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Moisture Chambers Can Help Protect Your Eyes
Does spending time outdoors, especially in wind, cause excruciating pain?
Does even the mild breeze caused by walking across a room, imperceptible
to people with healthy eyes, make your eyes feel as if they have been
scraped with a rough brick or scorched by flame? If so, moisture chamber
glasses or moisture chamber goggles, which have a chamber constructed
around each eye, might help. A pair of moisture chamber glasses or goggles
can provide the following protections:
- Retains moisture to help keep the eye lubricated
- Protects the eye from air movement
- Protects the eye from dust, smoke, sprays, and other particulates
Important! All information on this Web site is
based on the experience and opinions of a very small number of individuals with severe
dry eye. It is not provided by a doctor or other medical professional. Some of this
information might be inaccurate or out-of-date, so consult an optometrist or optician
before making a decision about which goggle to buy. Please see the
Disclaimer
below.
This page covers:
Prices! The cost of the moisture chamber
glasses and moisture chamber goggles described here
vary from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars, so be sure to check out several options
before deciding which is best for you. It is easy to damage a lens because of the various
coatings that might be used on the inner surface of the lens. Therefore,
include in your budget the probability that
you will need to buy replacement lenses at regular intervals.
Defogging tip! To defog goggles
without using a defogging spray (which people with sensitive or allergic eyes cannot
use):
- Wash your hands with fragrance-free soap or with baking soda.
- Squirt a couple of drops of Allergan Refresh Lubricant Eye Drops onto the
inner surface of each lens. Alternatively, use a couple of drops of
Unisol 4 preservative-free saline solution (which you should keep refrigerated
because it is unpreserved).
- Wipe the tears or saline solution over each lens with a (clean) finger.
- Be sure to wash the goggles several times each day, using fresh artifial tears or
saline solution on the inner lenses each time.
This sterile method is much safer than using water. You can find Refresh Lubricant Eye Drops at
MedShopExpress.com or at
Drugstore.com.
(Artificial tears that contain methylcellulose cannot be used to defog lenses.)
The table below lists a number of prescription moisture chamber glasses and
goggles that might be appropriate for providing protection for dry eyes. Some of the
goggles (such as the Gator or Hilco goggles, neither of which take a bifocal lens but
both of which can correct for astigmatism) are much less expensive than others.
If you plan to wear goggles for extended periods of time, a good practice is to
buy three or four types of goggles, and then switch between them
during the day and for sleeping. Changing goggles improves comfort by varying where they
fit against your skin and helps avoid developing an allergic reaction to any one type
of frame.
Prescription goggle technology is changing at a rapid pace. Check with your optician, or
with a sporting goods store run by an optometrist (such as
AthleticOptics.com) or an optician (such as
SportEyes.com), for the latest information.
Before you buy! Before you purchase
moisture chamber glasses or goggles, be sure you have read carefully the
Lens Care Info page.
DryEyePain takes no responsibility for
any damage that you might cause your lenses by trying to clean them.
We've had trouble at times damaging some of the lenses
ourselves — hopefully, technology improvements will soon provide better lenses and
lens coatings that are less easily scratched.
Ask your optician or optometrist how to clean your lenses safely
without damaging them.
Prescriptions ranges or other information might be
inaccurate DryEyePain.com does not have an in-house optician.
We try to provide accurate prescription ranges and other information about the glasses
and goggles listed in this table, but some of this information might not
be correct or might be outdated by the time you read this page.
| Picture |
Prescription Moisture Chamber Glasses and Goggles |
|
Moisture chamber glasses custom made from wire frames (click to enlarge)
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- Moisture chamber glasses made from ordinary
glasses
-
If you have an extreme case of dry eye, these
glasses might not provide sufficient protection. See other options later on
this page.
If you can find an optician who is a master craftsman,
he or she can take a pair of ordinary wire-frame glasses and make them
into moisture chamber glasses. The clear soft plastic side shields
shown here have been attached to the glasses
before the shields have been trimmed. The
optician trims the side shields to fit exactly to your face.
