Wearing goggles in public/at work, please help me.

[eyes78]

I've reached the end of my rope. I can't take it anymore. I thought I was getting better but I'm now getting worse.

I've tried just blocking out air by putting my fingers around regular glasses and it helps within seconds.

Does this mean that goggles will help me?

I assume they will. But I'm vain and shallow and I will be so incredibly self-conscious about wearing them in public. Please help me.

[Scribbler]

my favourite glasses/goggles are the Bolle Tracker - you can buy them on ebay. They come with a protective seal (maybe not all of them, just check) and a variety of lens colours, and they look like sports sunglasses. I wear the welding shade 5 outside - they are very dark, not polarised but I am working at getting some polarised clipons attached. I have ordered a pair of the orangey twilight lenses - to test them for night time use.

[eyes78]

Thanks for the suggestion. I really appreciate it.

I know I'm not handling this well. My eyes started hurting so much today I fell back into that "I want to die" state of despair. I feel sick to my stomach about having to wear goggles in public but if that's what I have to do in order to keep on living then I guess this is it.

[No tears in ATL]

You might also look at safety glasses. They might not give a tight seal but will block air better than regular eyeglasses. Some of the safety glasses I have seen lately are pretty fashionable looking. Then there is a custom moisture chamber (there is a description on this site) but opticians that make them are hard to come by. If you have wire framed glasses, you can add some plastic side shields that may not be as noticeable.

I'd welcome the chance to wear safety glasses but I have a kid-sized head and a super high prescription. It sucks.

[URL="http://safetyglassesusa.com"]

http://blog.rx-safety.com/prescripti...-side-shields/

[eyes78]

Thank you, No Tears in Atl. I did buy some safety glasses today (should arrive tomorrow night) - I got these: http://www.amazon.com/3M-Virtua-Prot...ective+eyewear

I will probably spring for some Panoptx soon, but I wanted to get something ASAP and these should hopefully work for now.

Please keep the suggestions coming, all. I need help not only with the glasses but also with coming to terms with wearing them in public, being "different". I know I sound like a 12 year old girl rather than the adult woman I am supposed to be but I am so terrified of the embarassment. I need to get over myself but I don't know how yet.

[No tears in ATL]

No, you are completely normal. No one wants to feel different. I have had to do some really weird things due to my dry eye and explaining was no fun, but as soon as I did, people were sympathetic. For example, I had to get a humidifier and shut my door 3/4 of the way, constantly apply drops, turn my fluorescent lights off, put ice packs on my eyes after a few hours on the computer, explain the weird looking container of serum drops in the fridge--all of these things. Believe me, I got asked about it.

I think you will have the same reaction about your moisture chambers. Just be open, completely shameless about it. Think of it as your right not to feel pain, not your having to accommodate the sensibilities of others. What damage do goggles do, anyway? They may look a bit different, but they aren't as offensive as the smell of microwaved fish, your cube-mate's loud cell phone conversations, or any other typical office faux pas. As far as public places are concerned, that is less of a worry. I had a pair of moisture chamber glasses that made me look like an insect. I wore them everywhere. No one blinked. Work was the bigger challenge.

[eyes78]

Thank you, you have no idea how much your words mean to me. I'm having such a hard time with this; I appreciate your input so much.

[Guest]

Thank you, you have no idea how much your words mean to me. I'm having such a hard time with this; I appreciate your input so much.

I cried when I opened the box that had arrived in the mail which contained my first pair of moisture chamber glasses. Like you, like most people, it was very hard to imagine walking around wearing these things that I thought made me look ugly. The clear lens ones in particular.

However, my hubby was super supportive, and I got over it by forcing myself to not look in the mirror. Seriously. Sounds so stupid, but it helped not to remind myself visually every time I passed a mirror. I'd wear the clear lens ones at home, and in public, I'd wear the sunglasses version of Wiley X's, indoors and out.

And the other thing I did when out in public was to make a point of NOT checking to see if people were looking at me. IF someone was being rude enough to stare at me due to my moisture chambers, I'd rather not know about it. And, eventually, when I felt like finding someone staring wouldn't upset me too much, I DID start to check if people were staring, and as it turned out, most people don't even give me a second glance. Once in a while I'd try to amuse myself by staring back at anyone who did dare to stare haha To see if I could get them to look away first...

The good news is, it gets easier. And if not looking normal wearing these things allows you to do the things you need to do, it's worth it. Trust me, you'll get over it eventually, if you set your mind to it. Just try your hardest to resist wallowing in self-pity (I know, easier said than done sometimes), and keep up the good fight - you'll be fine, really, you will. You'll be happy even.

[eyes78]

Thank you, SAAG. I appreciate your story. I read some of your other posts and came across your blog - do you still use those amazing custom made glasses? They are incredible.
Thank you again.

[MGD30]

I was in your exact position several months ago, but my eyes continued to get progressively worse where I had no choice. I got the Wiley X and also the 7eye. I think the Wiley X, as far as looks, are the best choice (they are also good as far as functionality foes). I got the transition lenses so when I'm outside they just look like regular sunglasses. When I first got them I would only wear them at home because I was embarrassed. They would help a bit but by the time I got home from work my eyes were already too irritated. My pain was reduced tremendously when I started wearing them all of the time. It did take a few weeks for the pain to go away because I was in such bad shape.

