Anyone have dry eye syndrome and have good experiences with a certain type of sunglasses?
When riding a windy course my eyes tend to dry up badly between the contacts and wind. I have experimented with a few glasses and no luck. Stopping to put in eye drops is a drag.
I would really appreciate hearing from any of you that may have the same experience.
thanks…
Get a better brand of contact lenses?
I wear Oakley Half Jacket with contacts and will very rarely have problems with them drying out. Blinking a lot can help to keep them wet though.
Thanks but I have tried 4 different types etc.
This is something I had significant problems with in the past.
The best solution is to get LASIK, which I did. It’s not as easy and pain free as the ads suggest, but it is a life changing experience. I never think about my eyes anymore. No side effects, perfect (better than 20/20) vision. Could not be more happy.
If that is not an option, here is what I learnt.
Drops in the eyes just before riding. Then wear wrap around sunglasses to protect from dust etc.This may be just me, but being properly hydrated seemed to result in less dry eyes.
30 day disposables (that come out at night) resulted in less dry eyes than daily disposables for me. Go figure!Ensure you soak them for at least 8hrs every night. I found that protein build up on the lenses was usually the cause of dry eyes.
30 day disposables (that you wear for 30 days and nights straight) were the worst for dry eyes.I went through 5-6 different brands until I found the right ones for me.Wear glasses at night to give your eyes a break from the contacts.
I don’t remember what its called, but have you talked to your eye doc about the procedure where they plug up the tear drain duct? Supposedly it keeps the tears that you do produce from draining away from your eyes.
Bobbyjoe,
That is some really great stuff and I will explore some of those items.
I have spent a lot of time looking into lasik. If you do not mind me asking how old are you? I have been told by several doc’s that when you get into your 40’s lasik patients will still require glasses. Due to the procedure you will not be able to wear contacts. I guess it sucks getting old:).
Have you heard about this?
Never heard of that but thanks I will look into it!
I’ve lost a contact on the bike during 2 HIMs and an IM, as well as a few times during training. I tried a lot of different sunglasses and finally found some that work. I was fine for 2 years, but Saturday I almost lost a contact from it while wearing the same glasses I’ve been wearing for a while. You’ll have to try different glasses to see what works for you. I always carry a spare contact. In a HIM, I’ll do the run without it, but for a full IM i’d put it in and run.
x2. My contacts used to get so dried out when riding that I could see better once I took them out and tossed them!
LASIK rules.
FWIW I tried the duct plugs and it didn’t help at all.
lasik is a great procedure, but lasik will make some dry eye conditions worse
talk to your doctor to see if you are a candidate, PRK may be a better option
if over 40, you will need glasses to read after lasik unless one eye is left a little nearsighted
wiley x makes motorcycle sunglasses that have a foam seal on the edge, i just don’t know if in hot conditions if the lens will fog up or not
http://www.wileyx.com/index.aspx
.
I dunno if its even good medicine anymore. My mom had it done like 6 or 8 years ago, but, maybe worth the question.
Oddly, of all the things that could cause discomfort during a race, my contacts are by far the biggest offenders. Last year at IM AZ (april) was ridiculous. Between the lack of humidity and the dust/sand kicked up by the high winds, my lenses were caked with shit and I couldn’t see anything starting about halfway through the ride. It was the most painful and frustrating part of that day.
Of course as soon as I come across $5k in spare change I’m sure I’ll spend it on a new bike and bypass the much needed LASIK. For I am, above all else, a moron.
if what is good medicine?
lasik is great medicine, PRK is great medicine
RK is not
PRK and RK are not the same thing.
Lasik and PRK are the same laser treatment. One (lasik) is placed underneath a flap, while PRK the surface skin is removed and the treatment done on the surface.
Alot of Ophthalmologists have been going back to PRK, because it is safer in some patients.
sorry, no help here, just an observation. My eyes water like crazy in the wind, which is exactly the opposite of what you’ve described. it’s a funny world.
You may have tried many different contact lenses but have you noticed what their water content is? I found water content to be the biggest factor in how my contacts feel.
For a few years I suffered with contacts that were so painful that after a day at the office I had to take them out for the rest of the evening. I couldn’t stand to be anywhere with circulating air.
My solution was a pair of contacts with a very high water content. When I complained about dry eyes, the opthamologist tried 2 times to give me less and less water content. His thought was that if the contact had a lower water content, it wouldn’t pull moisture from my eyes, but when we went the opposite way everything has been great. I can now ride in any and all glasses, and even without, with no problems.
That being said, the worst glasses to wear are ones that are open both above and below the lense creating a draft tunnel for the air. If you can find a pair that fit snuggly to the brow above the lenses so there’s no path for air between the lenses and your eyes you will be best off.
I appreciate your thoughts and will def look into the water content.which shades are you wearing?
I wear a variety of glasses, but found that when on the Tri bike I needed a specific pair (not for my eyes, but for general wearability). The pair I wear on that bike:
If money were no object I would like one of these:
http://www.rudyprojectusa.com/products/sunglasses/styles/karboneye.htm
http://www.rudyprojectusa.com/products/sunglasses/styles/sportmask.htm
But neither of those are likely to stop air from entering above the lense.
the best pair of glasses I’ve ever owned were the original Oakley Blades circa 1985. They had that foam on the top of the frame that sealed the area above the frames. No wind entered between the frames and my eyes, no sweat dripped down in to my brow, they came with 2 pair of adjustable ear parts (that’s the technical term!)…one of which was a hook style for positive retention.
The field of vision was so great that you could not see any portion of the glasses while wearing them!
Going to agree with bobbyjoe here.
Sure you can ask, I’m 26 and had it done when I was 24.
Yes, they warned me about the reading glasses thing when I am in my mid-40s. That doesnt particularly worry me, the decrease in eye-related stress in my life over the next 20 years is worth it! Besides, I figure there will be bionic eyes by then anyway…
It’s worth going and seeing a couple of surgeons to find out more about PRK vs LASIK and see if you are even a candidate. I would recommend going to the most experienced, expensive, well reputed surgeon around. My guy had done over 10,000 LASIK procedures, LASIK pioneer, advisor to the government etc and cost 30% more than the next cheapest surgeon. A bargain at twice the price I thought.
Find out who has the best technology as well. Research IntraLase, LadarVision, LadarWave, LadarTracker etc (the tracking systems they use that guide the laser apparently play a big part in a good outcome but are mega expensive…)
Do not skimp, they are your eyes and you only get one set…