Anybody ever hear of........

**egbert** · 10-17-2005, 12:51 PM

I had a complaint the other day from a woman who picked up a pair of glasses at our dispensary. She's been wearing them for about a month and complains of the smell of the glasses when she takes them off at night. ( She claims they smell like glue - and she doesn't look like the type who'd be sniffing glue, before any of you smart-alecks start cracking wise.)
Says she has to sit them on the far side of her night table or the smell keeps her up at night. They are 1.56 lenses in a semi-rimless frame. I ran them through the Ultra-sonic, and she said they now smell like cleaner, and will try them for a while. Her husband thinks she's crazy, and I can't smell anything on them either. Any thoughts?

**CME4SPECS** · 10-17-2005, 12:54 PM

I agree with her husband!

**QDO1** · 10-17-2005, 01:42 PM

some lenses stink when you cut them, but not a 1.56

**Graduate** · 10-17-2005, 02:16 PM

Originally Posted by egbert

I had a complaint the other day from a woman who picked up a pair of glasses at our dispensary. She's been wearing them for about a month and complains of the smell of the glasses when she takes them off at night.
Says she has to sit them on the far side of her night table or the smell keeps her up at night. They are 1.56 lenses in a semi-rimless frame. I rant hem throught the Ultra-sonic, and she said they now smell like cleaner, and will try them for a swhile. Her husband thinks she's crazy, and I can;t smell anything on them either. Any thoughts?

It could be smell of her own stagnant perspiration that her husband is used to smell.

Recommend her to wash her eyeglasses every night before she goes to bed with luke warm water mixed with anti-septic solution. May help.

**drk** · 10-17-2005, 02:27 PM

I'd replace the nose pads to something other than silicone. Seriously, facial bacteria can smell, if you're sensitive enough. Tell her to wash her face in the middle of the day, too, if you've got enough guts!

**Robert Martellaro** · 10-17-2005, 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by egbert

I had a complaint the other day...complains of the smell of the glasses when she takes them off at night.

Is it a full moon again?

**Chris Ryser** · 10-17-2005, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by egbert

Her husband thinks she's crazy, and I can;t smell anything on them either. Any thoughts?

Marked in red above............................Tell her to soak the glasses in her favorite perfum overnight and everything will be to her taste and she will love you for the good tip.

**DoubleD** · 10-17-2005, 02:52 PM

Actually, some (very rare) people do have ultra keen sensitivity to odors. I have a patient whom cannot have her glasses cleaned in our dispensery, but uses her own "formula". When we deliver new glasses (fourth time in 8 years last month), she "disinfects" for three days before wearing.
Yes, usually only comes in on full moons.
Mid index plastic does have a smell, not all can notice.

**Bev Heishman** · 10-17-2005, 03:07 PM

I am very sensitive to smells also. I can't tolerate cheap vinyl type pads on some of the glasses and change these & temple covers if I detect a problem prior to dispensing to a patient or even putting them in as a sample.

**spec_chick** · 10-17-2005, 03:42 PM

If the glasses are new then it shouldn't be bacteria already! Unless she is really dirty- in which case I think she wouldn't be sensitive to the smell.

I am pretty sensitive to smells- and my mother has the nose of a friggin bloodhound (no stumbling home full of legal or illegal chemicals for me as a teen- bloodhound mom would sniff it right out on me!!). I can tell you that I can smell a new silicon or cheap plastic nose pad...especially during a full moon (j/k)

Anyway- I think switching the nosepads is a good option- sounds weird but let her sniff them and choose them first. Sounds nuts, but I think she may appreciate it.

Does she have any coatings or tints? Is it a plastic or metal frame?

**Spexvet** · 10-17-2005, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by drk

I'd replace the nose pads to something other than silicone. Seriously, facial bacteria can smell, if you're sensitive enough. Tell her to wash her face in the middle of the day, too, if you've got enough guts!

I agree - change the pads. Some nosepads are made of a material that smells bad - PVC, maybe?

**Spexvet** · 10-17-2005, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by Robert Martellaro

Is it a full moon again?

