Contact lens and medical

Jose writes:

It's not clear to me that becoming nearsighted is related to "strain" on
the eyes. My understanding is that it is due to the eyeball being the
wrong shape, and that presbyopia (needing reading glasses as we age) is
due to the lens hardening (and becoming unable to change its focal length).

Yes. Hyperopia and myopia are usually associated with asymmetry in
the shape of the eyeball. Presbyopia is presumed to be due to
hardening of the lens, although there is still some debate about this.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Andrew Sarangan wrote:
I just got my new medical. When I got the certificate I saw that under
limitations it said "None". My previous medical used to say "must wear
corrective lenses". I should have simply walked away with the
certificate, but instead I asked them why that limitation was missing.

FAA Medical Examiner Guide:

http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/...ess/exam_tech/

Kev

Kev wrote:
Andrew Sarangan wrote:
I just got my new medical. When I got the certificate I saw that under
limitations it said "None". My previous medical used to say "must wear
corrective lenses". I should have simply walked away with the
certificate, but instead I asked them why that limitation was missing.

FAA Medical Examiner Guide:

http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/...ess/exam_tech/

I don't see anywhere in there where it says you must take our your
contacts or conduct a vision exam uncorrected. I wonder if that's
another urban legend. Interestingly, I did a private with a student
last year that wore the monocular correction (one near, one distant
contacts). She had no problem getting her 3rd class but the link above
indicates that that is not allowed.

-Robert

Robert M. Gary wrote:
FAA Medical Examiner Guide:
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/...ess/exam_tech/

I don't see anywhere in there where it says you must take our your
contacts or conduct a vision exam uncorrected. I wonder if that's
another urban legend.

It's hard to find in there. Go to #51, Near and Intermediate Vision.
Then Examination Techniques. Even though it doesn't seem to matter
what it is uncorrected, so why test it?

Interestingly, I did a private with a student
last year that wore the monocular correction (one near, one distant
contacts). She had no problem getting her 3rd class but the link above
indicates that that is not allowed.

Strange. I also had no problem when I was using monocular five or so
years ago. Or perhaps he forgot to ask Can't recall. Switched
to progressives anyway.

Regards, Kev

Andrew Sarangan wrote:
I just got my new medical. When I got the certificate I saw that under
limitations it said "None". My previous medical used to say "must wear
corrective lenses". I should have simply walked away with the
certificate, but instead I asked them why that limitation was missing.
The response was "You wear contacts? Well, that changes everything. You
should have told us about the contacts". The FAA form does not ask
anything about wearing lenses (except near vision), and they did not
ask me about it during the exam either. I thought all that mattered was
your corrected vision, not uncorrected vision. In the end we had to do
some extra stuff to get that fixed, and I got another certificate with
the correct statement. She said that I should stop wearing contacts for
24 hours before coming to the medical exam, and bring the lenses with
me. I have never heard of this before. Anyone else had similar
experiences?

You did the right thing. The FAA would have sent you a letter soon
afterwards telling you that your medical was invalid and that you need
to send supporting evidence to describe the procedure that caused your
vision to become corrected and your reaction, recovery etc. You must
supply documentation evidence to remove glasses/contact restrictions.

-Robert

If the FAA felt that a change in distant vision lenses is a cause for
rejection, then that question should be asked in the application form.
The FAR does not ask for it, the application form does not ask for it,
and the AME does not ask for it. So, how is the applicant supposed to
know that this is something that they need to explain. If I were a new
student going for a medical, I would never have questioned this, and
would have simply walked away with a medical that had no limitations.



Robert M. Gary wrote:
Andrew Sarangan wrote:
I just got my new medical. When I got the certificate I saw that under
limitations it said "None". My previous medical used to say "must wear
corrective lenses". I should have simply walked away with the
certificate, but instead I asked them why that limitation was missing.
The response was "You wear contacts? Well, that changes everything. You
should have told us about the contacts". The FAA form does not ask
anything about wearing lenses (except near vision), and they did not
ask me about it during the exam either. I thought all that mattered was
your corrected vision, not uncorrected vision. In the end we had to do
some extra stuff to get that fixed, and I got another certificate with
the correct statement. She said that I should stop wearing contacts for
24 hours before coming to the medical exam, and bring the lenses with
me. I have never heard of this before. Anyone else had similar
experiences?

