Contact Lens Fitting
ROUTINE CONTACT LENS EXAMINATION
Regardless of how often or how long you wear your contact lenses, your eyes should be examined at least once a year. We can detect signs of contact lens damage that you cannot feel or see. And in some cases, these issues can lead to permanent vision loss and future intolerance to contact lenses. This is the reason why contact lens prescriptions are only good for one year. This allows us to make sure your eyes are healthy enough to tolerate contact lens wear and show no signs of ill effects from the lenses.
Before being fit with contact lenses, a comprehensive eye exam is performed. If everything looks healthy during your eye exam, the next step is a contact lens consultation and fitting.
LIFESTYLE
In a contact lens fitting at Family Eye Care Optometry, we always put into consideration your lifestyle and your preferences regarding contact lenses, such as whether you might want to change your eye color with color contact lenses or if you're interested in options such as daily disposables or overnight wear. If you are over the age of forty and need bifocals, your eye doctor will discuss ways to deal with this need, including multifocal contact lenses and monovision (a prescribing technique where one contact lens corrects your distance vision and the other lens corrects your near vision).
CURVATURE
Next, we determine the correct shape of the contact lens for your eyes. If the curvature of a contact lens is too flat or too steep for your eye's shape, you may experience discomfort or even damage to your eye. If your eye's surface is found to be somewhat irregular because of astigmatism, you may require a special lens design of lens known as a "toric" contact lens or contact lenses for “astigmatism.”
In some cases, a detailed mapping of the surface of your cornea (called corneal topography) may be done. Corneal topography provides extremely precise details about surface characteristics of the cornea and creates a surface "map" of your eye, with different contours represented by varying colors.
TEAR FILM QUALITY
We also consider your tear film quality during the contact lens fitting. To be successful wearing contact lenses, you must have an adequate tear film to keep the lenses and your cornea sufficiently moist and hydrated. This test may be performed with a liquid dye placed on your eye so your tears can be seen with a slit lamp. If you have dry eyes, contact lenses may not be right for you. Also, the amount of tears you produce may determine which contact lens material will work best for you.
TRIAL LENSES
In many cases, trial lenses will be used to verify the contact lens selection. Lenses will be placed on your eye and your doctor will use the slit lamp to evaluate the position and movement of the lenses. If the contact lenses are sitting correctly on your vision is good, you will be given instructions on how to care for your lenses and how long to wear them. You will also receive training on how to handle, apply and remove the lenses.
THE PRESCRIPTION
After finding a contact lens that fits properly, is comfortable for you, and provides good vision, your doctor will then be able to write a contact lens prescription for you. This prescription will designate the contact lens power, the curvature of the lens (called the base curve), the lens diameter, and the lens name and manufacturer.
Regardless of how often or how long you wear your contact lenses, your eyes should be examined at least once a year. We can detect signs of contact lens damage that you cannot feel or see. And in some cases, these issues can lead to permanent vision loss and future intolerance to contact lenses. This is the reason why contact lens prescriptions are only good for one year. This allows us to make sure your eyes are healthy enough to tolerate contact lens wear and show no signs of ill effects from the lenses.
Before being fit with contact lenses, a comprehensive eye exam is performed. If everything looks healthy during your eye exam, the next step is a contact lens consultation and fitting.
LIFESTYLE
In a contact lens fitting at Family Eye Care Optometry, we always put into consideration your lifestyle and your preferences regarding contact lenses, such as whether you might want to change your eye color with color contact lenses or if you're interested in options such as daily disposables or overnight wear. If you are over the age of forty and need bifocals, your eye doctor will discuss ways to deal with this need, including multifocal contact lenses and monovision (a prescribing technique where one contact lens corrects your distance vision and the other lens corrects your near vision).
CURVATURE
Next, we determine the correct shape of the contact lens for your eyes. If the curvature of a contact lens is too flat or too steep for your eye's shape, you may experience discomfort or even damage to your eye. If your eye's surface is found to be somewhat irregular because of astigmatism, you may require a special lens design of lens known as a "toric" contact lens or contact lenses for “astigmatism.”
In some cases, a detailed mapping of the surface of your cornea (called corneal topography) may be done. Corneal topography provides extremely precise details about surface characteristics of the cornea and creates a surface "map" of your eye, with different contours represented by varying colors.
TEAR FILM QUALITY
We also consider your tear film quality during the contact lens fitting. To be successful wearing contact lenses, you must have an adequate tear film to keep the lenses and your cornea sufficiently moist and hydrated. This test may be performed with a liquid dye placed on your eye so your tears can be seen with a slit lamp. If you have dry eyes, contact lenses may not be right for you. Also, the amount of tears you produce may determine which contact lens material will work best for you.
TRIAL LENSES
In many cases, trial lenses will be used to verify the contact lens selection. Lenses will be placed on your eye and your doctor will use the slit lamp to evaluate the position and movement of the lenses. If the contact lenses are sitting correctly on your vision is good, you will be given instructions on how to care for your lenses and how long to wear them. You will also receive training on how to handle, apply and remove the lenses.
THE PRESCRIPTION
After finding a contact lens that fits properly, is comfortable for you, and provides good vision, your doctor will then be able to write a contact lens prescription for you. This prescription will designate the contact lens power, the curvature of the lens (called the base curve), the lens diameter, and the lens name and manufacturer.