Because these are regular glasses, they can handle any prescription or
lens type.
If your
optician wants to learn how to make moisture chamber glasses, see
How can your optician make
moisture chamber glasses? Your optician can get the plastic side
shields from Eagle Vision
or from Scott Kornfeld (1-516-681-3937), an optician who donates the
the proceeds from the sale of the plastic used for side shields to the
Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation.
Ask your optician about adding hooks at the ends of each side piece
so that you can use an elastic string to pull the glasses closer to your
face. Using hooks with an elastic string works better than the commercially
available elastic bands used for sports. See
How to use an elastic
string with moisture chamber glasses.
Caution
Clean moisture chamber glasses several times a day by rinsing them with
clean water, sprinkling them with baking soda (not baking powder), and then
rinsing off the baking soda. Alternatively, you can use fragrance-free soap
or (if you do not have eye allergies) a little
Windex diluted with water. Air-dry or pat (do not rub)
the glasses dry with
lint-free tissues
or with a clean 100% cotton handkerchief.
If you rub them, depending on the lens type and any lens coatings, you might
scratch the lenses.
- An optician who can make these glasses
-
Scott Kornfeld
Woodbury Optical Studio
185 Woodbury Road
Hicksville, New York 11801
Phone: 516-681-3937 ext. 111
E-mail: sjkornfeld@aol.com
-
Important!
Most opticians will order polycarbonate lenses, but it is sometimes difficult or
even impossible to defog some types of polycarbonate lenses. Ask your optician about
CR-39 lenses or high-index plasic lenses.
See Types of lenses
and How to prevent
lens fogging.
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Dark Canadian moisture chamber glasses (click to enlarge)
Clear Canadian moisture chamber glasses (click to enlarge)
|
- Canadian moisture
chamber glasses — for medium to severe dry eyes
-
If you have an extreme case of dry eye, these
glasses might not provide sufficient protection. See other options later on
this page.
Made by only one optical company, located in Burnaby, BC
(a suburb of Vancouver, Canada), these glasses have solid plastic side
shields. The optician uses a machine to grind the shields
to fit exactly to your face. The lenses and side shields
can be made of either clear or tinted plastic. These glasses
provide more protection than do the American-style moisture
chamber glasses shown in the preceding row, but less protection than
the goggles desribed in the rows below.
Because these are regular glasses, they can handle any prescription or
lens type.
Ask your optician about adding hooks at the ends of each side piece
so that you can use an elastic string to pull the glasses closer to your
face. Using hooks with an elastic string works better than the commercially
available elastic bands used for sports. See
How to use an elastic
string with moisture chamber glasses.
Caution
Clean moisture chamber glasses several times a day by rinsing them with
clean water, sprinkling them with baking soda (not baking powder), and then
rinsing off the baking soda. Air-dry or pat (do not rub)
the glasses dry with
lint-free tissues
or with a clean 100% cotton handkerchief.
If you rub them, depending on the lens type and any lens coatings, you might
scratch the lenses.
- Optical company that developed these glasses
-
United Optical (604-298-5571)
4234 E. Hastings St.
Burnaby, B.C. V5C 2J6
Canada
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PanOptx (click to enlarge)
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- Pan-Optx multi-sport goggles
-
If you have an extreme case of dry eye, PanOptx
goggles might not provide sufficient protection. PanOptx goggles are
also not suitable for people with eye allergies because
the soft foam is difficult to clean easily. See other options later on
this page.
Designed originally to protect the eyes of people riding
motorcycles, PanOptx are now recognized as effective moisture chamber
glasses for many people with dry eyes. (For information about using
PanOptx for dry eye, go to
Ophthalmology Times and search for PanOptx.) Pan-Optx "windless
eyewear" glasses mold to your face to protect your eyes almost like a
goggle.
