they just discharged me and I never had any follow-up appointments for aftercare. I decided to just buy lenses online and not worry about check ups.

A year on, I've had no problems with wearing the monthly lenses from the internet, but today I went for an eye test at Dolland & Aitchisons because I was due for a new glasses prescription. I told the optician that I buy lenses online and he seemed really concerned that I've never had an aftercare appointment. He said that I could arrange for one with them but it would cost £40! I thought this was a bit expensive just for a check up and didnt make an appointment.

Now I dont know what to do. I want to keep buying the lenses online (as they're alot cheaper than ones bought from the opticians) but I am aware that I need a contact lens check-up. My parents are saying that its ridiculous and D&A are only saying that coz they want to make more money, but I'm sure that its best to have aftercare.

Any help would be appreciated, I'm a bit worried now coz the optician kept going on about how I could be damaging my eyes by wearing internet-bought contacts without aftercare check ups!

Reply 1

Psyk

16

I think aftercare check ups are pretty important. There's so much that can go wrong. It's probably not all that likely to happen, but when there's the potential to go blind I think it's a good idea to have check ups.

Last week one of my lenses fell out on to the street when I was drunk. I picked it up and just stuck it back in my eye. What a ******* idiot. At least when I sobered up I realised it was probably a good idea to bin them and put a fresh pair in.

Reply 2

Helenia

20

I get my contacts from D&A and have checkups every year (I think). I was in there the other day getting my glasses fixed and they said to another customer that there's new legislation meaning that they can't prescribe lenses to people unless they come for their aftercare checkups. During these, they basically examine your eyes to make sure they're not dried out or scarred by the lenses, and that there's no signs of infection. I don't know if this is their new rules, or if it's national legislation, but it'd be worth asking. Because I get contact lenses by post with them, my check-ups are free, but I do agree that £40 sounds a bit steep for one - that's more than an eye test!

It's possible they were exaggerrating the risk a little bit to you, but certainly it IS important to make sure your eyes aren't being damaged and that you still have the correct prescription. Are the lenses online cheaper than they would be getting them through one of the big opticians' delivery schemes?

Reply 3

sparkriot

OP

Well at the moment I get 6 months supply of lenses online for roughly £36 and I buy solution from Rayners for about £10 so overall its around £46.

D&A said that if I buy lenses from them, the fitting and check up will be £27 and the lenses and solution will be £14.95 a month (I think), which roughly £90 for 6 months supply. Which I can't really afford. So I'm thinking of paying the one-off fee of £40 for a checkup and carry on buying online.

Reply 4

stanmoor

11

Where do you buy your lenses from? I'm paying about £36 a month from vision express.

Alternatively you could save for laser eye surgery.

Reply 5

Fleece

15

I'd say it was pretty vital to have an aftercare. Boots wouldn't dispatch my last lot of lenses before I'd gone in for one again. He told me I wear my daily lenses too much and I'd end up with ulcers on my eyes. Lovely. He also advised I switch to monthlies and so that is what I hope to be doing.

Reply 6

TheShrimp

5

I got my contact lens trial etc at Specsavers, but then ordered contacts off Tesco Online, as it was cheaper. However, I have to have a contact lens check-up every year, otherwise Tesco will not supply the lenses (they phone up Specsavers to make sure I'm asking for the right prescription)

I don't know where you buy your lenses from, but I think that you need to have this annual contact lens check-up (I think it's a requirement?) & otherwise you won't be able to buy any more contacts from online.

Reply 7

TheShrimp

5

Fleece

I'd say it was pretty vital to have an aftercare. Boots wouldn't dispatch my last lot of lenses before I'd gone in for one again. He told me I wear my daily lenses too much and I'd end up with ulcers on my eyes. Lovely. He also advised I switch to monthlies and so that is what I hope to be doing.

Oooh I also have dailies that I wear pretty much every day - when switching to monthlies, do you have to 'trial' them like you did originally with dailies?

And one more question (sorry!) - how long do you wear your dailies for?

Thank you!

Reply 8

Ron Stoppable

14

sparkriot

I told the optician that I buy lenses online and he seemed really concerned that I've never had an aftercare appointment. He said that I could arrange for one with them but it would cost £40! I thought this was a bit expensive just for a check up and didnt make an appointment.

Helenia

Are the lenses online cheaper than they would be getting them through one of the big opticians' delivery schemes?

It's a very wise idea to have the yearly check-up - even if you pay £40 for it. Besides, it can actually end up cheaper that way.

MyI've just got new bimonthly J&J Oasys lenses from D&A. However, the only reason I signed up with their Contact Lenses By Post scheme is because having a CLBP sub halves the complete price of new glasses, saving me an initial £114.50. A 3-month subscription to CLBP costs approximately the same as paying £40 for the CL consultation and getting the same lenses from Tesco Opticians.

