Contact Lens Exam in Katy
A guide about contact lenses exams you and your family are able to get. We discuss the types of contacts, fitting considerations and the process.
Are you wondering if you can wear contact lenses or would like to know the process in getting them? Contact lenses are a popular option for kids and adults because it provides another way to see and fits in with many types of lifestyles. A contact lens exam or contact lens fitting as some offices call it, is an add on to the exam. It requires additional measurements and considerations that we will discuss in this article.
Who Can Wear Contact Lenses?
Patients who would like an alternate to glasses! We have many type of lenses and often can find something that will fit with each patient. The main consideration of who can wear contacts are their responsibility. The FDA considers contact lenses to be medical devices, so care must be taken as you would with any device you would use on your body. A contact lens rests on the surface of the eye and it's important to practice good habits because the surface of the eye will be impacted if care isn't given!We commonly get asked this question from parent's who want to know if their child is ready for contacts. Children should first desire to wear contact lenses, if they are being pushed to then we know motivation and best care practices are greatly reduced. Learning how to put a contact lens in is difficult so a child must first want contact lenses. Active kids, kids who are concerned about their appearance or kids with big prescriptions often are very motivated to do contact lenses. The next step is we need parents to access whether their child has the maturity and habits to wear a contact lens.
What Happens During a Contact Lens Exam?
A standard eye exam and a contact lens exam are different in only that a contact lens exam builds on top of a standard eye exam. If a patient already wears contacts, the contact lens exam may start with checking a patient's vision with the contact lens on and then after doing that, transition to the steps of a standard eye exam. During the eye health check, extra attention and testing is applied to examine the cornea, lids, and tear film. After the eye health check, we discuss with patients their contact lens options as it relates to their prescription, eye health, goals, and pricing. Then a "trial contact lens" is pulled and tested on the patient. Multiple trials may be necessary but we won't finalize a prescription until we can get something that best works for a patient. We carry multiple manufactures so its our job to figure out what lens and parameters to choose!
Why Do We Need to do Trials for a Contact Lens Fitting?
It boils down to finding the best fit.
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Daily vs Monthly Contact Lenses. Daily lenses offer superb comfort and convenience but they do cost more than monthly lenses. Monthly lenses are economical and they also do come in many more variations that may fit a person's eye better.
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Soft versus Gas Permeable (hard) lenses. The vast majority use soft lenses but hard lenses are still needed for people with high astigmatism, irregular eyes, those who do OrthoK, need more clear vision than a soft lens, and those already using them.
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Multifocal or monovision. When patients are needing both distance and reading correction, there are various lenses and fitting strategies to try to maximize both of those distances.
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Specialty Lenses: lenses for dry eyes, myopia control, post-LASIK, keratoconnus, who want the absolute best vision
Contact Lens Care and Safety Tips for Families
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insert and remove lenses daily. Dispose of the lens based off the doctor's plan.
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if using a reusable lens, clean with a good multipurpose solution, alcon optifree express or bausch and lomb biotrue are two very good ones. There are others that your optometrist may recommend based off the contact lens exam.
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Common mistakes to avoid: do not sleep in lenses, do not use tap water to clean lenses, do not wear lenses longer than prescribed.
When to See the Eye Doctor for Contact Lens Issues
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Improper fit or eye irritation. When a contact lens doesn't sit well on the surface, it will move more and you will feel irritation and vision could also be blurrier
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Redness or pain. A contact lens can become infected and scratch your surface, these could be eye emergencies, these could happen long after a doctor finalizes your prescription.
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Annual contact lens exams. A yearly check to evaluate the surface's health, get new contact lenses, and to check the prescription are important reasons to go.
Choosing the Right Eye Doctor for Your Family’s Contact Lens Needs
Often, the optometrist you may already see is also capable of performing your contact lens exam. If you have a great rapport with them, ask if they can do your contact lens fitting. Otherwise, finding someone to do your contact lens exam boils down to if a prospective doctor has contacts in their office to fit you with, has the staff to train how to insert and remove lens, has good outcomes with both their contacts and their glasses prescriptions, has the clinical expertise that meshes well with your needs, and if using vision insurance such as VSP or Eyemed, is an in network provider.​​
Questions to Ask Before Getting Fitted for Contacts.
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How often do you want to wear contact lenses?
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What are you goals for contact lenses?
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Do I understand the pros/cons of contact lenses?
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How to find a family-friendly optometrist near me?
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Do I want to learn how to wear contact lenses and make it a routine?
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Do I want color contact lenses?
Ready to Try Contact Lenses?
Contact lenses can be a great option to supplement glasses. The benefit of being able to see without having anything on your face is a joy many people haven't experienced. If you are interested to learn more about contact lenses, schedule a contact lens exam in Katy. We will expertly answer your questions about contact lenses and find one that works for you.
About the Author:
Dr. Matthew Pham is a licensed and insured optometrist serving the greater Houston area. He has experience in fitting both soft and hard lenses and optimizing the vision for each patient. He has experience with lenses from Cooper Vision, Acuvue, Alcon, Metro, Bausch and Lomb's zen lens sclerals and myopia control lenses. He is the owner of Eye Eye Doc in Katy TX.