Scleral lenses; Weartime and refill

[Member]

Hi!

To all of you who use scleral lenses;

How long are you able to wear them and how long after inserting them do you usually need to refill them with saline? And how do you do this in a work setting?

Do any one else notice itching and burning at the end of the day? Or does this get better over time/ how long does it take to get used to the lenses?

[Rebecca Petris]

Hi there! In an ideal world, I would probably rinse and refill a couple times a day at work. I usually don't... just sweat it out if/when they get uncomfortable or I'm not seeing well. I'm just a super focused person and find it too disruptive. But... I'm working on it!

As regards how, at work: I work in a small premises (~3,000sf) and we have pedestal style sinks in our bathrooms. There is just no way I would handle my lenses in that bathroom. So if I need to do something, I do it at my desk. Wash hands, lay down some paper towels... really it should be a terry towel but whatever....

How long does it take to get used to the lenses? That's a "how long is a piece of string" type question. An optimally fitted scleral, on most people, should not require getting used to - it should be perfectly comfortable. It's the routines that require getting used to.

But wear time and end of day comfort is another matter. People vary a lot in wear times depending on their eye condition. Personally I overwear my lenses because i need them for vision, and they can get pretty uncomfortable when I'm being really unreasonable about how long. I'm also in a fully climate controlled office now for the first time in years and that's been harder. I think that if I were not also having to wear a mask, i would probably be considering moisture chamber glasses.

[Member]

Thanks for replying.

I use the lenses for sight and comfort, and both are equally important to me. There is no way I would be able to concentrate if they hurt, so I guess my eyes are still sensitive with the lenses.