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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 30, 2009 - 06:23pm PT
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My left eye has been red, sort of poofy, and sore on the nose side for about 8 months now. After trying to correct it (assuming it was just an irritation) with various home remedies (sunglasses, artificial tears, no make-up, etc.) with no change, I went to the eye doc.
Turns out I have a benign growth (pterygium) caused by sun and wind that eventually will probably need to be removed my surgery when it gets big enough to impede my vision or I get sick of how it looks and feels.
I've never been good about wearing sunglasses, especially when I climb since I feel like they goof up my vision, but I'm going to find a pair of glasses that I can stand and be more patient about getting used to the difference in how I see w/ them on.
I'm writing this to encourage/remind all of y'all who also slack on the shades (especially the other fair folks) to be more dilligent too! This condition happens most frequently in people who spend a lot of time outdoors.
(Mine isn't quite this bad.)
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jul 30, 2009 - 06:37pm PT
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werd, hate to say it, but good optical quality sunglasses usually aren't cheap. Those with good optical quality don't have distortions, well, at least until I scratch the living hell out of them the first trip to the crags.
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nita
climber
chica from chico, I don't claim to be a daisy
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Jul 30, 2009 - 06:39pm PT
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Melissa, I have had a pterygium growth for about 20 years...Yep, too many summers in the high country not wearing sunglasses. I am also light sensitive. My eye throbs in pain- when i read to much or get very tired....Now- i always wear my sunglasses.
my eyes can look like the above picture ..... and i am not fair.
sunglasses
sunscreen
condoms
hat/helmet
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Jul 30, 2009 - 06:50pm PT
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. . . but even when buying cheap sunglasses, like six dolla heart-shaped stunna shades, if they say they protect you 100% from UV/UVB rays, you're in the clear.
Except for the eye strain that comes from trying to adjust to the distortion from cheap poly lenses. Even the ones that cover the UV are hard on your eyes because the lenses distort so badly. Sometimes it's visible to the naked eye, sometimes it isn't.
If you try on a genuinely good set of glass lenses-- or even top-drawer polys --and compare them with yr standards, the difference can be amazing. Over the course of a season, it can matter a lot in eye strain, especially for those of us who have jobs that also demand a lot of screen or reading or fine vision.
I finally broke down and bought a new pair this summer--fwbr.
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Pewf
climber
nederland
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Jul 30, 2009 - 07:03pm PT
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I have the same issue--though if I'd have to choose a company to be in, proud to be with you fine ladies. My left eye has had one for at least 10 years. Cosmetically, I hate it when it's acting up and I have this big red eye. But some potentially good news for you, Melissa, is that after 10 years mine hasn't really progressed toward needing surgery due to impact on my vision even though even after diagnosis it took quite awhile for me to suck it up and get better about wearing sunglasses.
Eye drops (without redness reducers) do help me a lot with irritation. My doc back in California also told me that it wouldn't really harm it to occasionally drop a bit of Visene to get rid of the redness if it was acting up just before a business conference or something.
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David Knopp
Trad climber
CA
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Jul 30, 2009 - 07:06pm PT
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if you need prescription sunglasses check out Opticus on line, they've done awesome work for my f*#ked up eyes...
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jul 30, 2009 - 07:17pm PT
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wow, kat, hiking to the top of the rock with the clean drawers.
serious dedication there
werd to what klk says, even polarized lenses will distort on an optical quality lense. it's the scratches that give me the headaches. can't tell you how many Revos I've jacked due to scratches.
asdfasdfasdf
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jul 30, 2009 - 07:51pm PT
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I keep losing mine.
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tolman_paul
Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
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Jul 30, 2009 - 08:23pm PT
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Funny thing is, when my 4-runner got totalled out, some a-hole stole my varnets out of it! They were cool with this white/blue frame.
I still have my vaurnet glacier glasses, and I might still have my wrap around cat eyes, but the wrap around part of the frame broke so I might have tossed them.