Designed by a facial surgeon, Pan-Optx provides several frames
to fit different faces. Four Pan-Optx frames have a removable
(and replaceable) orbital seal eyecup; four frames have a fixed eyecup.
If you have eye allergies, one of the frames with the replaceable eyecup
might be the best option, so that you can replace the eyecup on a
regular basis if you find it difficult to keep the eyecup foam clean.
Some Pan-Optx frames support prescriptions approximately in the range
from +2.5 to -2.5. For other frames, the range is a little less or a little
more. The Chinook frame can take a somewhat stronger prescription because
it has a flatter lens than the other frames.
If the frame that best protects your eyes from air flow cannot take
the prescription that you need, one option that might work (depending on how
strong your prescription is) is to order reading lenses in
the frame that fits best and bifocal lenses in the Chinook frame. If no
PanOptx frames provide the prescription that you need, try one of the
other options listed in this table.
Ask your optician about adding hooks at the ends of each side piece
so that you can use an elastic string to pull the glasses closer to your
face. Using hooks with an elastic string works better than the commercially
available elastic bands used for sports. See
How to use an elastic
string with moisture chamber glasses.
If you have very severe dry eyes and find that the PanOptx does not
provide enough protection, consider using the Gator goggle, an easy-to-care-for
and inexpensive prescription swimming goggle, described later in this
table.
- Contact information
-
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Adidas Elevation ClimaCool (click to enlarge)
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- Adidas Elevation ClimaCool multi-sport goggles
-
If you have an extreme case of dry eye, ClimaCool
goggles might not provide sufficient protection. ClimaCool goggles are
also not suitable for some people with eye allergies because
the soft foam is difficult to clean easily. See other options later on
this page.
Designed for sports such as skiing, snowboarding, or windsurfing,
some people with dry eye have found the ClimaCool googles helpful.
These goggles can be fitted with an optical insert for prescription lenses
with the range ± 8 spherical, ± 2 cylindrical, and can take a bifocal lens.
This optical adapter is small and provides only a very small viewing area.
However, according to SportEyes.com, a prescription lens can be
fit into the ClimaCool goggles without using the adapter.
If you have very severe dry eyes and find that the Adidas Elevation
ClimaCool does not provide enough protection, consider using the Gator
goggle, an easy-to-care-for prescription swimming goggle, described later in this
table.
Caution
Ask your optician how to clean the goggles without damaging them. If you
have allergies to some cleaning chemicals, ask the optician about non-toxic
cleaning methods.
Be careful!
Remember, these are expensive goggles. Check with your optician before
cleaning them to be sure you won't damage them.
- Contact information
-
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SportRX (click to enlarge)
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- SportRX motorcycle goggles
Designed for motorcycle riders, the SportRX glasses-style
goggle can take a bifocal lens. The model shown here is SportRX GS114
(prescription ± 4 spherical, ± 3 cylindrical); see also the SportRX G103 goggle
(prescription ± 2 spherical, ± 1.5 cylindrical) with strap instead of side stems,
which are designed to provide optimum wind control for sensitive eyes. A third model,
SportRx Gk103 (prescription ± 4 spherical, ± 3 cylindrical), might also provide
dry eye protection. Each of these goggles
can also take a bifocal lens. DryEyePain.com has
not seen or tested any of the SportRX goggles, but they look like they might be
useful.
If you have very severe dry eyes and find that none of the the SportRX
goggles nor any of the other glasses-style goggles listed above provide adequate
protection, consider using the Gator goggle or one of the other goggles
described later in this table.
Caution
Ask your optician how to clean the goggles without damaging them. If you
have allergies to some cleaning chemicals, ask the optician about non-toxic
cleaning methods.
Be careful!
Remember, these are expensive goggles (though not as expensive as the PanOptx
or the ClimaCool). Check with your optician before
cleaning them to be sure you won't damage them.
