Quote from: M Sharpe on September 12, 2016, 12:33:03 PM
I've tried the contact deal. I've got about 3 different things going on with my eyes. Astigmatism in both eyes and need reading glasses, and far-farsightedness in one eye. Toric lens never seemed to work real good for me because the axis never was right. Eyes would dry out on overcast days. I just wear my glasses. One brand of cleaner and anti-fogging works pretty fair. A lot of times, I'll turn my hat around backwards or wear one of those little camo rags on my head. This seems to keep the body heat from coming back down on my glasses as it's rising off of me. When I set up on a bird, I make sure my glasses are outside of my face mask (3/4 bandito).
From your description, you do NOT sound like a good candidate for lasik. Plenty of surgeons would love to take it on, but I would guess, some of the more ethical ones would discourage you. Feel free to PM me your glasses prescription...
Lasik will NOT alleviate the need for reading glasses, and the far-sighted issue makes you a poor candidate right off the get go. Far-sighted (hyperopic) patients almost always have regression, and often develop other visual issues after lasik, and the dry eye issue needs to be addressed before surgery...
There are currently two prescription drops used to treat dry eyes on chronic basis: Restasis and Xiidra. Xiidra just became available this month, and I myself am utilizing it, with some positive results (but it burns and causes blur for about 25 minutes after insertion). Both these eye drops require chronic utilization and are basically a life-time commitment.
Currently there are companies making anti-fog coatings on the lenses... You must put an activator on the glasses about every 2 weeks or so, but they do work better than anything else out there I have seen. Combine an anti-fog with an anti-glare coating, and we get even more improvement (depending on the company making the coatings).
Hard contact lenses will provide better vision than soft lenses, and there are now hybrid contact lenses (hard lens with a soft skirt) that work extremely well for some people, but they come with a price-tag. In general for people with significant astigmatism, hard contact lenses provide better vision than glasses, and glasses provide better vision than soft contact lenses.
Believe it or not, hard contact lenses are less expensive in the long-run (more expensive initially though). The biggest downfalls of hard lenses are the initial fitting, and the initial discomfort. Feels like you put a couple rocks in your eyes when you first get them.
Also, wind, dust, and dirt can be more problematic with hard contacts, and unlike soft contact lenses, hard lenses can (and will) fall out. The hybrid contact lenses do not have the comfort issues, and will not fall out, but insertion and removal is far more complicated, and they are a far more expensive alternative.