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pip the dog
Mountain climber
planet dogboy
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Jul 30, 2009 - 08:47pm PT
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a pal of mine who did his undergrad work in physics (specifically, optics) then went on to get an MD and become an ophthalmologist, turned me on to this trick:
take your intended sylin' shades and hold them at about waist level. then watch how the fluorescent bulbs (ubiquitous in retail) move across the lenses as you tilt them, top to bottom, then left to right.
if you see the straight line of the fluorescent bulbs _bend_ as you tilt the lenses, even just a tad –- run away. buy a different pair that doesn't distort in this simple test. even the slightest distortion in this test is reason for immediate disqualification (and headaches), despite the brand or price. try another pair, or another brand. try a bunch.
~~~
this advice has worked well for me for years. as such, much recommended. my pal also mentioned that pulling this off just so -- even among the premium brands -- with plastic lenses is to date pretty much a hit or miss game. so try a couple pair, until it looks just right.
me, i wanna see what i fall off of. that and i've got enough headaches already.
fwiw,
^,,^
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mrtropy
Trad climber
Nor Cal
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Jul 30, 2009 - 08:50pm PT
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Can you still buy those cat eyes? I wore them for years skiing.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 30, 2009 - 09:12pm PT
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Nita and Pewf...Good to know I'm not alone, but I'm surprised you've been able to stand it this long! I'm not sure that I'll want to let my be if it keeps feeling the way that it has.
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spot
Boulder climber
Atascadero,Ca
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Jul 30, 2009 - 09:55pm PT
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My eyes are super light sensitive and I wear mountaineering glasses from sun up to sundown. Even for driving (not generally recommended).
What saves me from destroying my glasses is putting on a leash. Favorite is "Chums".
And I am trying to break a bad habit of cleaning my glasses with my t shirt. It destroys the coatings.
I found that Julbo Colorados agree with me (fat head, wide nose bridge) and fairly inexpensive - $40.
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John Moosie
climber
Beautiful California
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Jul 30, 2009 - 10:08pm PT
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"i don't wear them for snowboarding"
big time bad move. The worst burn I have had on my eyes was out skiing on a sunny day without sunshades. Brutal. I burned them so bad I couldn't see for 2 days. The doc warned me that I could seriously damage my eyes and lose vision if I burned them again.
Wear eye protection when at altitude and especially on snow. Goggles or shades, whatever works for you. Just wear them.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Jul 30, 2009 - 11:06pm PT
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An opthamologist told me that any old POS plastic will block 95% of UV. They're lying if they claim 100%. While I grant you that it is much nicer looking through 'Nets or Serengetis I never heard that 'eye strain' actually causes any harm; it might actually be good for you to 'work' the eye muscles.
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Daphne
Trad climber
Mill Valley, CA
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Jul 31, 2009 - 12:14am PT
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Reilly, I respectfully disagree. Working your eye muscles causes strain that affects vision negatively. Better vision always results from relaxation. I have learned this the hard way by losing most of the vision from my right eye and needing to find a way for my left to take up all the slack.
My problem with sunglasses is that I retain possession of them in inverse relationship to how much they cost. In other words, $10.00 shades litter my glove box...
Edit: Darn, I meant to write that straining your eye muscles affects vision negatively. Of course, you use your eye muscles anytime you pay visual attention to something.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Jul 31, 2009 - 12:39am PT
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hey there melissa... say, and WOW---great post/thread... who would know... (as to the eye damage, etc)...
folks dont usualy talk about this much...
*say, best wishes to all those with eye trouble too... wow, never knew this...
*did know about the skiing and sun glasses though, and being at the beach... and on boats...
thanks for the share...
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Aug 29, 2009 - 01:18am PT
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just to remind everyone... optical things seem to be happening around here a lot these days...
...just learned from the opthamologist that I have a cataract on my right eye lens, which explains the cloudy vision I've been experience in that eye for the last year...
now I get to decide when I want to fix it...
any experience out there?
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Aug 29, 2009 - 01:31am PT
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Eddie eHartouni, maybe put that query in its own post? It should be pretty interesting, plus it might become buried here.
Remember though, when you get to be my age, I promise you will be able to see through steel.
Also, Lady Kathode, loving my Vuarnets too. I have had them for way long time now. Usually I destroy sunglasses. To hell with the skimpy trendy units. We need protection. I think there is something like 30% more UV now since 1970(?). It is like being in a microwave now.
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