Libra76

I hope someone can answer this...



I wear contact lenses with only one problem: dry eyes (causing red eyes as well) in winter in Belgium. In summer, I have no problem with dry eyes and I don't need to add drops.



My question is: if we move to Perth, will it be beneficial for my eyes or the contrary?? Do contact wearers on this board suffer from dry eyes more or less now that they've moved to Oz?



Hope someone can help!

Els

jensteve

Hi there
I did use contacts in the UK and when I knew I was heading out here got my eyes lasered!
The downside I was still prone to dry eyes, but since being in Perth have only had a couple of days when my eyes needed drops in them to combat the dryness. You may need some drops but I don't think you will need them every day out here.

Jenny

Trevglas

You may have problems in a low humidity climate with typical disposable lenses.

Have you considered alternative lenses? Proclear and the Benz Extreme H2O are very good lenses for dry eye wearers, both of which are available in Australia and the UK.

You may also find a silicone hydrogel such as Ciba Night and Day are also less prone to dehydrate. Cibas lens can be worn continuously for a month.

There is also a company in WA (Gelflex) which lathecuts a hioxifilcon lens (same material as Benz Extreme), just in case you are not wearing disposables

Libra76

Great tips, thanks guys! I will definitely look into those brands once we get to Oz, thanks Trev. About lasik, that's not an option for me anymore, have read too much into it in the past and the higher risk for dry eyes put me off completely).


Cheers
Els

ohippy

Hi Jenny.

I'm planning on doing the same thing myself. Can I ask you who you used ? I'm currenty looking at ultralase and Optimax for epi-lasik

Heather

tiredwithtwins

My experience is a bit old (10 years!!), but I never had a problem with my eyes suffering from dryness, and i spent a couple of weeks in the red centre in summer when i was there.
only problem was if it was very windy and you got a face full of dust, but other than that.......

sue

gedge

I asked a similar question when we'd been here a few months in Sydney.
I wear GP lenses, my eyes can't take any of the soft options.

I was finding my lenses going fuzzy and basically needing a protein removal treatment much more regularly than I did in the UK. Once a week compared to once a month roughly. No problems since.

Trevglas

For those of you considering Lasik, here is a report from the Sunday Times in December 2004:

December 05, 2004
Safety fears stop laser eye op
JONATHON CARR-BROWN, HEALTH CORRESPONDENT

THE government’s clinical watchdog is blocking laser eye surgery on the National Health Service because of concerns over its long-term safety for patients.
A year-long review by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice) has concluded that “current evidence� on the treatment’s safety does not justify its widespread use in the NHS.
The decision will add to the controversy over the surgery, which has grown on the back of celebrity endorsement by stars such as Nicole Kidman.
Lured by the promise of “freedom� from wearing glasses and contact lenses, at least 100,000 people a year in Britain are now paying between £2,000 and £3,000 for “cosmetic� eye surgery to correct myopia.
Chains such as Boots, which sold its eye surgery business to Optical Express, used to claim “there are no known long-term side effects or complications� from the popular Lasik treatment. Another company, Ultralase, boasts a 98% success rate.
However, a draft of a Nice report, to be published on December 15, has concluded: “There are concerns about the procedure’s safety in the long term and current evidence does not appear adequate to support its use without special arrangement for consent (from the NHS).�
While the report concedes there is evidence laser surgery can help people with mild or moderate myopia, there is no clear evidence backing the safety claims made by many companies.
Nice points out myopia can be corrected safely with spectacles or contact lens. Therefore, “an alternative treatment must have excellent safety to be suitable for use�.
The Medical Defence Union, Britain’s largest insurer for doctors, has reported a doubling in the number of claims against clinics offering laser eye surgery since 1998. There is also evidence that many clinics have made overblown claims leading to exaggerated expectations and disappointment.
Last year the American Journal of Ophthalmology said the failure rate for eye surgery was one in 10, not the one in 1,000 figure widely advertised.
Which?, formerly known as the Consumers’ Association, has warned that people having surgery are “gambling with their sight�. It found that some clinics do not highlight possible side effects until after patients are signed up for treatment.
Boots was censured last year by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for giving the impression that anyone having Lasik treatment would no longer require glasses or contact lenses and that complications with the operation had only arisen in America.
One potential complication, corneal ectasia, can lead to patients having to undergo a corneal transplant. According to Nice, The Royal College of Ophthalmologists and the US Food and Drug Administration have identified more than 20 other possible complications.
The surgery uses a laser to cut a piece out of the cornea, the transparent protective covering over the eye’s lens. This procedure can correct a mis-shapen lens, which would otherwise require glasses or contact lenses. The operation, which is irreversible, takes 30 minutes.
Among those concerned about its safety is Rebecca Petris, who set up the patient pressure group Lasermyeye when she suffered complications after Lasik surgery. She came out of surgery with severe double vision and no night vision. She can no longer drive.