Yep - October 17, 2005, full moon fever!

**egbert** · 10-17-2005, 05:37 PM

Thank you all for replying. The glasses in question are 1.56 index plastic cut into a semi-rimless frame. They are less than one month old , so I cannot see how bacteria in the nosepads could be a factor. Also, she says she noticed the smell from the start. If she comes back I will try changing nosepads and temple tips and see where it goes from there. I realize that 1.56 lenses do smell when edged, but I have never noticed an odor to them after they are cut.

**stephanie** · 10-17-2005, 05:48 PM

I had it happen several years ago. It was the silicone nosepads...I put some plastic ones on. Some people really are sensitive to smells...some are just NUTS!! Once I replaced this woman's nosepads the problems was solved. Try it and see.

Steph

**Jubilee** · 10-17-2005, 06:40 PM

I have also noticed that the glasses I receive back from Davis Vision has a "herb" like smell. Not pot..but like they package them up in a warehouse with potporri or something. I have even found grains of it in with the cases

That smell can linger for quite some time.

Cassandra

**Stopper** · 10-17-2005, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by Robert Martellaro

Is it a full moon again?

Tonight is the full moon. I'm guessing this patient has at least 2.50 cyl in her Rx.
Cheers

**Fezz** · 10-18-2005, 07:08 AM

I smell.........a bad moon rising.

I think that we should all go on vacation, stay home, call in sick when the evil moon rises! Where and why do these people come out at full moon? Oh, well. As they say.."Freaks come out at night!". ;^)

Fezz
:cheers:

**OptiJim** · 10-18-2005, 09:58 AM

Did the patient complain that she could smell them while wearing the eyewear? If not, then why would she smell them on the nightstand? Interesting........

**Spexvet** · 10-18-2005, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by Fezz

I smell.........a bad moon rising.

I think that we should all go on vacation, stay home, call in sick when the evil moon rises! Where and why do these people come out at full moon? Oh, well. As they say.."Freaks come out at night!". ;^)

Fezz
:cheers:

Why do you yhink they're called "lunatics"?

**pauly47** · 10-18-2005, 12:00 PM

smells only at night...is the husband giving her the "dutch-oven' treatment?

**spec_chick** · 10-18-2005, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by Jubilee

I have also noticed that the glasses I receive back from Davis Vision has a "herb" like smell. Not pot..but like they package them up in a warehouse with potporri or something. I have even found grains of it in with the cases

That smell can linger for quite some time.

Cassandra

Hmmm, that explains a few things about Davis!!!

**Sodium D** · 10-19-2005, 09:18 AM

I'd like to shed some light on the myth that we get the craziest patients during a Full Moon. If you were to actually document all the 'loonies' you encounter in say a 1 year period, you would find you get the same amount or more on any other given day, full moon or no.

Here's more info for anyone interested:

http://skepdic.com/fullmoon.html

**Lynne** · 10-19-2005, 08:19 PM

Originally Posted by Sodium D

I'd like to shed some light on the myth that we get the craziest patients during a Full Moon. If you were to actually document all the 'loonies' you encounter in say a 1 year period, you would find you get the same amount or more on any other given day, full moon or no.

Here's more info for anyone interested:

http://skepdic.com/fullmoon.html

:bbg: Not so sure!! I work in an HMO, where we not only have optometry, but also internal med., OB, Pediatrics, P.t., family practice, lab, x-ray, walk-in injuries etc and mental health. We have all, from our various depts, at lunch time, said "must be a full moon", because we have all had "interesting" patients that day!! And sure enough.....:)

**OPTIDONN** · 10-19-2005, 10:37 PM

Some times we would put nail polish on the screws to prevent them from comming out. I wonder if some one did that and maybe that was what she was smelling.

**Sodium D** · 10-20-2005, 09:14 AM

Yes Lynne

People do remember the 'hits' (weird behavior during the full moon) and discount the misses (weird behavior during the rest of the time, or no weird behavior during a full moon). But my point was, if one were to actually document these instances my money would be on no correlation between full moons and weird behavior.