If you wear contact lenses or want to start wearing them, you need a contact lens exam.

People choose to use contact lenses for various reasons. Some people enjoy the ease and convenience of wearing contact lenses, while others like the aesthetics of the lenses. Contact lenses will not fall or slip easily when going about your daily activities. Additionally, the lenses do not cause facial uneasiness or change your look.

But contact lenses also come with several disadvantages. They may cause eye infections or extreme complications if they are ill-fitting or not properly maintained. A contact lens exam will help determine if contact lenses are appropriate for you.

What to Expect

A contact lens exam usually includes a comprehensive eye checkup to examine your eye health. Your doctor will first evaluate the health of your eyes. Then, they will perform a contact lens exam to measure and determine the appropriate lens fit for your eyes.

Before the Exam

Before your contact lens exam, your eye doctor will discuss health and lifestyle issues that could influence the type of contact lenses you need.

Contact lenses may not be suitable for people who:

• Experience severe eye allergies.
• Have dry eyes.
• Have recurrent eye infections.
• Have had LASIK or refractive eye surgery.
• May not handle contact lenses responsibly.

During the Exam

During a contact lens exam, your eye doctor will measure:

• The curve and diameter of your cornea - To come up with the size and arch of your contact lenses.
• The size of your pupil and iris - To determine the contact lens size most fitting for you. This is particularly important if you wear rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses.
• Your tear film. The eye doctor will check whether your eyes produce enough tears. Tears help lubricate your contact lenses and make you wear the contacts comfortably.

Contact Lens Fitting

With your contact lens exam results, the optometrist may give you trial contact lenses right away. Wearing these lenses for a short time will help your eye doctor know if those lenses are the right fit for you.

If you need specialty contact lenses, you may not get trial lenses right after the contact lens exam. Your eye doctor will need to order them, which may take time.

You may need to try out several contact lenses before your eye doctor finds the right fit for you. The eye doctor will then evaluate the look and comfort of your contact lenses, along with your visual acuity. After these tests, your eye doctor will give you a contact lens prescription that suits your eye needs.

What Does a Contact Lens Prescription Entail?

Your eye doctor will give you a prescription for your new contact lenses once they find the most appropriate lenses for you.

The prescription will include the lens material, power, diameter, and base curve estimates. Your eye doctor can order the contact lenses straight from the manufacturer. That will ensure that your contact lenses arrive in one piece and accurately fit your prescription.

For more on what to expect during a contact lens exam, call Today’s Vision at (949) 518-0055  to reach our office in Laguna Niguel, California.