- Contact information
-
|
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Barz (click to enlarge)
|
- Barz multi-sport goggles
Designed originally for sports such as jet skiing, motorcycle
riding, and whitewater rafting, Barz goggles are also used to
protect dry eyes. Unlike PanOptx and Adidas Elevation ClimaCool goggles,
both of which have soft foam side shields, Barz side shields, called gaskets,
are made of a flexible, smooth plastic (surgical PVC) and are thus much easier
to clean.
The Barz gaskets are wider on one side than the other; try the wider side
near your nose, on the bottom of the frame, or towards the outside of the frame
to see which fit best seals air from your eyes. Barz takes a prescription in
the range ‑7.00 to +2.00, but prescriptions stronger than -4.00 might
experience distortion. A master craftsman optician or
lab might be able to provide bifocal lenses for the Barz goggle.
Barz comes with two removable gaskets (moisture chambers):
- One gasket has ventilation holes,
suitable for people with slightly dry eyes.
- One gasket seals the air out
more completely, suitable for people with more severe dry eyes.
Tips!
-
Murrays.com
can make Barz goggles with a
CR-39 lens, which, for many people, is easier to defog than a polycarbonate
lens. Be sure to specify that you want the CR-39 lens.
-
Murrays.com
can, if you request it,
provide a deeper gasket that provides better comfort for people with severe
dry eyes than the usual gasket.
If you have very severe dry eyes and find that Barz goggles
do not provide enough protection, consider prescription swimming goggles,
described later in this table.
For information about using Barz goggles to protect dry eyes on a Web site
posted by another person with dry eye, see
Goggles for dry eye.
- Contact information
-
|
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Gator (click to enlarge)
|
- Gator swimming goggle — helpful for severe dry eyes
Gator swimming goggles
can be ordered with prescription lenses that include a correction for
astigmatism. Gator takes a prescription ranging from -8.00 to +8.00
and each lens can have a different prescription.
Although they do not take a bifocal lens, one option is to order
"monovision" lenses. Monovision, sometimes used with contact lenses,
means that a distance lens is used for the dominant eye and a reading
lens is used for the non-dominant eye. Ask your optician how to determine
which is your dominant eye. (If you are right-handed, that does
not necessarily mean that your right
eye is your dominant eye.)
Gator is a comfortable goggle to wear, easy to adjust, relatively
inexpensive, and replacement parts can be ordered separately:
head strap, nose strap, eye cups (prescription lenses), and eye cup
seals (also called gaskets or moisture chambers).
Caution
- Do not wear swimming goggles for more than 2 or 3 hours at
a time without washing them. A good practice is to take them off,
clean them, and then switch to a different type of goggle.
- If you wear these goggles frequently, after 3 months, throw away
the plastic eye cups and buy a new pair. Buying a new pair on a regular basis
might help avoid developing an allergy to the goggles.
- The only sterile way to clean Gator goggles is to take them apart and clean
each of the pieces. Be sure to dry the pieces completely before reassembling the
goggles. Do this at least once a day.
- Ask your optician how to clean the goggles without damaging
them. If you have allergies to some cleaning chemicals, ask the
optician about non-toxic cleaning methods.
- One possible method to clean Gator goggles is by wetting them
with clean water, sprinkling them with baking soda (not baking powder),
and then rinsing off the baking soda. To avoid damaging the lenses,
either air-dry the goggles, use
lint-free tissues,
or use a clean 100% cotton handkerchief
to pat the lenses dry. If you rub the lenses, you will scratch them.
- Contact information
-
- GoSportsSpex.co.uk (look
under swimming goggles; you do not have to live in Britain to order from
GoSportsSpex.co.uk)
- Or go to Google.com and type the
name of the goggle.
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Hilco (click to enlarge)
|
- Hilco swimming goggle
Hilco swimming goggles (similar to Gator) can be ordered with
prescription lenses that include a correction for astigmatism.
Hilco takes a prescription ranging from -8.00 to +8.00 and each
lens can have a different prescription.
