How to adjust to wearing contacts
Contact lenses are game changers. They help you see clearly, which is obviously nice. They also provide a more natural look and feel than glasses. Plus, contacts don’t get foggy like glasses do, and they don’t get in the way when you engage in sports or other recreational activities.
However, like other good things (marriage, flossing, etc.), contacts take some getting used to. And what if your eyes are extra special? Maybe you have a monovision prescription or multifocal and/or astigmatism-correcting contacts. Below, we’ll tell you how to adjust to contacts—including the extra-special ones—and how long the adjustment might take.
How to adjust to contacts
Dr. Doug Anania offers some helpful tips to new contact lens wearers in this article:
- Give yourself a few minutes to relax after putting your contacts in. This will give you time to get acclimated to how the lenses feel in your eyes.
- Set alarms to remind you to remove and clean your lenses. Once you’ve adjusted to how contacts feel in your eyes, it can be hard to remember to take them out and clean them as needed.
- Take a break from contacts if you need to. Don’t force yourself to continue wearing them if your eyes are irritated or need a little R & R.
Now, even if you do everything right, a contact lens adjustment period is totally normal. How long does it take to adjust to contacts? About 10-12 days. You could experience mild eye issues during the adjustment period, like blurred vision, discomfort, and eye fatigue. If those symptoms persist for longer than two weeks or your eyes become strained or infected, you should talk with your eye doctor.
Read on if you have a monovision prescription or multifocal and/or astigmatism-correcting contacts.
How to adjust to extra-special contacts
All eyes are special, but let’s be honest, yours are extra special.
How to adjust to monovision
For the uninitiated, monovision is a treatment method for people with presbyopia. A monovision prescription will correct far vision in a person’s dominant eye and near vision in the other eye. How long does it take to adjust to monovision? Around two weeks. Simply follow Dr. Anania’s adjustment tips from above. Your eyes should adapt as you wear your lenses.
How to adjust to multifocals and contacts for astigmatism
Multifocal contacts are another option for treating presbyopia. They help with both far and near vision. Allow yourself some time to adjust to multifocals; you may see a shadowing effect on up-close objects for about a week. You can expect the same thing if you’re lucky enough to wear multifocal contacts that also correct astigmatism. Contacts for astigmatism only shouldn’t take longer than usual to adjust to.
Got time for another quick read? Here’s our recent blog post on wearing and removing contacts for the first time. It also answers a bunch o’ FAQs from beginners. Enjoy.
Did you know you can order contacts online?
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