Why do I need to be fitted for contact lenses? Did you know your glasses prescription is different from your contact lens prescription? When an optometrist fits you for contact lenses, they are ensuring several things:
- Your eye is healthy enough to be wearing contact lenses. Conditions such as dry eyes and allergic conjunctivitis need to be treated before you can wear contact lenses. Eye conditions such as corneal scars, dystrophies, and/or irregular surfaces may require a fitting with specialty lenses.
- The contact lens is the right type for your life style. Based on your occupation, extracurricular activities, and other needs, we can help you determine whether dailies, bi-weekly, or monthly contact lenses will meet your needs.
- Finding a comfortable fit with good vision. We take measurements of your eyes to fit you in a comfortable lens. Many companies make contact lenses, and each have a set of parameters they work with. We can check if a lens is too tight or too loose on your eyes, how the contact lens moves when you blink, and whether it is centered on your eye. We also ensure each eye sees well both at a distance and near.
In addition, we first train new contact lens wearers on how to safety insert and remove contact lenses. We will go over the cleaning process, to ensure that lenses are handled safely because any buildup of proteins and debris on the lenses can cause damage to the cornea.