Contact Lenses

If you have just had an eye examination and received a prescription from the eye doctor, chances are it can be used to wear spectacles of the prescribed strength but not contact lenses. The prescription received after a routine eye exam is for spectacles only. Chances are that you will need to take several more steps in the eye examination process before getting a prescription to have contact lenses fitted.

If you want to go for a pair of contact lenses, let the eye doctor know right in the beginning so that he/she can take the required steps to give you a contact lens prescription other than the routine eye exam. In a contact lens prescription, an instrument called the keratometer is used. This measures the front surface of the eye (the curvature part of it). This data is then used to give you a contact lens fitting.

Measurements by a Keratometer give the doctor a point of reference for determining the curvature and the size of the eyes. Contact lenses that are too steep or too flat can damage the surface of the eyes. Contact lens fitting involves additional measurements of the surface of the eye that are done by the computer. This lets the doctor see the curve of the front surface of the eye in entirety.

An evaluation of the tear film in front of the eyes is often a part of contact lens fitting. Contact lenses are not for those whose eyes are too dry. Some contact lenses work better than others if your eyes are slightly dry. If the eyes are very dry, they should be moistened with artificial tears periodically. With dry eyes, wear of contact lenses over long periods may be impossible.

Another step in evaluating eye health is through the biomicroscope. This helps make sure that there are no other problems that would make contact lens wear difficult. The biomicroscope is also known as the slit lamp. The next step is applying trial lenses to the eyes. They are then checked with the biomicroscope for a good fit.

The biomicroscope also shows how much the lenses move from their position at each blink. The biomicroscope is used to check how well the lenses fit at each visit to the eye doctor(compared to the previous visit). Sometimes lenses, which fit well in the beginning, do not fit well after several days of use. They can even damage the cornea.

The last important part of contact lens fitting is a review on caring for the lenses and what period of time to wear them for. The contact lens prescription is written once the contact lenses fit well and provide no discomfort and there is clear vision. Apart from the power of contact lenses, the prescription includes contact lens power, diameter and contact lens base curve.

Once the contact lens fitting is done, a yearly eye examination is needed in any case. If your replacement lens were purchased from a place different from where your contact lens fitting was done, you still require to get your eyes examined yearly. All contact lenses regardless of how new they are reduce oxygen supply to the cornea and cause an increased risk of eye infection. This is why eye exams should be done once a year, every year to keep your eyes healthy