You did the right thing. The FAA would have sent you a letter soon
afterwards telling you that your medical was invalid and that you need
to send supporting evidence to describe the procedure that caused your
vision to become corrected and your reaction, recovery etc. You must
supply documentation evidence to remove glasses/contact restrictions.

-Robert

Andrew Sarangan wrote:
I just got my new medical. When I got the certificate I saw that under
limitations it said "None". My previous medical used to say "must wear
corrective lenses". I should have simply walked away with the
certificate, but instead I asked them why that limitation was missing.
The response was "You wear contacts? Well, that changes everything. You
should have told us about the contacts". The FAA form does not ask
anything about wearing lenses (except near vision), and they did not
ask me about it during the exam either. I thought all that mattered was
your corrected vision, not uncorrected vision. In the end we had to do
some extra stuff to get that fixed, and I got another certificate with
the correct statement. She said that I should stop wearing contacts for
24 hours before coming to the medical exam, and bring the lenses with
me. I have never heard of this before. Anyone else had similar
experiences?


I used to have that issue. I do not understand the corrected and
uncorrected. I finally told the doctor that I cannot see the chart, much
less the letters on it without correction. He stopped the uncorrected
testing. I have worn contacts 20 years.

--

Regards, Ross
C-172F 180HP
KSWI

I wear contacts.. I have since the AirForce approved contact wear for
aircrew in the early 90s. For my civilian medical I have never been asked to
remove them. I have told the AME I have them in. My Class II says,
corrective lenses required for distant vision.

It is recommended that you keep a pair of regular specticals handy (within
reach) while flying, just in case you have to take one out. I only had to do
that once while flying in the Air Force.

The Air Force flight docs would want me to come in wearing my contacts,
check my vision, remove them and put on the specs and check it again. I had
to be able to go from 20/20 or better with contacts to 20/20 or better with
my glasses.

One year, my glasses were out of date, my vision was good with contacts but
not the glasses. I got a waiver from the Command Cheif Medical examiner to
fly until my new glasses arrived. I was the only qualified and current
navigator in the wing after a recent stand down. I was the last to fly
before the stand down so I had the most recent flight currency date.

Needless to say, the normal 2 week wait for new glasses turned into 4 days.

BT

"Andrew Sarangan" wrote in message
ps.com...
I just got my new medical. When I got the certificate I saw that under
limitations it said "None". My previous medical used to say "must wear
corrective lenses". I should have simply walked away with the
certificate, but instead I asked them why that limitation was missing.
The response was "You wear contacts? Well, that changes everything. You
should have told us about the contacts". The FAA form does not ask
anything about wearing lenses (except near vision), and they did not
ask me about it during the exam either. I thought all that mattered was
your corrected vision, not uncorrected vision. In the end we had to do
some extra stuff to get that fixed, and I got another certificate with
the correct statement. She said that I should stop wearing contacts for
24 hours before coming to the medical exam, and bring the lenses with
me. I have never heard of this before. Anyone else had similar
experiences?

Interesting, the whole thread. Evidently a requirement from the 1970s has
been dropped. Back in those days, for a first class medical you had to have
a waiver (and I've got both of them in front of me as I type just to be
sure) if your UNcorrected vision is worse than 20:200.

I guess I can forget about filling in the "do you have a waiver" box on the
application form from now on.

Jim




"Andrew Sarangan" wrote in message
ps.com...
I just got my new medical. When I got the certificate I saw that under
limitations it said "None". My previous medical used to say "must wear
corrective lenses". I should have simply walked away with the
certificate, but instead I asked them why that limitation was missing.
The response was "You wear contacts?