Advancements in contact lens technology offer the potential of successful contact lens wear to the majority of our patients.
A contact lens is a medical device in contact with the tissue of your eye, therefore it must fit properly to maintain the health of your eye. A contact lens prescription can only be determined by careful observation of the lens in the eye and the eye's response to the lens on follow-up visits.
Contact lenses can be an excellent alternative to glasses, providng crisp vision with added functionality. Most typically, contact lenses are made of materials that are comfortable and easy to wear.
Contact lenses are small plastic discs that rest on the cornea, held in place by tear film. They are primarily worn to correct refractive errors such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), presbyopia, and astigmatism. We also specialize in the fitting and care for specialty contact lenses including toric lenses for astigmatism, multifocal lenses for presbyopia, scleral lenses, gas permeable lenses, cosmetic-colored lenses, and custom lenses for kerataconus.
Contact lenses can comfortabley suit most lifestyles. They can be worn daily, for special occcasions, and while playing sports.
There are many types of contact lenses. A contact lens exam and a series of advanced diagnostic tests will be used to determine the type of contact lens that is most suitable for you.
Dr. Johnson will have specific recommendations for the right type of contact lenses that are optimal for your vision needs.
Why Do I Need A Separate Contact Lens Exam?
If you opt for contact lens wear, it is very important that the lenses fit properly and comfortably and that you understand contact lens safety and hygeine.
If you wear or plan to wear contact lenses, then you will need a contact lens exam. Dr. Johnson will evaluate your eye health and vision and consult with you on your lifestyle and hobbies to make sure he recommends contact lenses for your eye health, vision, and lifestyle.
A contact lens exam will include a comprehensive eye exam to check your overall eye health, your general vision prescription and then a contact lens consultation and measurement to determine the proper lens and fit for you.
- Before a person can be fit with contact lenses, a complete medical and refractive eye examination is necesssary.
- The exam is critical to assure the good health of your eyes and to rule out the possisbility of any unsuspected, underlying condtion that may prevent contact lens wear.
- Additional tests such as corneal topography, may be required to get a more detailed analysis of your eye. This is necessary to rule our corneal dystrophies and to precisely measure corneal shape. This allows the doctor to monitor the shape of and integrity of your eye tissue.
Contact Lens Evaluation and Fitting, Design and Management
- The goal of a contact lens diagnostic fitting is to find the most appropriate contact lens with optimal vision and contour.
- An enormous variety of types, materials, sizes, and colors are offered. We are committed to taking the time and effort to fit your contact lenses properly. Although some people will only need one fitting session, sometimes this process requires serveral appointments.
- Everyone getting contact lenses must go through the fitting process.
- We will need to take some measurements to properly fit your contact lenses. Contact lenses that do not fit properly could cause discomfort, blurry vision, or even damage the eye.
- We use a keratomoter, which measures the curvature of the cornea/front surface of the eye to assure the fitting curve of the lens properly fits your eye.
- If you have astigmatism, the curvature of the cornea is not perfectly round. We will fit a toric lens, specifically designed for astigmatism.
- In some case, the doctor may also use corneal topography to map the corneal surface in greater detail.
- The size of your pupil or your iris is mesured with a biomicroscope or slit lamp. This is espeicaly impoprtant if you are considering gas permeable (GP) contact lenses.
- Once these test are complete, Dr. Johnson will recommend a specific type of contact lens.
- It may be necessary to try a few different brands to determine which is best for you.
- You will then receive a training session to be sure you are able to insert and remove the lenses easily.
Why Do I Need a Follow-Up Appointment?
- We follow-up the inital fitting to check that your lenses are fitting properly and that your eyes are adjusting properly.
- If needed, any necessary changes in fit or materials may be made to get you the best possible results.
- We make sure the contact lenses are fitting well and there are no problems with insertion or removal.
- We check that the eyes are remaining healthy and that the presciption is providing the best posssible vision.
Contact us for a personalized cosultation to see if contact lenses are right for you!
