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From: harrison@ucsfcgl.UUCP (Peter Harrison%MIS)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: contact lens fiasco
Message-ID: <780@ucsfcgl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 24-Feb-86 12:53:42 EST
Article-I.D.: ucsfcgl.780
Posted: Mon Feb 24 12:53:42 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 28-Feb-86 05:54:23 EST
References: <303@telesoft.UUCP>
Reply-To: harrison@ucsfcgl.UUCP (PUT YOUR NAME HERE)
Organization: UCSF Computer Graphics Lab
Lines: 24

Soft lenses, especially extended wear ones are FAR less durable than
hard.  Cleaning tends to tear them eventually.  If hard lenses get
scratched and eventually need polishing, imagine how much more liable to
surface damage soft lenses are.  Add to all this the chemical damage
that gets done to soft lenses on an ongoing basis - they just do not
have the non-reactivity that hard ones do.  Not to mention the fact of
adsorption of various thing such as the proteins secreted in the tear
film.  

There is tremendous individual variation between patients.  Some have no
problems.  My brother-in-law's eyes seem to eat a pair of soft lenses
every 6 months at least.  My wife usually manages to last 9-12.  One eye
may be worse than another.  Thorough cleaning (physical rubbing with
plenty of saline or whatever) helps, execept that then you tend to tear
the lens.  You can get an insurance policy to replace lens much more
cheaply - ask your doctor.  If your eyes eat soft contacts, it is well
worth it.


Peter Harrison, M.D.
UUCP: ucbvax!ucsfcgl!harrison
ARPA: ucsfcgl!harrison@berkeley.arpa
Phone: (415) 355-2149
US Mail: 419 Roberts Rd., Pacifica, CA 94044-3246