Contact Lenses & 24 hour shifts

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harryb714

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Silly question: I'm still an EMT-B student but am curious about how EMT (and I guess FFs too) deal with wearing contacts on 24 hour shifts. Whenever I sleep for more than an hour with contacts I wake up with some serious eye goobies. Do you sleep (if you get a chance to sleep) with them in? Do you take them out before your naps then pop them back in en route to the call?
 
I wear glasses on overnight tours if I'm on longer than 12. Contacts I only wear during the day on 24s or when I'm just on for a 12.
 
I sleep with mine in, and usually need saline drops to re-hydrate them when I wake up.
It sometimes takes a minute or two to get where I am not blinking every second.... been doing it for years without an issue ( I do carry a spare just incase )
 
i wear them until im about to sleep...take them out, as soon as the emergency page comes in i quickly put my contacts back on lol
 
I wear them during the day and take them out at night and use my glasses. My vision is pretty poor in glasses, but I never have to drive, so I do fine.
 
I just use glasses. I like contacts better, but they aren't worth the bother, especially in an environment that can get really gross.

Fire is more of a problem, since SCBA can dry out contacts pretty quickly. Most people who have that problem just go without. If you're extremely blind, they make prescription inserts for facepieces.
 
I wear the Night & Day contacts, they are made to sleep in. They feel fine in the morning and I like being able to see when I wake up without having to put on my glasses.
 
Firechik said:
I wear the Night & Day contacts, they are made to sleep in. They feel fine in the morning and I like being able to see when I wake up without having to put on my glasses.
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I want those, but I can't seem to get my optometrist to give me a script for any that are toric... then again I don't even know if they're made in a toric lens
 
I use extended wear contacts. I can keep them in for up to 30 days before I toss them and replace them. Normally, I keep mine in for 2 weeks straight, take them out, clean them, disinfect them and wear glasses for a day or two, and put the contacts back in. Most of the time, I don't even realize my contacts are in. It's a lot like having had my eyes done but without the high initial cost. I can see when I go to sleep, and I can see when I get up.
 
I'm going to piggy-back on this thread, because I have a similar question. I am a volunteer, so I don't work 24 shifts, but I am practically blind without my glasses or contacts. Since I am a FF/EMT, I had to get my SCBA fitted with prescription glasses (no contacts allowed). I have been considering LASIK for some time now - my father got LASIK done about 10-12 years ago and loves it, and a good friend had it done about 2 years ago. I wear soft contacts, but like my parents as I've gotten older my eyes have gotten drier and even with drops it gets harder and harder to wear my lenses even 8 hours at a time.

Are there any restrictions out there to be aware of, specifically relating to EMS/Fire? From what I understand the cornea never fully heals after being sliced open - the Army, for example, doesn't allow LASIK. Instead, you ahve to get the PRK procedure where they basically grind your cornea down instead of cutting it (which takes longer to heal/get your "good" eyesight).

I do plan on sitting down with a specialist at some point to discuss the options, but I thought I'd ask on here as the only LASIK thread appears to be 2+ years old.
 
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