[NA] Question about contact lenses

[Sundancer]

DEFPOTEC . . . if you have an AME that uses the old chart, that's the 20/20 line.

I wear glasses, progressives, made by my wife's son (she sold him the business when she retired). They do "intrude/distort" slightly on peripheral vision, but not much - swivel your noggin a bit. . .

 

[vman]

look into bifocal contact lenses, dunno if they are made or available for just close-up viewing issues,

the other way is easy combining the 2, contacts for far with reading glasses hanging on the beak for up close

 

[weilke]

Bryan,
Progressive glasses. Fly w/o them, or fly with them at night to see your flying monitors. Look over the top of them like all of us guys that are 40+, then put sunglasses over them for the full-on effect.

For flying and things like equipment control stations, some prefer old fashioned bifocals with a sharp line between the zones rather than the progressive type. Nobody cares if you look a bit nerdy wearing them.

 

[Bill]

look into bifocal contact lenses, dunno if they are made or available for just close-up viewing issues,

the other way is easy combining the 2, contacts for far with reading glasses hanging on the beak for up close

The 1st, bifocal contacts, is acceptable to the FAA. The second way is not.

 

[vman]

what about just reading glasses? where no contacts are required? what's the diff?

or faa rational?

 

[alfadog]

You are far sited? What is that exactly?

Anyway, contacts are not in your future. They are not appropriate for aging eyes. Getting old sux but it beats the alternative.

That would be far sighted. Far sited would be working remotely or something not close by. I understand that as a youngster you don’t comprehend these things.

No, far sited means that you have violated the federal regulations related to aviation and have been dinged by the faa.

 

[Rushie]

No, far sited means that you have violated the federal regulations related to aviation and have been dinged by the faa.

I think that would be far cited.

 

[catmandu]

Bryan with an eye,

Fully fund your FSA, you are about to make an old man trip down vision lane.

My trip:
Pick up the magnifying glass for pill bottles.
Go online for 0.5 cheaters to “sharpen things up.”
Start buying cheaters in 3-packs at Walmart when you get to 1.25 power.
Think your far vision is going too when you can’t find ADS-B Traffic.
Visit the eye doc for the first time, who says “you’re old”.
Get a pair of glasses with progressive lenses to solve all your problems at once.
Get tired of wearing glasses, look into contacts.
Go through about twelve iterations to find an acceptable contact situation.

I ended up with daily use progressive contacts, both different prescriptions AND manufacturers for each eye. One eye works better for far vision, the other for near, but because they are both progressive they don’t violate the FAA rule against monovision. This gets me to an acceptable state for about 90% of the situations, not perfect vision but good enough to not wear glasses. Doc says I’m 20/20 near and far with the contacts in but it does not seem that way to me. I sometimes throw the glasses on to make everything perfectly clear.

I still can’t find ABS-B traffic. Must be ghosts.

 

[Rushie]

Bryan with an eye,

Fully fund your FSA, you are about to make an old man trip down vision lane.

My trip:
Pick up the magnifying glass for pill bottles.
Go online for 0.5 cheaters to “sharpen things up.”
Start buying cheaters in 3-packs at Walmart when you get to 1.25 power.
Think your far vision is going too when you can’t find ADS-B Traffic.
Visit the eye doc for the first time, who says “you’re old”.
Get a pair of glasses with progressive lenses to solve all your problems at once.
Get tired of wearing glasses, look into contacts.
Go through about twelve iterations to find an acceptable contact situation.

I ended up with daily use progressive contacts, both different prescriptions AND manufacturers for each eye. One eye works better for far vision, the other for near, but because they are both progressive they don’t violate the FAA rule against monovision. This gets me to an acceptable state for about 90% of the situations, not perfect vision but good enough to not wear glasses. Doc says I’m 20/20 near and far with the contacts in but it does not seem that way to me. I sometimes throw the glasses on to make everything perfectly clear.

I still can’t find ABS-B traffic. Must be ghosts.

Cataracts. Then go through that whole trip. I hate growing old.

 

[weilke]

I still can’t find ABS-B traffic. Must be ghosts.

Nobody sees ADSB traffic!

(Cue the chord from the Monty Python 'spanish inquisition skit)

 

[Half Fast]

The 1st, bifocal contacts, is acceptable to the FAA. The second way is not.

Really? Reference?

 

[azure]

Just as an aside. Don't sleep in your contacts and stay away from extended wear contacts. You only have one set of corneas, an infection caused ulcer in your visual axis can put an end to your flying career.

What is wrong with extended wear contacts?

The ones that are designed for extended wear have greater permeability and allow more oxygen to reach the cornea. As long as you only use them on a daily wear basis (i.e., take them out every night), it seems they should be safer than the kind that are designed for daily wear.

I'm guessing you might have meant that you shouldn't wear any contact lens on an extended wear basis even if they were designed for that purpose, but the wording of your post suggests otherwise.