Although they
do not take a bifocal lens, one option is to order "monovision"
lenses, that is, a distance lens is used for the dominant eye and a
reading lens is used for the non-dominant eye. Ask your optician how
to determine which is your dominant eye. (If you are right-handed, that
does not necessarily mean that your right
eye is your dominant eye.) Hilco is a comfortable
goggle to wear and is relatively inexpensive.
Caution
- Do not wear swimming goggles for more than 2 or 3 hours at
a time without washing them. A good practice is to take them off,
clean them, and then switch to a different type of goggle.
- If you wear these goggles frequently, after 3 months, throw away
the plastic eye cups and buy a new pair. Buying a new pair on a regular basis
might help avoid developing an allergy to the goggles.
- The only sterile way to clean Hilco goggles is to take them apart and clean
each of the pieces. Be sure to dry the pieces completely before reassembling the
goggles. Do this at least once a day.
- Ask your optician how to clean the goggles without damaging
them. If you have allergies to some cleaning chemicals, ask the
optician about non-toxic cleaning methods.
- One possible method to clean Hilco goggles is by wetting them with
clean water, sprinkling them with baking soda (not baking powder), and
then rinsing off the baking soda. To avoid damaging the lenses, either
air-dry the goggles, use
lint-free tissues,
or use a clean 100% cotton handkerchief
to pat (do not rub) the lenses dry. If you rub the lenses, you will
scratch them.
- Contact information
-
|
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AquaSpecs (click to enlarge)
|
- AquaSpecs swimming goggle
Your local optician can make lenses for AquaSpecs swimming goggles,
made by Rec Specs.
AquaSpecs can hold any prescription (even –15), can take a tinted lens,
can take a bifocal lens, and can be made of any lens material (polycarbonate,
CR-39, or high-index plastic; polycarbonate might be difficult to defog). Rec
Specs also makes two other prescription swimming goggles: the Splash
goggle and the Sting Ray goggle.
Not fashionable to look at, these
goggles provide maximum protection. People with severe
dry eye who find that other moisture chamber glasses or goggles do not
provide adequate protection can probably wear these goggles, including
outdoors on a windy day, in comfort. Replacement side shields, nose bridges,
and head straps are inexpensive.
Caution
- The only sterile way to clean AquaSpecs goggles is to take them apart and clean
each of the pieces. Be sure to dry the pieces completely before reassembling the
goggles. Do this at least once a day.
- Do not wear swimming goggles for more than 2 or 3 hours at
a time without washing them. A good practice is to take them off,
clean them, and then switch to a different type of goggle.
- It is important to
replace the side shields once a month (last time we checked,
a pair of new side shields cost $5). If you don't take them apart to
clean them each day and replace the side shields every few weeks, you might
eventually develop an allergic reaction to the
side shields.
- To clean AquaSpecs, rinse them with clean water, sprinkle
them with baking soda (not baking powder), and then rinse off the
baking soda. Air-dry or pat (do not rub) the
lenses dry with
lint-free tissues
or with a clean 100% cotton handkerchief.
If you rub the lenses, you might scratch them.
- Contact information
-
- Order AquaSpecs, Sting Ray or Splash frames:
- Order AquaSpecs replacement parts:
Tip! To avoid developing an allergic reaction
to these goggles, be sure to replace the plastic side shields
that come with your frame at least once a month. You can order replacement
parts at:
- Liberty Sports
9 Phair Street
P.O. Box 1369
Gloversville, NY 12078
1-518-773-4264
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(click to enlarge)
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- Glacier goggles
-
If your dry eye condition is not too severe, glacier
goggles can help protect your eyes from wind and light.
Because the side shields are typically made of leather
and are thus difficult to clean, people with eye
allergies cannot use them.
- Contact information
-
- Opticus.com
(Opticus fits prescriptions to glacier frames and other sports eyewear.)
