Soft Contacts and Riding

[FJRPittsburgh]

My son Trevor and I attended KJ's Penn Run in Wellsboro over the weekend. Trevor wears soft contacts and his eyes were a mess. they were blood red and at times he couldn't see very well. He did the normal stop every so often and flush his eyes and reinsert his contacts. Also a dose of Visine Allergy. Finally, on the way home he took them out all together because his vision was so bad. When not having his contacts in, he can't read distant road signs all that well, but can manage.

Anyone have any tips on solutions to this problem? I think we'll try the switch to the regular eye glasses for a trial period. He didn't seem to have too many problems with the contacts before Spring rolled in.

Thanks in advance.

Jeff

 

[HotRodZilla]

He's wearing a full face helmet? When I wore contacts, if the wind was in my eyes, it was awful. A full face all but stopped that. If he's still having issues, he can wear sunglasses inside his helmet.

IF it's an allergy issue, he'll need to handle that however it works for him. I use Zyrtec or Claritin and Flonase of its really bad. The best allergy drops I have found are Opcon-A. Walgreens and probably Walmart has them. They're better than Visine drops, but when I wore contacts, I would use the Opcon, then a half hour later put Clear Eyes moisturizing drops in.

Then I got Lasik. Contacts SUCK!

 

[JamesW]

never liked contacts as I was active in sports etc., stuck with the old glasses.

 

[DeSudet]

Last time I had a day like that, it turned out that even though I specifically remembered taking them out the night before, I still had a pair on when I put new ones in that morning.

PRO TIP! Wearing more than one pair of contacts at a time does not help you see any better and is uncomfortable as f***!

Back on topic... I very rarely have issues with my contacts, even rotating the same 2 pairs of 1-month lenses for going on 3 years. When I do, if I can safely do so, I take them out, put them in a case with fresh solution, then deal with cleaning and re-inserting them once I reach my destination.

 

[creg-ny-baa]

Any allergy drops and contacts don't mix. The active ingredient and the preservative will build up in the lenses very quickly.

I had the same question as HRZ-with a full-face helmet, even on an unfaired bike, I almost never have an issue to amount to anything. If he is wearing full-face, is he keeping his lenses clean and throwing them away on time? Both are bigger issues to comfort than MC use.

IF he needs allergy drops, Visine allergy, and Opcon-A are both old tech, and remarkably ineffective (for allergy). Those and the newer antihistamines will make dryness worse, unfortunately. A contact lens specific rewetting drop is best. Before or after lens wear, he can use one of the newer antihistamine drops: Alaway, Zaditor, Claritin Eye, or the store version (all four are the same active ingredient).

That's all the advice I've got. If he's not clear after the ride, he may need to see his eye doc to see if something else is percolating.

 

[Warpdrv]

Is Lasik an option for this person...

I do not suffer the ills of problematic vision... I am both very thankful and lucky - but I can't imagine a world where my eye sight was compromised.... not sure I could put a dollar amount of what I would spend to not have to deal with contacts.... Seems to me its easily worth the price of an FJR to me....

 

[HotRodZilla]

Any allergy drops and contacts don't mix. The active ingredient and the preservative will build up in the lenses very quickly.
IF he needs allergy drops, Visine allergy, and Opcon-A are both old tech, and remarkably ineffective (for allergy). Those and the newer antihistamines will make dryness worse, unfortunately. A contact lens specific rewetting drop is best. Before or after lens wear, he can use one of the newer antihistamine drops: Alaway, Zaditor, Claritin Eye, or the store version (all four are the same active ingredient)

I'll start with I HATED my contacts. My eyes were always dry and miserable, but I couldn't see well enough at night with just glasses.

It has been probably 10 years since I had my Lasik done. Eye wise, best thing ever. The allergy meds I mentioned worked FOR ME, but that's why I also followed up later with drops to clear them up. I did not know there are new drops out that may work better, so what Creg-ny-baa may be absolutely correct.

If possible, the best solution is to have surgery. If he can't get his contacts to clear, he should try a set of Transition Lens glasses. I loved mine and my oldest daughter wears hers more than she wears her contacts.

 

[DeSudet]

Well, if Lasik isn't an option, just wait a couple years and you might never have vision problems again!

 

[Uncle Hud]

Can't help with contacts, but glasses under a full-face helmet requires carrying a lens cleaning kit. It's sometimes tough to keep both a visor and glasses from fogging.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

No difference with contacts, without contacts, glasses, etc.for me. Excessive wind or sun irritates eyes period. Wear a closed helmet or eye pro with a gasket. Wear sunglasses or a dark tinted visor when it's bright with glare or sun. Eye drops don't hurt as long as they're not overused, but it's not good to remove and replace contacts over and over again. That will contribute to irritation even under optimal conditions. I'm not familiar with Visine Allergy specifically, but Visine in general is a no-no with contacts, historically speaking. Products like plain buffered saline or Systane provide relief without the drawbacks of Visine. Good luck.

My son Trevor and I attended KJ's Penn Run in Wellsboro over the weekend. Trevor wears soft contacts and his eyes were a mess. they were blood red and at times he couldn't see very well. He did the normal stop every so often and flush his eyes and reinsert his contacts. Also a dose of Visine Allergy. Finally, on the way home he took them out all together because his vision was so bad. When not having his contacts in, he can't read distant road signs all that well, but can manage.
Anyone have any tips on solutions to this problem? I think we'll try the switch to the regular eye glasses for a trial period. He didn't seem to have too many problems with the contacts before Spring rolled in.

Thanks in advance.

Jeff

 

[Steve in Phx]

I used to wear contacts and never had issues as long as I rode with a full face helmet. I was usually fine if I kept the wind off my eyes. Some wetting drops in the tankbag helped if they got irritated. Blowing dust was my worst enemy.

I look at a computer screen all day and stopped wearing contacts years ago because my vision is clearer with glasses.

 

[900gc]

I've found that only daily wear disposables were comfortable for me in dealing with pollen, etc. More expensive in the long run but my eyes are worth how much to me?

 

[FJRPittsburgh]

Thanks for all the great responses to my soft contacts post. Yes, Trevor was wearing a full faced (HJC modular helmet). He kept the shield closed and the vents opened. At least that would stop the excess wind from from drying out his eyes quickly. He rides a Kawasaki Ninja 650 converted into a sport touring bike with Givi side bags and top case. He doesn't get the kind of wind protection a lot of us get from our FJR's.