Like, has anyone had the optometrist try multiple lenses and work to get a fit? In my experience they put you in something and then maybe if it is unpleasant they'll try something else, but it's dependent on you being proactive, much as it would be if you were in Hubble.
Long answer: I have Keratoconus, which means my cornea has uneven thickness across its surface, which causes bubbles in my cornea, creating a very uneven prescription across my eye. The contacts I use are called “scleral” lenses, which use a liquid-filled void to nullify my actual cornea shape, creating a new cornea. They are expensive, require specialized training to adjust, and nailing down a prescription involves doing adjustments with them in, and working backwards to figure out the proper prescription.
My optometrist worked on my prescription for around 6 months solid, going through around 12 pairs of $250 (per lens) contacts on their dime.
So, yeah. A good optometrist is fantastic, and does a ton for you.
Did you end up doing CXL? Are you considering it, or any of the other procedures.
You're not likely going to find a great one if you're going to a Costco or Wal-Mart to get your prescriptions. One needs to go to a proper clinic.
My current one did my ICL surgery (a corrective surgery similar to cataract surgery, but a permanent contact lens instead of a lens replacement) several years ago.
I have sympathy for more complicated cases, but they're the 20% approaching 0.01%. They necessarily can't be used to justify the 80% case which is as the GP described.
Yes. Most good ones do this. Just as there are good and bad doctors, there are good and bad optometrists.
IMO, Hubble is straight up dangerous. Getting glasses online is relatively risk free. But when something is physically touching your eye, precautions need to be taken.
Arguably annual exams/prescriptions are overly frequent for some people. On the other hand, bypassing verification on line is fairly trivial.
It is a little frustrating though that now I can’t just go somewhere and buy those lenses. The prescription verification isn’t terrible but it’s an annoyance.
[1] https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/rules/rulemaking-regulatory-...
http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html
I wonder who hired the PR firm to get this article published? Was it the optometrists? No, they don't have that much money.
I'd guess this article was bought with a grant from Johnson & Johnson, your friendly contact lens giant.
In any case, if you need contacts, skip Hubble. Go direct to Daysoft.
Spreading FUD about your competitors is a time-honored business practice. These upstart companies represent a threat to the profits of the industry giants.
But I recommend Daysoft in the UK. $8 for 32 lenses! And no prescription needed.
I mean, I'm sure some people are reusing daily disposables, but the idea is to just use and toss.
I switched to daily disposables a few years ago (out of ~15 years of contacts use) and I kick myself for not doing it sooner. I no longer have to spend like 4-5 minutes a day cleaning the lenses or throwing 2 week disposables 1 week into use due to protein buildup, and they no longer aggravate my allergies either.
Extended wear disposables were so great for me when I switched many years ago. Protein buildup meant that even with cleaning contacts were uncomfortable by the time I had to replace them.
On the other hand I’ve never had an issue with 2 week extended wear.
That’s some scummy behavior.
At the same time, it’s probably ALSO true that, if you can afford it, a brand using newer technology may be better. And you should talk to an eye doctor about the decision. I just wish eye doctors were not selling you anything and were in business to be doctors; that would make it a lot easier to trust that you were getting good advice.
PS I have a lot of experience with the price of contact lenses from my job, weirdly. For the best prices, you should buy contacts from either Costco or any online retailer besides 1-800 Contacts (Walmart, etc.). But I would suggest you buy the brand you’ve been prescribed.
Also FWIW, my optometrist just passes me to the front desk when he’s done. No one pressures me to buy contacts or glasses from them and, in fact, I mail order my contacts from Walmart.
I'm no expert, but that doesn't sound like a solid diagnosis. Sounds more like "we don't like those people". My immediate question would be "why are they at fault?" A corneal ulcer has many possible causes, and if I was the patient, I'd really like to know what exactly caused this condition. I mean, if Hubble is selling faulty lenses that causes this condition, at the very least you would be able to hold them responsible.
"Hubble contacts are made with an old material called methafilcon A, which has a Dk/t of 18.8. Research shows that a Dk/t of 24 is necessary to maintain cornea integrity and avoid swelling."
https://www.reddit.com/r/YouShouldKnow/comments/9o6a0h/ysk_t...
Yet, they didn't bother. So all we have is speculation.
https://www.reddit.com/r/YouShouldKnow/comments/9o6a0h/ysk_t...
listen to their "verification" message
https://cms.qz.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/hubble-contact...
Sounds like a great arena for some pro-consumer regulation or legislation.
The core issue of compliance is somewhat buried in the text, but worth pointing out. Optometrists' chief complaint is that very few offices seem to be prescribing the Hubble contacts brand specifically and yet, Hubble seem to be selling them to customers. This implies to them that either all prescriptions aren't being verified or are somehow being "passively" verified. Within the current rules set in place by the FTC, they believe it's unlikely quite so many prescriptions are passively verified.
The FTC is actually actively working on developing new rules around prescription verification to address some of these concerns. [1]
[1]: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2019/05/ftc-s...
https://qz.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/hubble-contacts-ro...
(From an earlier article on https://qz.com/1154306/hubble-sold-contact-lenses-with-a-fak... )