- Many sporting goods, ski, or hiking stores sell non-prescription
glacier goggles.
|
The table below lists a variety of inexpensive non-prescription goggles that can be used
as moisture chamber goggles. In addition to
being useful for people with severe dry eyes who do not need prescription lenses, some of these
goggles (such as the Seal Mask or the Kaiman) are sometimes also used while sleeping by people
who wear prescription glasses during the day. The final row provides information about the
Fresnel lens, also called 3M Press-On Optics, which is a removable prescription lens that you
can press onto the inner lens of non-prescription swimming goggles.
| Picture |
Non-Prescription Moisture Chamber Goggles |
|
(click to enlarge)
(click to enlarge)
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- Kaiman swimming goggle
The Kaiman goggle, like the Seal Mask and the Seal XP (both
described below), is
comfortable and easy to clean. Depending on the vendor, the frame comes
in a variety of colors with a clear, tinted, or photochromic lens. Make
sure you pick the right size: small for medium or small faces (if too
small for you, your eyelashes might brush against the lens), or large
for medium to large faces.
Caution
- Do not wear swimming goggles for more than 2 or 3 hours at
a time without washing them. A good practice is to take them off,
clean them, and then switch to a different type of goggle.
- If you wear these goggles frequently, after 3 months, throw them away
and buy a new pair. Buying a new pair on a regular basis might help avoid developing
an allergy to the goggles.
- To clean the Kaiman, rinse it with clean water, sprinkle
it with baking soda (not baking powder), and then rinse off the baking soda.
Air-dry or pat (do not rub) the lenses dry with
lint-free tissues
or with a clean 100% cotton handkerchief.
If you rub the lenses, you will scratch them.
- Contact information
-
- AquaSphere (to find a
dealer near you, choose your country from the list and then click
"Dealer Locator," or choose "International Distributors."
- SportsBasement.com
(carries both small and large sizes, the latter with a photochromic lens)
- FitnessRacing.com
(carries both small and large sizes; to find the large size,
click a link near the bottom of the page displaying the smaller size)
- SwimmingWithoutStress.co.uk
(carries both small and large sizes)
- Or go to Google.com and type the name of the goggle.
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(click to enlarge)
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- Seal Mask swimming goggle
Used by triathletes as well as swimmers, the AquaSphere Seal Mask
can be ordered with a tinted or clear lens (depending on the vendor). The
frame sits on the face away from your eyes and is very comfortable to wear.
Caution
- Do not wear swimming goggles for more than 2 or 3 hours at
a time without washing them. A good practice is to take them off,
clean them, and then switch to a different type of goggle.
- If you wear these goggles frequently, after 3 months, throw them away
and buy a new pair. Buying a new pair on a regular basis might help avoid developing
an allergy to the goggles.
- To clean the Seal Mask, rinse it with clean water, sprinkle
it with baking soda (not baking powder), and then rinse off the baking soda.
Air-dry or pat (do not rub) the lenses dry with
lint-free tissues
or with a clean 100% cotton handkerchief.
If you rub the lenses, you will scratch them.
- Contact information
-
|
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(click to enlarge)
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- Seal XP swimming goggle
Similar to the Seal Mask, the Seal XP, which can be
ordered with a clear, tinted, or photochromic lens, has a frame that
fits somewhat closer to your eyes than the Seal Mask. This goggle
has the best seal against air of any goggle listed on
this page and is therefore useful especially for outdoor wear on
windy days or to protect your eyes from such irritants as
smoke or cleaning sprays.
Because the seal is so complete, do not wear this goggle for
more than an hour or two at a time.
Caution
- Do not wear the Seal XP goggle for more than 1 or 2 hours at
a time. After that, take them off,
clean them, and then switch to a different type of goggle.
- If you wear these goggles frequently, after 3 months, throw them away
and buy a new pair. Buying a new pair on a regular basis might help avoid developing
an allergy to the goggles.