 

[SixPapaCharlie]

I have heard of more senior folks going in for "cataract surgery". I put that in quotes for insurance purposes but they end up getting a procedure called Crystal Lens I think.
If I understand (And I probably don't) they pretty much have 20/20 for life after that.

But insurance doesn't cover the exciting part of that and younger folks tend to not get cataracts so If it does work well I am guessing for a whole lotta dough, one could get this and not have to worry about vision again.

^^^ All that was hearsay and could be totally inaccurate

 

[Half Fast]

Really? Reference?

Here’s what I found:

For multiple vision defects involving distance and/or near and/or intermediate visual acuity when more than one set of lenses is required to correct for all vision defects, the appropriate limitation is:

HOLDER SHALL WEAR LENSES THAT CORRECT FOR DISTANT VISION AND POSSESS GLASSES THAT CORRECT FOR NEAR AND INTERMEDIATE VISION

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_or...m/ame/guide/app_process/exam_tech/item51/amd/

 

[azure]

The 1st, bifocal contacts, is acceptable to the FAA. The second way is not.

That's news to me. I've been wearing contacts for distance plus cheaters, worn granny-style for inside the cockpit for years now. When I was still flying under a 3rd class, my AME was well aware of my practice and never said anything about it.

 

[weilke]

What is wrong with extended wear contacts?

The ones that are designed for extended wear have greater permeability and allow more oxygen to reach the cornea. As long as you only use them on a daily wear basis (i.e., take them out every night), it seems they should be safer than the kind that are designed for daily wear.

I was less than clear in my statement: Don't wear any contacts for days in a row without taking them out and storing them in a purpose made cleaning/storage solution overnight even if the marketing tells you that you can.

(I manage a practice of cornea surgeons. Contact lens misadventures pays for a good part or our overhead)

 

[vman]

Here’s what I found:

For multiple vision defects involving distance and/or near and/or intermediate visual acuity when more than one set of lenses is required to correct for all vision defects, the appropriate limitation is:

HOLDER SHALL WEAR LENSES THAT CORRECT FOR DISTANT VISION AND POSSESS GLASSES THAT CORRECT FOR NEAR AND INTERMEDIATE VISION

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_or...m/ame/guide/app_process/exam_tech/item51/amd/

that seems to say that bifocal contacts alone are not acceptable for

multiple vision defects involving distance and/or near and/or intermediate visual acuity when more than one set of lenses is required to correct for all vision defects

so contacts for far with reading glasses for up close is ok only that way,

the only other alternative then is bifocal glasses

 

[vman]

lotsa bs out there in the contacts biz
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-357082/Contact-lens-firms-ripping-off.html

 

[Half Fast]

that seems to say that bifocal contacts alone are not acceptable for


so contacts for far with reading glasses for up close is ok only that way,

the only other alternative then is bifocal glasses

That’s my take on it, yes.

I wear contacts for distance and have reading glasses in my flight bag, but my flying sunglasses have small stick-on readers in the bottom portion of the lenses and that works very well.

 

[Bill]

@Half Fast asked about:


https://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/pilotsafetybrochures/media/pilot_vision.pdf

See “A word about contact lenses”

 

[vman]

A Word about Contact Lenses
Monovision contact lenses (one contact lens for distant vision
and the other lens for near vision) make the pilot alternate his/
her vision; that is, a person uses one eye at a time, suppressing
the other, and consequently impairs binocular vision and depth
perception. These lenses are not acceptable for piloting an aircraft

The 1st, bifocal contacts, is acceptable to the FAA. The second way is not.

 

[Half Fast]

@Half Fast asked about:


https://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/pilotsafetybrochures/media/pilot_vision.pdf

See “A word about contact lenses”

That describes wearing one contact for far and one for near. That can reduce depth perception and is not a good idea.

Your original post, though, described wearing a pair of contact lenses for far vision, then putting on reading glasses for near vision. That is perfectly fine.

 

[vman]

That describes wearing one contact for far and one for near. That can reduce depth perception and is not a good idea.

per the link

These lenses are not acceptable for piloting an aircraft

this covers the other part

HOLDER SHALL WEAR LENSES THAT CORRECT FOR DISTANT VISION AND POSSESS GLASSES THAT CORRECT FOR NEAR AND INTERMEDIATE VISION

which i think means no bifocal contacts allowed ..but then

For multiple defective distant, near, and intermediate visual acuity when unifocal glasses or contact lenses are used and correct all, the appropriate limitation is:

HOLDER SHALL WEAR CORRECTIVE LENSES

 

[Eric Stoltz]

Bryan with an eye,

Fully fund your FSA, you are about to make an old man trip down vision lane.

My trip:
Pick up the magnifying glass for pill bottles.
Go online for 0.5 cheaters to “sharpen things up.”
Start buying cheaters in 3-packs at Walmart when you get to 1.25 power.
Think your far vision is going too when you can’t find ADS-B Traffic.
Visit the eye doc for the first time, who says “you’re old”.
Get a pair of glasses with progressive lenses to solve all your problems at once.
Get tired of wearing glasses, look into contacts.
Go through about twelve iterations to find an acceptable contact situation.

