Euan Speirits – Surgeon
NIGHT LENSES TRANSFORMED MY LIFE | Euan Speirits
Dr. Euan Speirits is a Scottish surgeon specializing in Orthopaedics, Sports Medicine, and Biomechanical Research. As an Orthopaedic Research Fellow, Registrar, and Ph.D. student, he is deeply dedicated to Sports Medicine, actively involved in Strength/Conditioning training, and Athlete Wellbeing. Outside of his professional endeavors, he races under the alias “Rossi” as an Elite 4X and Downhill Mountain Bike Racer (awarded Scottish Mountain Biking ‘Hero of the Year’ in 2017, no less!), and he’s also the Owner/Coordinator of the #4XWEDNESDAYS charity. Additionally, he competed at an international level in tennis and British Premier Basketball. Presently on a secondment in New Zealand, his “spiritual” haven, he’s immersed in mountain biking and outdoor pursuits. An advocate for night lenses, we managed to secure a Zoom call with this exceedingly busy individual to delve into more details…
Q: Hello, Dr. Euan! After a bit of googling, it’s clear you’re an amazing doctor with specialties in Orthopaedics, sports medicine, and Biomechanical Research. On top of that, you’re an exceptional mountain biker, skilled at tennis and basketball – is there anything you can’t do?! Is it all about pushing life’s boundaries for you?
A: I believe that people can excel in anything they are passionate about. I have a passion for numerous things. Both sports and academia have held significant importance in my life. From a young age, I embraced both athletic and intellectual pursuits. Balancing my professional and personal passions has always been a significant aspect of my life. Often, people confine themselves to certain roles, but I’ve adhered to the idea that “the world was invented by someone no smarter than you.” This perspective encourages me to strive for excellence both in surgery and sports.
Q: How long have you been using night lenses, and what led you to them?
A: I’ve been using them for around 3 to 4 years. Scott Brown, a fellow MTB enthusiast who happens to be an optician, introduced me to night lenses. At the time, I was wearing monthly lenses. The issue with MTB and monthlies was their tendency to dry out, and when they encountered mud, their effectiveness diminished. The frequent dryness and discomfort became wearisome. Even daily lenses dried out swiftly, offering no improvement. During surgical procedures, my eyes would become exceedingly dry under the operating lights. Interestingly, despite my medical background and athletic involvement, I had never heard of night lenses. I had contemplated laser eye surgery, but concerns regarding its cost and permanence deterred me from pursuing it. Night lenses presented an appealing solution without the permanence aspect.
Q: How have night lenses impacted your sports activities?
A: They have genuinely transformed my experience. Competing all day without the distraction of dry eyes has become possible, and day-to-day life no longer entails concerns about contacts drying out or the risk of losing them while paddleboarding. Night lenses have normalized my life in every sense.
Q: Do they also prove beneficial in your professional life?
A: Absolutely. They’ve allowed me to focus on tasks without worrying about dry eyes or potential discomfort. In the sterile environment of surgery, where I might operate for 3-4 hours under bright lights and with pressure in the room, night lenses eliminate one source of concern. Even during shifts, a couple of hours of lens wear keeps my vision at a satisfactory level throughout the day. It’s not a challenge to put them in and out for short periods.
Q: So, have they genuinely been life-changing for you?
A: They’ve granted me liberation. They have genuinely freed me from the constant contemplation of contact lenses and vision concerns. The same applies to no longer carrying glasses at all times. Given my deeply outdoorsy lifestyle, often involving beach, lake, and ocean visits, I no longer need to deliberate about clear sight or water activities – that choice is no longer a dilemma. The only times I need to consider my eyesight are right before sleep and upon waking up.
Q: Would you ever consider reverting to day lenses?
A: Absolutely not. There was one week when I forgot them… and it was dreadful! Instantly, all the reasons I disliked day lenses flooded back – the drying out, the constant calculation of wear time, planning breaks for my eyes, safeguarding them while biking. I felt immense gratitude when I had them back.
Q: To conclude with the obvious question – would you recommend night lenses to fellow professional and amateur athletes… and why?
A: I couldn’t recommend them more strongly. Anyone who has worn daytime lenses at some point knows the sensation of them shifting in the eye and the ensuing discomfort. The assurance of not encountering that in high-performance sports is a monumental difference. There’s no discrepancy between what you see and what you interpret. No compromise. Your vision becomes unequivocally yours. It surprises me that more people haven’t adopted them, primarily due to their limited awareness.
Q: Could night lenses be a game-changer for glasses and day lens wearers in the sports realm?
A: It’s not a matter of ‘could’; it’s an absolute certainty. They ‘will’ undoubtedly revolutionize sports and life for glasses and day lens wearers fortunate enough to utilize them. When people inquire about them and grasp how they’ve transformed my athletic life, they instantaneously recognize the benefits of competing without contacts or glasses. The main hurdle is that they sound “too good to be true” and suffer from misconceptions. The concept relies on orthokeratology, a natural process. Your cornea naturally sheds its outer cells every night. The process harmlessly reshapes them into the lens form as you slumber, granting perfect vision. It’s as thin as a single cell layer. Simple! The process naturally reverts over 24 hours, and you repeat it. People should delve into it. Ultimately, my life wouldn’t be where it is if I had continued with contact lenses. The freedom offered by night lenses is what has enabled my significant achievements in mountain biking. No doubts. Seriously, look into them!
[Editor’s note – encountering someone this inspiring can sometimes make you feel rather inadequate! Euan has lived life to its fullest… thoroughly enjoyed this interview, and his real-life persona matches his online presence. His perspective on how night lenses’ liberation has propelled his sporting career resonates with Catriona Morrison MBE, World Duathlon Champion – Read her insights on how night lenses revolutionized her athletic journey HERE.]