i currently wear contacts, just joined a vol fd as a firemedic, someone told me i should wear my glasses or at least while i'm in fire school because the heat will destroy the contacts in my eyes.
is this true? obviously once i finish fire and get on an ambulance contacts will be fine right? anyone wear contacts in fires?
yea it was actually a couple people who told me. you never had a problem with them drying it out from the heat or anything? it was some older guys who told me so maybe thats just how it was in the old days but i just wanted to make sure it was alright
a couple months after i joined, i was practicing pack procedures around the firehouse, and one contact dried up just from being on air...it managed to fall out when i took the mask off and i had no idea...an hour later after a few of us combed the engine room floor, we found it in front of our tower ladder where i had taken the mask off
in this day and age of disposable contacts its no big deal. What are you going to do. Stop and take your contacts out before you leave the house to head out to a fire. I have never had a problem. If you are worried about them drying up. Just keep eye drops in your turnout coat.
They could dry out just because of allergies or other issues. Sometimes it might not be the right fit or lens for you. I have worn contacts for about 20 years, I have issues with comfort and the lenses drying up, but its more allergy related then anything else. Definitely keep a spare set with you at all times or a spare pair of glasses.
I have worn toric lens, gas permeable, disposable, etc and had problems with my eyes drying no matter what type or brand I use.
One important point to consider as well, if you are considering the use of glasses with a facemask: it will cause a break in the face-to-mask seal... As you need to have a passing fit test for the use of the mask, and knowing most, if not all, fit test operators will not allow glasses, beards, etc. (as it is clearly spelled out in OSHA) I would figure your fit test was wearing contacts...
Not having the need for contacts or glasses, I'm not entirely a reliable source on deciding between them. That being said, however, I believe the air inside the mask will keep your face (and contacts) cool (er) and you shouldn't have a heat problem with them. Drying up from the positive pressure airflow, however, may dry up the contacts.
All I can say (take it for what it is worth...) is I would allow you to use glasses in all evolutions that didn't require SCBA, but the minute you put the mask on, I would require that you not wear glasses (you don't have to have contacts in, but no glasses to interfear with the mask seal) for any of my classes, or for any of the scenes I would be IC of... Hope this helps...
Before I started wearing contacts my department switched to the new facepieces with the nose cone. I guess the old style mask might dry up the lenses more than the newer ones.
I wear contacts, never had a problem. I know one guy who wears glasses, he has some sort of adapter in his face piece that supports the frame of his glasses. It attaches to the nose bridge section of his glasses; the frame is suspended, no legs or temple pieces on the frames to compromise the seal of the face piece. These frames are always in his face piece, not removed.
The real answer is LASIK as stated in an earlier post.
Good luck
I have been wearing contact lens' since I joined the FD 4 years ago, and I had the same question. I have worn my contacts to numerous fires and to fireschool and never had a problem. You do not really have to worry about them melting in your eyes due to the fact that while you are on air, the air is constantly changing in your face-piece and can never get hot enough.
I personally would rather wear contacts to a fire vs. glasses, due to the fact that when throwing your face-piece on, now you have to fiddle with your glasses, tossing them in your pocket. Even during over-haul without my face-piece on (well, technically you should always have your face-piece on) the smoke and what not did not really irritate my contacts.
One quick story, a few years ago we had a job around 8am, I got out of bed for the alarm and put my glasses on. Upon arriving I grabbed the nob and at the same time took my glasses off to put them in my pocket and the lens fell out. Just one more thing you have to fiddle with if you are wearing glasses. Some guys leave their glasses on the rig, but ide rather shove them in my pocket cause im blind as a bat.
The real answer is LASIK as stated in an earlier post.
Good luck
Unless you are ineligible for LASIK. Then you are SOL. I'd have to get implantable contacts for twice the price to never have to worry about glasses or disposable contacts ever again.
