Contact Lens Exams

Contact lens exams are one of the most important services performed here at First Eye Care. Similar to comprehensive eye exams, contact lens exams give your doctor the chance to assess the health of your eyes and quality of your vision. According to the American Optometric Association, an estimated 45 million Americans wear contact lenses. Over the last several decades, millions of people have made the switch from wearing glasses to contact lenses. There are many reasons for this, including the fact that contacts have evolved over the years, providing wearers with clear vision that is comfortable and unobtrusive.

If you are a contact lens wearer, it is very important for you to make sure you have the right lenses for your eyes. It is important the lenses you end up with fit both your eyes and vision properly. During the contact lens exam, we will also perform a contact lens fitting for this purpose.

About First Eye Care’s Contact Lens Exams

When you come into First Eye Care for a contact lens exam, we will perform a series of tests designed to evaluate the condition and health of your eyes and determine what contact lens prescription is appropriate. It is quite common for people to suffer from dry eye, allergies, and recurring eye infections, at which point we will find a specialty lens that addresses these concerns. A contact lens exam is not a replacement for a comprehensive eye exam, but rather an additional exam that will tell us what lenses will best fit your needs.

We perform both comprehensive eye exams and contact lens exams in one appointment, making it an efficient and economical choice for contact lens wearers. When you come into First Eye Care for a contact lens exam, the first part of the appointment will likely be an evaluation of the eyes. Once this has been completed, we will discuss your options with you. There are so many different contact lens choices on the market today, so it is imperative your eye doctor learns more about your lifestyle and what your preferences are when it comes to contacts. For example, some contacts are designed to be worn longer and even while sleeping (which are great options for frequent travelers), and others are ideal for people who work on their computer all day.

Once we’ve discussed your lifestyle and different choices, we will get the following measurements:

• The curvature of your cornea
• Evaluation of your eye’s surface and how the contact lens will fit
• The size of your pupil and iris
• Tear film evaluation (or your body’s ability to produce tears)

More Information, the Details

For many people, contact lenses provide greater convenience and more satisfying vision correction than eyeglasses.

Here’s what’s involved in a diagnostic contact lens exam for a patient trying contact lenses on for the first time.

A medical eye examination comes first

Before contact lenses are prescribed, a medical eye examination is performed. During this examination, your doctor determines if your eyes are healthy enough to begin wearing contact lenses. If your eyes are healthy enough, the next step is a diagnostic contact lens examination.

Diagnostic contact lens examination

Prescribing contact lenses involves a consideration of your lifestyle and your preferences regarding contact lenses. For example, you might want to change your eye color with tinted contact lenses. Other patients are more interested in convenient options such as daily disposables or overnight wear. Although most patients choose soft contact lenses, the advantages and disadvantages of rigid gas permeable contact lenses will be discussed.

If you are over age 40 and need bifocals, modern multifocal and bifocal contact lenses are available.

Corneal curvature vs. contact lens curvature

Just as one shoe size doesn’t fit all feet, one contact lens curvature doesn’t fit all corneas. If the curvature of a contact lens is too flat or too steep for your cornea’s shape, you may experience discomfort or even damage to your eye. Measurements will be taken to determine the best contact lens curvature, size and design for your eyes.

Diagnostic contact lenses

In most cases, diagnostic contact lenses will be used to help determine the prescription. Lenses will be placed on your eye and your doctor will use a biomicroscope to evaluate the position and movement of the lenses as you blink and look in different directions. You will also be asked how the lenses feel.

For patient new to contact lenses, good comfort is usually achieved in about 15 minutes. When your diagnostic lenses provide good comfort and clear vision, 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 contact lenses.

Follow-up examinations to maintain good eye health

Your contact lens treatment program might involve a number of follow-up examinations so your doctor can confirm the lenses are maintaining good eye health. Often, your doctor will be able to see signs of contact lens-related complications before you are aware of a problem. If abnormal signs are present during your follow-up examinations, your doctor may modify the initial contact lens prescription by trying a different lens or lens material, using a different lens care method, or adjusting your contact lens wearing time.

Your contact lens prescription

After confirming that a particular contact lens provides good comfort and vision, your doctor will then be able to write a final contact lens prescription for you. This prescription will designate the contact lens power, the curvature of the lens, the lens diameter, and the lens name and manufacturer.

Regular contact lens examinations

Regardless of how often or how long you wear your contact lenses, your eyes should be examined on a regular basis to make sure your that you are not developing any contact lens-induced complications.

To learn more about our contact lens exams or to schedule an appointment, contact one of our two convenient locations in Downtown Dallas and Irving,Texas.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Roger Weikum, please call (972) 313-9505.