If you are not sure it will help, (since it is an expensive investment), first, buy a pair of swim goggles and keep them on at home for a few hours to see if your eyes feel better. These glasses are the only thing that has actually, noticeably, reduced my symptoms; and I've tried a lot of different things.

[eyes78]

Thank you, MGD30.

I am having severe, almost crippling, anxiety over this. I told my close coworkers yesterday that I would need to start wearing goggles and today I'm wearing some 3M safety glasses I picked up at Home Depot. I feel like a freak and everytime someone (other than the few coworkers I explained my issue to) walks by, I feel panicked. So far no one has noticed me, but that's just because my cubicle is not really in sight.

I just ordered the 7eyes glasses from the Dry Eye Shop. I hope they will fit better than the goggles I'm wearing now, which are too big and not really sealing well.

[MGD30]

Eyes78, Im not sure if its too late or not, but you should go to a retailer and try them on first to see which type of 7eye or wiley x fits you better. They both have a number of different shaped glasses. If you go to each of their website they will list retailers in your area. If you dont need a prescription or extra options you can probably even buy a pair on the spot. 7 eye are great, they are more comfortable and the eye cup is more durable, but if you are worried about how they look I would definitely go with wiley x. The padding is a lot thinner so they look closer to regular glasses than the 7eye.

Either way they will look a lot better and work a lot better than the 3M. I went that route before too, I bought a couple of goggles off amazon, and they were both useless. Good luck.

[Rebecca Petris]

I just ordered the 7eyes glasses from the Dry Eye Shop. I hope they will fit better than the goggles I'm wearing now, which are too big and not really sealing well.

If they don't fit right just return them & keep trying... it can take some trial and error.

You are not vain or shallow. No one in their right mind wants to wear this kind of thing to work of all places. There's a mental adjustment process for everyone and that process and timing are different for everyone. IMO all 7eye and WileyX models look goggly when they have clear lenses. Wear them when necessary... they really do work and it's worth the effort... but that doesn't mean you can't still keep your eyes on the goal of having something more attractive. Every time I see a post like this I grind my teeth an little more in impatience for the new smaller Zienas... I swear there's going to be a stampede when those come out. But don't forget good old home-made. If I were working in an office with other people these days and if Ziena Oasis standard model didn't fit, I'd probably get the best-looking pair of glasses I could afford with non prescription lenses and a suitable frame and line it discreetly with some weatherstripping or some other kind of jury-rigged foam.

[DryInDenver]

Eyes78, Im not sure if its too late or not, but you should go to a retailer and try them on first to see which type of 7eye or wiley x fits you better.

Eyes78, I noticed you are in Colorado. I highly recommend Sports Optical in Denver to try on glasses if it is convenient for you. This is where I bought by WileyX Echos about a year ago. I forget exactly which brands they had, but they had several of the more popular brands I've seen recommended on this website. In addition to WileyX I know they had Zienna Oasis and I think 7eye and potentially one or two others. A good fit is key when it comes to maximizing the benefits of blocking wind and retaining moisture so having the ability to try on different pairs was very useful. Before I found this store I was planning to order the WileyX Bricks based on what I read thinking they would fit best, but they were a poor fit for my big face so my trip to Sports Optical saved me lots of time and hassle. (http://www.sportsoptical.com/index.htm)

You are taking the same tact I did as well by ordering a cheep pair of protective eyewear to see if they work before committing more money for a name brand frame. I'd use that same approach if I had to do it over again. The safety goggles I ordered have an elastic strap that really helps me get a tight fit (http://www.amazon.com/Pyramex-Safety...safety+glasses). I still use them sometimes when I'm in the privacy of my own home because the band makes them more effective than my Echos. Also, the tinted lens version looks very much like sunglasses and I often wore those outside without anyone noticing they weren't sunglasses.

MGD30 recommended trying swim goggles above which is something I did as well. When my eyes hit their lowest point, I was wearing those at work so I could look at my computer screen. They aren't the best long term solution because they tend to fog up frequently and I read something that recommended removing them periodically to make sure your eyes get enough oxygen. But they would be a good way to see if moisture chamber glasses are likely to help or not.

I too was tremendously self-continues when I started wearing the glasses everywhere I went. Not so much with the sunglasses because even with the foam inserts, they look pretty normal. Often times I'd just wear the sunglasses inside since you see a lot of people doing that anyway these days. It was tougher with the clear lenses which I always used for work so I wouldn't look hung-over in front of my computer screen. But it did get better and easier over time. In fact, when I was boarding a plane to go try scleral lenses I got a unsolicited compliment from an flight attendant who told me how cool my glasses were.

[eyes78]

Thanks for replying, Rebecca! I wish those smaller Ziena's were out, too.

So about this homemade option - I'm guessing it would be best to use plastic frames, so that there is enough width to the frame to attach foam to? Do you have any other instructions/ideas I should look into?

(I still want the 7eyes I ordered today, but in the future if I can make my own that would be great).