Contact Lens Eye Exam

A contact lens examination can determine if you are a candidate for contacts. A trial fitting helps determine which contacts are right for you. Your eye care provider will prescribe a trial pair based on your specific needs and preferences. Before you go home with your trial pair of contacts, you will receive a detailed demonstration of how to care for your lenses for maximum wearing comfort.

This Examination Includes:

• Corneal Curvature Testing
• Corneal Health Evaluation
• Contact Lens Instruction
• Contact Lens Trial Fitting
• Maintenance Follow-up

Specialty Contact Lenses

Rigid Gas Permeable Contacts

Paragon CRT (Corneal Refractive Therapy)
A new, FDA approved, non-invasive, reversible system for achieving distance vision correction through contact lens overnight corneal reshaping. Only worn during sleeping hours, CRT lenses gently and temporarily reshape the cornea, without permanently altering its physiology. Similar to retainers commonly worn for braces, these lenses are removed upon awakening and there’s no need to wear glasses or contacts ALL DAY LONG! Call our office to schedule an appointment determine whether you’re a candidate for CRT.

Keratoconic Contacts Lenses

Popular Brands

There are three different ways of categorizing contact lenses: Wear Type, Tint Type and Prescription Type.

Popular Brands:

Types

There are three different ways of categorizing contact lenses: Wear type, Tint type and Prescription type.

Wear Type Characteristics:
Disposable - Disposable lenses are highly recommended. This type of lens offers far more benefits than any other lens type. Disposable lenses are worn and discarded every one to two weeks. The lenses require less care than daily wear soft, as they are replaced more often. Doctors believe frequent replacement reduces the risk of infection. Visual Acuity also increases as new lenses are being placed in the eye more frequently. These lenses are usually prescribed to be worn daily and removed at night. They are great for people whose busy lifestyles make it difficult to do routine care and cleaning of the lenses. Depending on the patient, the doctor may prescribe an extended wear schedule.

Daily Wear Soft - These lenses are worn on a daily basis and are removed nightly to be cleaned. One pair of Daily Wear lenses will last six months to one year, depending on the practitioner’s prescribed wearing schedule. These lenses are handled more frequently, which can result in lost or torn lenses. Toric lenses are also available, for patients who need a correction for astigmatism.

Extended Wear Soft - These lenses are more oxygen permeable and can sometimes be worn longer than daily wear lenses. Some patients may be able to occasionally sleep in these lenses, but this is determined by the doctor only. The optometrist will set standards for the patient as to how long they should be worn before being removed and cleaned. Since the lenses are handled less frequently, the risk of losing or tearing a lens is somewhat reduced. The lenses, however, are thinner than Daily Wear Soft, thus must be handled more gently.

Frequent Replacement Lenses - These lenses are also called Programmed Replacement Soft. They are worn on a daily basis and thrown away after one to three months of wear, as instructed by the optometrist.

Gas Permeable - Gas permeable contact lenses are most often prescribed to patients with astigmatism. They are designed for very specialized prescriptions. The lenses may, however, be prescribed for spherical patients. These lenses are made of semi-rigid, silicone based plastic that allows oxygen to pass through the lens and into the cornea. The gas permeable contact lens is more difficult to adjust to, due to the rigidity of the lens. It can take up to three weeks of lens wear to become comfortable with the feel of the lens on the eye.

Contact Lens Care

Dos & Don'ts:

• Follow the specific instructions carefully when the eye doctor fits your contact lenses
• Give your contacts time. If you are a first time contact lens wearer, you can expect an adjustment period
• Many people are comfortable right away, some take a little longer
• Do not rub your eyes while you are wearing your contacts
• Wear UV protected sunglasses. They shield your eyes from potentially harmful UV rays
• Keep the proper re-wetting solution with you at all times to ease the discomfort of dust, smoke and pollen in your environment
• If your eyes get red or itchy, remove your contact lens and contact your eye doctor immediately as these can be symptoms of serious problems

Be prepared, Emergencies Can Arise:

• Have other eyewear options handy when you are wearing your contacts. Your regular prescription eyeglasses should be available should your contacts become suddenly uncomfortable to wear for any reason.
• Your UV protected sunglasses should be worn when you are working or playing outdoors

Care:

To ensure proper performance and a long life for your contacts as well as to protect your eye health and vision, it is very important for you to follow your eye doctor's instructions as well as the care procedures.

Always:

• Wash your hands thoroughly before you handle your contact lenses
• Follow instructions for cleaning and storing
• Use commercially prepared solution and care products
• Store lenses in a specially designed contact lens case
• Call your eye doctor if you should notice severe, itching, redness or chronic blurred vision
• Clean contact lens cases daily

Never:

• Put torn or scratched contacts into your eyes. It can seriously damage your cornea.
• If you wear eye makeup, do not apply it before you insert your contacts
• Makeup should not get onto your lenses
• Put contacts in your mouth or moisten them with saliva. Use only approved care products for your lenses and follow your eye doctor's recommended regimen.
• Do not allow anyone else to wear your contacts lenses or try them on. You can risk accidentally transmitting or acquiring a serious disease.

Makeup Tips for Beauty and Safety:

• Put your contacts on first. Then apply makeup.
• Choose hypoallergenic products. Water-based makeup can be less irritating.
• Keep your mascara and eyeliner for only two to three months at a time. These products are particularly susceptible to the bacteria that can cause eye infections.
• Products labeled natural and preservative free should be avoided because of possible bacterial build up.
• Remove contacts before you remove your make-up.
• Avoid waterproof mascara. This type of mascara cannot be easily removed with water and may stain soft contacts.