Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site unc.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!mhuxn!mhuxb!mhuxr!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!godot!harvard!talcott!panda!genrad!decvax!mcnc!unc!wfi
From: wfi@unc.UUCP (William F. Ingogly)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Contacts And Allergies
Message-ID: <528@unc.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 2-Feb-85 19:08:41 EST
Article-I.D.: unc.528
Posted: Sat Feb  2 19:08:41 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 6-Feb-85 04:42:16 EST
Organization: CS Dept., U. of N. Carolina at Chapel Hill
Lines: 27

I had a pair of soft contact lenses for about a year and a half and
had no problems with them. I used the heat method of sterilization,
and neutral saline solution sterilized with thimerosol (sp?), and was
extremely careful about sterilizing them and giving them weekly enzyme
treatments to remove protein deposits. Most days, I'd put them in in
the morning before work and take them out when I went to bed at night.

One night in May, I was watching a movie on television about 10:00 PM 
with my contacts in. My right eye began to burn/itch, so I took out my
contacts and went to bed. The next morning, my right eye was *bright*
red and hurt when I moved my eyes or looked into the light. Turns out
I had an ulcerated cornea and a nasty infection.  Although
opthamologists say nothing's permanently wrong, it seems the vision in
my right eye hasn't been quite right since.

For the last several years, my pollen allergies have been getting
progressively worse;  this process started about a year before my
problems with the contacts. Since I was *very* careful about taking
care of my contacts, I suspect either my pollen allergies or a
reaction to the thimerosol preservative in the saline solution. 

Has anyone else had this sort of problem with contacts? If so, what
have you done about it? I no longer wear contacts, but I'd like to be
able to wear contacts again and ditch the glasses (no, it's not
vanity, as most/many contact wearers will tell you). How about the new
extended wear lenses? Does anyone know if they're better for people
with allergies?