I ended up with daily use progressive contacts, both different prescriptions AND manufacturers for each eye. One eye works better for far vision, the other for near, but because they are both progressive they don’t violate the FAA rule against monovision. This gets me to an acceptable state for about 90% of the situations, not perfect vision but good enough to not wear glasses. Doc says I’m 20/20 near and far with the contacts in but it does not seem that way to me. I sometimes throw the glasses on to make everything perfectly clear.

^^^^^This is exactly correct for me too. I don't shop at wallmart, but everything else is spot the F on. Make appointments every 2 weeks for a few months as well. Speeds things up. And look into retirement homes with progressive care. Prices go up. Find the one with the best soup.

 

[timwinters]

@SixPapaCharlie

I haven't read the entire thread, but in case no one has suggested it...

Get glasses with progressive lenses.

 

[Half Fast]

Try a white cane and a guide dog.

Makes sure someone records video to send to the FSDO.

 

[Eric Stoltz]

 

[Sinistar]

@SixPapaCharlie , I don't think contacts are applicable for your situation. You have great distance vision and just need some help up close. As you get older your near vision will need even more help.

Even if wearing a single near vision contact was a valid option you probably wouldn't like it. It just doesn't work for everyone.

I could wear contacts full time but I know several people that wear them full time and after several years tend to have issues. I just wear then when I need to wear something over my eyes (scuba mask, swim googles, motorcycle googles, etc).

My advice would be to get a bifocal (transition or fixed line) that pretty much leaves your distance vision alone with little or no magnification on the top part....basically clear. And then some near vision factor on the bottom to help read or see up close. Maybe in a sunglass as others have said.

FYI - transition bifocals can take several days to adjust too.


Or just buy readers for $15 and look over the top. But you'll find yourself taking them on and off a lot as looking over the top is a PITA after awhile. Probably not what you want to be doing do a lot in the plane with a headset on. If you use Clarity Aloft or Halos it might be easier to take them on and off. I use Halos and I think if I were to take my glasses off and on a lot the mic position would be a hassle.

 

[vman]

re help.
Even if wearing a single near vision contact was a valid option you probably wouldn't like it. It just doesn't work for everyone.

had a quick look & i think they are available
https://www.clearly.ca/thelook/how-do-multifocal-bifocal-contacts-work/

 

[azure]

lotsa bs out there in the contacts biz
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-357082/Contact-lens-firms-ripping-off.html

Thanks. That is something I wasn't aware of. I assumed the daily wear disposables had a lower water content and were less permeable to oxygen than the ones intended to be reused for a month... largely because the latter are typically marketed as extended wear as well, whereas the former are (obviously) not. I will pose the question to my optometrist at my next annual exam...

 

[alfadog]

I think that would be far cited.

 

[timwinters]

@SixPapaCharlie
<snip>
My advice would be to get a bifocal (transition or fixed line) that pretty much leaves your distance vision alone with little or no magnification on the top part....basically clear.
<snip>
FYI - transition bifocals can take several days to adjust too.
<snip>

Not to go all Jay Selched on you, but I think you meant to say "progressives" and not "transitions" which is what I also recommended earlier.

 

[Timbeck2]

Briany, just get a pair of readers or three to you can keep them at work, in your car and in your airplane. I've worn contacts since I was sixteen for near sightedness or myopia if you're a nit-picking doofus. Every flight physical I wear glasses however because taking them out and putting them in for the eye test is a pain in the patootie.

 

[Half Fast]

BTW, you can buy sunglasses with small reading lenses in the bottom portion. My wife got some at Walmart. I’ve never seen them with a gradient shade, though, which is why I used the stick-on lenses.

 

[exncsurfer]

So last year I got glasses.

Today I got to thinking contact lenses would be maybe an option to consider but I got to thinking.
I only wear glasses when I am trying to read things a monitor's distance away.

My glasses make anything else blurry.
So how do people wear contacts all day?

I think I am far sited. If I got contacts, I would need to take them out to drive or pretty much do anything other than work at my desk.

How do contacts work that people don't have to take them out when they change scenes?

thx.

I got glasses for the first time 3 years or so ago. At first, my distance prescription (+.50) was enough to help with the old man near vision issue. I didn't like the readers they tried to set me up with to view monitors, they were way too much magnification for me to get used to. Over the next year or so, my near vision kept getting worse to where I had to up the magnification for my computer glasses to +.75 and that was just kind of borderline for distance in one of my eyes and OK for the other. So, depending on how farsighted you are in the distance it may or may not be enough to help you with your presbyopia. I could probably get away with wearing +.75 contacts but like the other poster a few posts back I'm averse to having foreign objects in my eye.

This just happened to coincide with my trying to learn to land and I'm blaming the random glasses du jour for that process taking so long, thats my story and i'm sticking to it.