- To clean the Seal XP, rinse it with clean water, sprinkle
it with baking soda (not baking powder), and then rinse off the baking soda.
Air-dry or pat (do not rub) the lenses dry with
lint-free tissues
or with a clean 100% cotton handkerchief.
If you rub the lenses, you will scratch them.
- Contact information
-
- AquaSphere (to find a
dealer near you, choose your country from the list and then click
"Dealer Locator," or choose "International Distributors."
- Amazon.com
- Or go to Google.com and type the name of the goggle.
|
|
(click to enlarge)
|
- Safety goggles
-
This large clear soft plastic safety goggle
(also called a "splash goggle") can fit over your usual
prescription glasses. These are handy
for protecting your eyes while doing household chores,
such as cooking, cleaning, using machine tools, and so on.
Make sure the goggles are clean before using them.
- Contact information
-
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(click to enlarge)
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- Lagophthalmos Kit contains moisture chamber glasses and
nighttime eye-band
-
Lagophthalmos is a condition in which an eye cannot close completely.
Gulden Opthlamics makes a Lagophthalmos Kit, which is designed for that condition as
well as for dry eyes. The kit has a pair of non-prescription moisture chamber goggles to
protect the eyes from wind and particles during the day and a headband device that
holds the eyes closed during the night without taping. Clean the lagophthalmos
goggles before each use.
- Contact information
-
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|
|
- Press On Lenses provide prescription for non-prescription
goggles
The Fresnel Prism and Lens Company makes corrective lenses for swimming
goggles. You can buy these inexpensive press-on lenses for either nearsighted
or farsighted prescriptions.
Tip
To clean a pair of goggles in which you have inserted press-on lenses,
rinse the goggle with clean water, sprinkle
it with baking soda (not baking powder), and then rinse off the baking soda.
Air-dry or pat (do not rub) the lenses dry with
lint-free tissues
or with a clean 100% cotton handkerchief.
If you rub the lenses, you will scratch them.
- Contact information
-
|
Tell your doctor!
Wearing moisture chamber glasses can lead an eye doctor to
underestimate the dryness of your eyes, because the moisture chambers
help prevent the damage to the eye's surface that optometrists or
ophthalmologists use to gauge dryness.
If you have been wearing moisture chamber glasses for several months and
then go to a new eye doctor, make sure that he or she understands that you
have been using moisture chamber glasses to protect your eyes.
The article "How to Produce Moisture
Chamber Eyeglasses for the Dry Eye Patient" (July 4, Journal of the Amnerican
Optometric Association) contains an appendix addressed to eye
doctors titled "How to help your patients get reimbursed for this
prosthetic device." As noted in that appendix, getting such a letter
from your doctor is not a guarantee that your insurance company will,
in fact, pay for your moisture chamber glasses or goggles, but it might
be effective. The following links take you to the appropriate reimbursement
letter.
For PanOptx goggles used specifically to protect dry eyes,
click the following link and print this reimbursement request letter:
Reimbursement Letter for PanOptx Moisture Chamber Goggles — If
your ophthalmologist or optometrist agrees to provide this letter (or a similar
letter) for you, ask them to type it onto their own stationery.
For sport or swimming goggles used specifically to protect dry eyes,
click the following link and print this reimbursement request letter:
Reimbursement
Letter for Moisture Chamber Goggles — Use this generic
letter to request reimbursement for any multi-sport goggle (such as Barz) or any
swimming goggle (such as Hilco) that you use for moisture chamber goggles.
If your ophthalmologist or optometrist agrees to
provide this letter (or a similar letter) for you, ask them to type it onto
their own stationery.
For custom moisture chamber glasses made by your optician,
click the following link and print this reimbursement request letter:
Reimbursement Letter for
Custom-Made Moisture Chamber Glasses — If your ophthalmologist or
optometrist agrees to provide this letter (or a similar letter) for you, ask them
to type it onto their own stationery.
For additional information related to moisture chamber glasses and goggles, see:
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