Petris said she hoped the report would alert the public to the difference between the claims made by clinics and the concerns of the medical profession. She stressed her organisation was not against the surgery but wanted to see higher standards.
Professor Bruce Campbell, chairman of Nice’s interventional procedures advisory committee, said: “This is a problem that can easily be corrected by spectacles or contact lenses, so any risk of damage to the eye by Lasik is a real concern.
“Although many people have had Lasik treatment there is very little information about how many are harmed as a result.
“We know that vision gets worse in a few people after Lasik. Eye specialists are also concerned about the effects of thinning the cornea of the eye in the long term. We need to know more about these potential problems.�
A spokesman for Ultralase, one of the first companies in the UK to offer laser eye surgery, said: “We believe this treatment is extremely safe.�
The company disputes many of Nice’s figures and claims that since 1991 there have not been any longer-term side effects from the surgery among its patients.



The NICE guidance may be found here
http://www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=87527

I should add here that I work in the contact lens industry, so feel free to draw whatever conclusions you like: but anyone considering a "zap and flap" should seriously look into the pros and cons of this procedure

Koza

Nobody will tell you exactly what will happen in Perth. After all, you may get an allergy for some plant - and kiss your lenses bye
I had a river dip a year ago, got conjuctivitis - and had to give up on lenses, non was good anymore...

Just in case - there is an excellent facility in Perth, Lions Eye Institute - http://www.lei.org.au/

alrobson

Hi,

I used to wear contact lense, but I never had dry eyes. I am going to Perth and the thought of having those lenses in my eyes with that heat put me off, so I decided to use my glasses much more and I'm glad I did. I don't get half as many headaches as I used to. I would consider just using glasses and then hopefully the problem will sort itself out.

Adrian

Teresa

Hi

I use the one day chuck aways and have had no problem here in Perth with them, I do use my glasses more, also have a prescription sunglasses pair which is great as use them alot too.

Teresa

jensteve

Hi I used Ultralase in Chester. I don't know if I would have it done again though. My night sight deteriated short term which gave me problems driving in the dark, it is much better now though, and my sight is almost perfect.
It can take upto 12months for the full effects of the lasik to show, vision may go up and down a bit until it finally stabilises. The dry eye problem usually starts to go after 6 months because the incision they use is actually only starting to heal then because the flap can be re-lifted for quite some time after the op.
On major point, your reading vision will go downhill after you have lasik done, I was warned about this, he said it either one or the other and with me fixing my distance sight my reading vision would start to go, this he reckoned in my situation would be in the next 5 years as my family all need reading glasses in their 40's. I have noticed a drop in vision though but nothing annoying as yet.
Lasik is one of the unknown ops done, who knows what damage may be done 30years after having it done, I am happy I had it done and would have serious thoughts if I ever wanted it touched up so to speak. My eyes healed so well the first time they might not second time around.

Jenny

ohippy

Well, I've finally done it. I'm booked in for the op on 11th March. I was given an offer of £500 off so was too good an opportunity to pass. Epi lasik is not such a big op as lasik but more painful so I'm not looking forward to that part but the thought of not having to wear lenses/glasses again will be worth it.

I know a couple of people who've had the op and think it's fab so, fingers crossed, I'll be one of the successful ones

gedge

Good luck with the eye op. Hope it's not too painful - the cost is probably the worst part!
Let us know how you get on.

ohippy

Thanks. I got a bonus this year that just covered the cost of the op so I've saved £500 so can have a shopping spree too - yippee !!

Just glad it's soon - not long to worry about it. Now I just need to ask my boss for time off - that'll probably the most painful part !