As for melting, while I was in fire school and we were doing our extinguisher training, one of my classmates moved in to use the water can. He was wearing contacts and the heat deformed one lens which he then had to throw out. Lotsa guys wear contacts and never have a problem. Its just a calculated risk each person needs to consider.
I just keep a spare case in my jacket to put my glasses into and if at all possible use my old frame and lenses for fire calls.
I just keep a spare case in my jacket to put my glasses into and if at all possible use my old frame and lenses for fire calls.
I agree with that part. When I get out of bed for fire calls, I put on my old pair of glasses. Also as you stated, it's a good idea to keep a glasses case in your gear, even if you wear contacts; for those alarms you go to in the middle of the night and have to throw your glasses on. (Unless you are one of those people that sleep with your contacts in)
I put my glasses in my mask bag and shove it in my pocket when I have to use my even on GA/AFAs. I'm the type that'll lose their glasses when they're on your face at early morning/late night calls.
Been wearing contacts for a while never had a problem. They have never melted at fireschool or in a job. Depending how much you need them when i go on calls in the middle of the night i wear glasses to the firehouse and then leave them on my rack. If it turns out to be a job your are going to be able to see the fire with or without your contacts in.
One important point to consider as well, if you are considering the use of glasses with a facemask: it will cause a break in the face-to-mask seal... As you need to have a passing fit test for the use of the mask, and knowing most, if not all, fit test operators will not allow glasses, beards, etc. (as it is clearly spelled out in OSHA) I would figure your fit test was wearing contacts...
Not having the need for contacts or glasses, I'm not entirely a reliable source on deciding between them. That being said, however, I believe the air inside the mask will keep your face (and contacts) cool (er) and you shouldn't have a heat problem with them. Drying up from the positive pressure airflow, however, may dry up the contacts.
All I can say (take it for what it is worth...) is I would allow you to use glasses in all evolutions that didn't require SCBA, but the minute you put the mask on, I would require that you not wear glasses (you don't have to have contacts in, but no glasses to interfear with the mask seal) for any of my classes, or for any of the scenes I would be IC of... Hope this helps...
not for nothing but dont your department have to buy you the insert glasses and issue your own mask with the glasses if you need glasses full time????? i wear glasses... if i do not have them on i cant see a damn thing....
I've never made the move to contacts, been wearing glasses full-time for about 10 years. I have a hard case in my bunker gear. At first, I just went with no glasses in the mask, but when we changed to the Scott I got the insert glasses. The angle of the glasses is a little different than wearing them on your face, but you should get used to it very quickly. I recommend wearing the mask around the station a little bit to get used to that before you start going into fires with that insert.
I have been wearing contacts for bout about 10 years and as soon as I joined the dept they had me fax a copy of my prescription to Hq and in about a week I had inserts given to me. I usually just throw my contacts in, if I run into trouble I just put the inserts in. Only once I had an issue with my contacts and that's only bc of allergies due to the changing of the seasons. But if your dept is using Scott they should issue you inserts. But like they said earlier there are a little annoying to get use to If you never worn them before.
Good Luck.
I believe there was a problem with the original, hard contact lenses, they could suction to your eye or something. The soft/disposable lenses are not a problem. I have never had a problem at a call, then again, I only take them out every 3 months or so. i actually started wearing them to bed to be ready to go to calls in the middle of the night.
I actually had a problem with the scratch resistant coating on my glasses cracking. I think it may be from the heat of a fire school when they were in the pocket of my gear but don't really know for sure.
Ive never had a problem with them, i usually wear mine to bed also(although your not supposed too) change them out regularly as well. Never had a problem at a fire or anything.
My dept paid for the inserts and now I keep them in my bunker cost pocket just in case my contacts fails, I wear the acuvue oasys I think and there great with the dry heat. They stay moist and never dry up.
I have been wearing contacts for a year or so and have never had a problem at fires or fire school. Like many others suggest, just keep a spare set and or some eye drops and youll be fine.
contact lenses vs glasses
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