Red-Eye Reduction Fails
Published July 24th, 2007 in Small TalkNote: On October 12th, 2007, I wrote a post about a solution to the red eyes, so you may want to check it out if you are having similar problems.
Try as I might, I couldn’t get my camera’s red-eye reduction to make my eyes nice again… For several weeks I’ve been having problems with my eyes (mostly my left one). The first instance I thought was pinkeye (symptoms fit exactly: minor irritation, pinkish, minor discharge, etc.), so I avoided wearing contacts for almost a week and started with fresh ones after that. I had another instance and thought maybe the lens was just not coming clean, so I replaced it again. A few days later my left eye was bothering me at work. I took out the contact, cleaned it, and tried to put it back in but it felt like I was instead stabbing my eye with a knife. I threw it out and walked home half blind.
Last week I was walking to work (during the summer, I walk to and from work) and a bus or large truck went by, hitting my eyes with a drying crosswind. My eyes were irritated from it, but I didn’t think anything of it until I looked at my eyes in the mirror at work. I removed a tiny piece of debris and a very tiny hair. By that evening, my eyes were irritated again. I decided to take out my contacts and leave them in solution for a while.
Saturday and Sunday, my eyes were fine. I decided to wait until Monday, just to be sure everything was okay. When I came home from work Monday night, my eye was really bothering me (like if the contact was completely dry). I removed it and ended up throwing it out (along with the other lens, despite that my right eye had been fine. This image is from Monday night. Today (Tuesday), the eye is even worse.
I thought perhaps there was a recall on the lenses (my eyes use different strength contacts, so it could have been for the ones that my left eye so rejected) and I stumbled across (of all things) a blog post about it. The blog post was about the exact kind of lenses I had (Acuvue Oasys) and the original post was completely neutral, every comment was negative. Almost every single person reported the same symptoms. The contacts were great the first day or two, and then they caused major eye irritation. Some people even had ulcers and other serious problems related to these lenses. One of the comments mentioned a study that paired the Acuvue Oasis lenses (as well as many other types) with various cleaning solutions. I had to disable styling to even read the initial page, but I clicked on the “Staining Grid” link toward the top left and was able to view the chart.
The major difference this time with my eyes turning red was the speed at which they became irritated (same day) and the fact that they had soaked in contact cleaner rather than being a fresh pair. I use Kirkland (Costco brand) contact cleaner, but I checked the ingredients and found that it is Biguanide-based (like Renu Multipurpose Solution) and most of those kinds of cleaners reported a fairly high rate of staining/eye problems. It looks like Clear Care is the best solution to use (H2O2), followed by Unisol 4 Saline (saline). I’m not sure if any of the stores here have those kinds, but I know they have Optifree. I’m debating if I even want to give it a try. I know that the cleaning solution made the issue worse, but it may also be an issue with the lenses themselves. I am unsure why my left eye is so much more effected by the problem though.
If anyone else has had problems, feel free to comment. The more aware of this issue people are, the better. I’ve never had problems with other lenses (I’ve used Optima FW and Acuvue 2). The symptoms of the problem now are redness, eye feels dry/uncomfortable, blurry vision (possibly due to swelling), minor headache, some eye pain, and I’m annoyed (these lenses were expensive!). In all fairness, these lenses felt great before they caused problems, so I really hope that a different cleaning solution will help. If I give it a try, I’ll add the details. For now, I’ll be wearing glasses.
6 Responses to “Red-Eye Reduction Fails”
- 1 Pingback on Oct 12th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
- 2 Pingback on Jun 20th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Hmm.. I wear the Oasys lense (In the 1 eye that works). I use Renu No-rub solution, and I haven’t had too much of a problem with them. Only when I try to extend the life out to 2-3 months do they start getting scratchy and dry.
I was in search of any one else who might have had the same prolems my son did!
I took one look at your eye and BOOM, that is the exact same way my sons looked!
we spent most of the night at the ER with the same problems/symptoms! the oasys lense was a brand reccomended by the Dr. as being better….same thing though…he threw first pair away thinking it was pink eye! next thing he wore the second and Boom….his eye was red and irritated to where he was very sensitive to light….in a whole lot of pain….My poor guy is paying in his room on percoset for pain!!
Anyway good info as I have something now to show the Dr!!!! glad you blogged this and hope you have had no more problems!
My son is just hoping to go to the old contacs he use to use…never has had problems with htme…..somehow I wonder if they made them to go bad after a few days just so that you will have to purchase them more often! what a rip off!!!!!!
Hopefully your son is okay. I read about quite a few people who had very serious problems because of these lenses (ulcers even!), so I guess I am luckier than most. You would think that the manufacturer would do something about it (or at least that the doctors would be more aware of the problems), but I guess making money is a larger concern. The issue of making them wear out faster so you buy more is definitely a possibility. The lenses feel perfect the first day, far nicer than any others I have ever had, it’s just after a few days that the problems arise.
I’ve switched to using “Aquify” lens cleaner and it helps some. For the week-and-a-half that I was on vacation, I had no problems at all with the lenses. Since then, however, they’ve become somewhat problematic again. I can usually wear them for a few days, but after half a week, they start turning my eyes pink. I had to wear glasses again today because my eyes felt like they had dried out from the lenses. I do highly recommend the Aquify Long Lasting Comfort Drops. A sample bottle came with my multi-purpose solution and the drops are amazing. They’re the closest thing to real tears I have ever used and they were very helpful on the plane.
Hi…I ran across this and was so glad to find it…I have had all of the same problems as mentioned above, but what’s more is that I have gone back to Acuvue 2 and STILL have problems…my red eye didn’t start until I wore the oayses lenses, but now it won’t go away. It is very upsetting and even embarrassing. I don’t know what to do and my Dr. keeps insisting that I must have an allergy to something in my environment, but the only thing in my environment that has changed is the introduction of the Acuvue Oayses!