As I'm new to Oasys, D&A have recommended a check-up in 3 months. As soon as that's over, I'll cancel the CLBP sub and get my lenses from Tesco. Of course, I'll then pay £40 for an annual CL check-up, but it still saves me £121.40 pa! :biggrin:

Reply 9

SkinnyPuppyBones

The operative words here are Dolland And Aitchinson theyre Im with those guys and they make you go through an immense number of ridiculous checkups before they even GIVE you lenses.

Good optitions hands down but Ive had my lenses nearly 6 months and no problems If youve been going a year I cant see any point in the checkup, especially if you just had an eye test recently. They may be "concerned" but ive become quite cynical about hsoe guys.

Reply 10

Saffie

11

If you are wearing good (reputable), oxygen permeable lenses from the internet, and being careful with hygiene and not noticing any problems with your eyes, then I don't think you need to have an aftercare appointment.

BUT, I doubt you have oxygen permeable lenses (most people don't seem to), you probably overwear your lenses, (most people seem to, i.e over 8 hours a day) and you probably aren't perfectly hygienic. If this is the case, you NEED an aftercare appointment.
Most people who overwear non-O2 permeable lenses start to get blood vessels growing over their cornea in some attempt to oxygenate it. If they continue to grow, they'll obscure your vision. And if you haven't been perfectly hygienic, there's a risk of infection which could be very serious. :/

Reply 11

Fleece

15

TheShrimp

Oooh I also have dailies that I wear pretty much every day - when switching to monthlies, do you have to 'trial' them like you did originally with dailies?

And one more question (sorry!) - how long do you wear your dailies for?

Thank you!

Hey hey,

Yep you have to trial them, got my appointment on Tuesday.

I wear mine from when I get up to when I go to sleep every day, so usually more than 12 hours, which isn't too healthy I guess :-\ I think I should try and get some glasses on Tues too!

Reply 12

TheShrimp

5

Fleece

Hey hey,

Yep you have to trial them, got my appointment on Tuesday.

I wear mine from when I get up to when I go to sleep every day, so usually more than 12 hours, which isn't too healthy I guess :-\ I think I should try and get some glasses on Tues too!

Thanks!

I'm the same about wearing my lenses, especially if I get up early one day I'll def wear them for more than 12 hours...

The only reason I'm reluctant about getting monthlies (because I know they're much cheaper) is that I love being able to just throw away my lenses in the evening & not having to worry about not having cleaned them properly... argh, convenience or money?!

Reply 13

Fleece

15

TheShrimp

Thanks!

I'm the same about wearing my lenses, especially if I get up early one day I'll def wear them for more than 12 hours...

The only reason I'm reluctant about getting monthlies (because I know they're much cheaper) is that I love being able to just throw away my lenses in the evening & not having to worry about not having cleaned them properly... argh, convenience or money?!

Haha you sound exactly the same as me! Exactly the same predicament I face. But I've still got quite a few dailies left, so I can keep them as back ups. It'll prob be easier for me though with monthlies as I'll be in Germany for a year in 5 weeks so getting loads of lenses shipped over isn't ideal!

Reply 14

Teao the Cat

17

I just have my eyes tested every year, and i've never had any problems whatsoever with my contacts- maybe i'm lucky and nothing happened, but it sounds a bit like they are scrounging for money...

Reply 15

Isis07

You really should get the check ups, risking your sight isn't very smart. However ring around and check prices, £40 is way more then I paid last time, and no-one said it has to be D&A.

Reply 16

gossipgirly

I think Specsavers seem to have the best overall deal on monthlies, £10 a month including all after-care.

Its definitely worth going to for a check up though even if you don't think theres anything wrong with your eyes - the chances are by the time you notice that there is something up it'll be too late to do anything about it.

Reply 17

jess_n

Id tend to recommend a check up .. but £40 does seem very expensive seen as average eye tests dont cost much over £20.. i wouldnt go to them but i would suggest going somewhere to get a check up

there are many things that can go wrong with your eyes.. i should know , i dont no how i manage it but i got an ulcer in my eye where the lenses were rubbing me because they werent fitting my eye properly, how i didnt feel this is strange but i didnt and if i hadnt stopped wearing my contact when i did i could of done some permenant and serious damage. But the actual fitting of the lenses is very important , for safety and for comfort , and also contact lenses tend to have different prescription to your glasses so you just need to check that they arent too strong or weak , and are therefore not straining your eyes

Your eyes are very delicate and if something happened to your eyes then you would regret not spending a small amount of money that could have stopped the problem, it only seems sensible to me

Sorry for blabbing on but i hope it helps

x

Reply 18

she

16

reading this is depressing, if I want to wear contacts I have to dish out over 60 pounds a month (and that's only for the lenses).

Reply 19

lasttoiletroll

she

reading this is depressing, if I want to wear contacts I have to dish out over 60 pounds a month (and that's only for the lenses).

err why?!

Is aftercare essential when you wear contact lenses? What should I do?

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