Contact Lenses

[kinetic]

I have just replaced my gas permeable lenses for soft.

Previously I'd never dream of diving with lenses as they cost £150 a pair for gas permeables and I have correctives in my mask.

Now, my optician has said that for diving I can use daily disposables - I mean, if I lose them so what.....

BUT - Is there any medical reason why soft contacts should not be worn when diving?

I'd really appreciate any comments..

Best regards.

Graham

[Sam]

I've been using my soft lenses ever since I started diving last year and in that time I've only had one problem which was when I accidentally knocked a lense out of my eye when putting a hood on.  

Sam

[Rob Evans]

Same as - I've been using soft daily disposables when diving for 3 years now with no probs. Mind you I wear specs out of the water.  I find the lenses get very gummy & uncomfortable towards the evening - that might be just me though.

[Richie]

I've been using the soft lenses for a while too. I had a problem in reading guages in poor light - an age thing apparently - but I now use a lens in my non dominant eye that has the equivalent of a reading lens built in. ie a -2 dioptre rather than a bozz eyed -3. This works well in most light levels bar the very low. I can also drive in them - bit weird at first  but the dominant eye is fully corrected and the slightly fuzzy one backs it up for the stereo bit.
Been using this for a couple of years now and no problems.

[Driftwood]

<font color='#8D38C9'>Nah, everyone should wear contacts when diving as you can tell how bent you are by the tear film bubbles (see pic below)

Seriously.

Pic from

BMJ 1998;317:996-999 ( 10 October )

Clinical review
ABC of oxygen

Diving and oxygen
Peter Wilmshurst. &nbsp;

(of UKSDMC fame)

[Fee]

To answer your question,

The use of soft contact lenses is preferable to the use of GP's when diving as soft lenses are larger, have direct contact with the cornea, sit over the whole cornea and under the lids and thus have a less chance of becoming dislodged from the front of the globe. &nbsp;GP's on the other hand are smaller and occupy the area directly over the pupil and sit on a tear cushion (hence why they feel like a peice of grit when they are first worn).

Daily disposable lenses are excellent for diving providing that one pair is used for each dive the reason for this is increased chance of developing a bacterial keratitis. &nbsp;Bacteria, espesially pseudamonas, are able infiltrate the matrix of the lens have a bit of a breeding session and then be transfered to the cornea. &nbsp;The mechanical action of lens insertion causes abrasions in the epithelium layer over the cornea allowing direct access for the bacteria. &nbsp;The nice warm, wet and slighty hypoxic is an ideal &quot;getting it on&quot; environment and those little blighters are able to eat through the cornea in about 24 hours.

For those of you that are unable to wear daily disposable lenses due to astigmatic perscriptions (although CibaVision do provide a toric daily lens that will correct for a small astigmatism) I would suggest a peroxide based cleaning regime and frequent visits to your optometrist for a slit lamp inspection of your cornea.

HTH

Ian Daly

[kinetic]

Ian,

Thanks.....I knew I´d heard something somewhere about the bacteria and diving with lenses, which was why I asked the question, but wasn´t quite sure.

Much appreciated and I shall heed the advice and make sure I have enough daily lenses when out diving.

Best regards.

Graham

[hideo]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Fee @ June 25 2003,17:55)]For those of you that are unable to wear daily disposable lenses due to astigmatic perscriptions (although CibaVision do provide a toric daily lens that will correct for a small astigmatism) I would suggest a peroxide based cleaning regime and frequent visits to your optometrist for a slit lamp inspection of your cornea.

i remember the optician over-emphasising the need to avoid getting water on the lenses, is it wise to dive with them at all if you have to wear them again?  from your recommended visits to the people with the pointy bright micro torches i'd guess you think there is more than a little risk.

i think i'll probably stick to a lense insert and rusting my glasses on the boat.  i damage my eyes enough by sitting in front of a vdu 10+ hours a day  

[Fee]

My advice would always be to wear a perscription mask instead of contacts, but as with everything if you know the risks the choice is yours. &nbsp;Unfortunately there is always the senario that someone will wear there lenses, dive in them, then sleep in them - and guess what....nothing, they are perfectly ok. &nbsp;Then you get someone that will be utterly complient apart from once and bang &quot;red eye&quot;.

The most important issue here is the reduction of risks. &nbsp;It is upto the individual, in consultation with an eye care specialist, to decide when the risks are low enough; &nbsp;Holiday diver, then yearly/monthly lenses with the correct cleaning regime would be fine. &nbsp;semi addicted diver such as myself (40 - 60 dives/year) then i would urge a move to daily wear lenses, more dives than that then I would suggest a move into a perscription mask, not only for safety but also probably for costs. &nbsp;But I would never ever advise anyone that wears continuous wear lenses to dive in them.

HTH

Ian Daly

[kinetic]

Thanks again all.

I´m going to ditch the correctives in my mask and use daily lenses for each dive. I only fall asleep after very deep dives but my other half always kicks me and asks if I´ve taken them out...which I do religiously.

Any more comments or histoires welcome and thanks for the good and, may I say, somewhat professional sounding advice.

Regards.

Graham