Contact Lenses
Our office strives to successfully fit our patients in a variety of contact lenses. We embrace all new contact lens technologies, and try to utilize the healthiest contact lens designs. Therefore, one of the initial steps during your comprehensive eye examination is to discuss some lifestyle and health considerations with your doctor, and then take the essential measurements to properly select which contact lens will best match your particular needs.
We offer a full line of contact lenses including soft daily or monthly disposables, bifocal, and toric for astigmatism as well as rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses. Your doctor may have a specific recommendation based on an eye condition, such as astigmatism or dry eye, to provide you with the best vision, comfort and fit possible.
Please feel free to ask any contact lens related questions that you may have during your comprehensive eye exam.
Which is the Right Contact Lens for You?
First, your contact lenses must correct your vision problem. Second, each lens must properly fit the surface of your eye. Therefore, contact lenses come in tens of thousands of parameters to accommodate each individual’s needs.
There are various lens designs available for different vision problems.
- Spherical contact lenses correct nearsightedness or farsightedness and are indicated by a minus or plus power in your prescription, respectively.
- Multifocal contact lenses are similar to multifocal eyeglasses in that they use different optical zones to correct presbyopia (the decreased ability see at both near and far distances).
- Toric contact lenses correct astigmatism, which can accompany either nearsightedness or farsightedness.
All of the contact lenses mentioned above can be custom fabricated for unusual prescriptions, and many other contact lens designs are available as well, including designs for medical conditions like keratoconus.
Contact Lens Fitting
After your comprehensive eye examination, a separate contact lens fitting appointment will be scheduled. The contact lens fitting appointment often requires an hour or more to confirm appropriate comfort, vision and fit. We have a large base of diagnostic lenses on-site or we will special order your trial lenses based on your prescription and measurements. If the lenses appear to be a good fit, you will be instructed how to insert and remove your lenses. The doctor or technician will also review with you how long to wear, handle, clean and store your contacts. Some contact lens fittings may require several visits depending on the complexity of the patient’s vision problem.
A follow-up visit typically is scheduled one or two weeks after the initial fitting. This gives the doctor a chance to see how the patient’s eyes are responding to the contacts. If you are experiencing any discomfort or dryness in your eyes, you should call the office as soon as possible. Your eye doctor may decide to try a different lens, design, solution, or wearing schedule. If you are doing well with your contact lenses, at this time the doctor will finalize your contact lens prescription and you can place your contact lens order.
Contact lens orders can be placed in office, through the patient portal or over the phone. Note: some lenses may take up to/over 3 weeks to arrive. Free shipping conveniently to your home is available when a one year supply is ordered. In addition, some manufacturers offer rebates for purchases of a year or 6 month supply of contact lenses with exam.
Ask your doctor at your next eye examination what contact lens options are available for you. We will be happy to answer your questions.