Contact Lens Evaluation and Fitting in Lake Worth

What Does A Contact Lens Evaluation and Fitting Entail?

If you choose to wear contacts, it is crucial that they fit comfortably and correctly and that you are aware of appropriate contact lens care. A comprehensive eye exam to check your overall eye health and determine eyesight prescription, as well as a contact lens fitting evaluation, are two parts of the process to get you ready for contact lenses.

1. Comprehensive Eye Exam 

• Visual Acuity

Visual acuity measurements evaluate how clearly each eye is seeing. Reading charts are frequently used during this test.

• Preliminary Tests

Preliminary tests may include evaluations of depth perception, peripheral or side vision (visual field), eye muscle movements, color vision, and how your pupils react to light. Our technician usually completes these tests.

• Keratometry

Your eye doctor will focus a circle of light on your cornea to measure its reflection. This test tells your optometrist the curvature of the cornea. This is commonly performed for accurate contact lens fitting.

• Refraction

A refraction test determines the lens power you need to compensate for nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. Your eye doctor may use eye drops during this test to keep your eyes from changing focus.

• Eye Focusing

An eye-focusing test determines how well your eyes focus, move, and work together. This test helps your doctor see problems that prevent your eyes from focusing effectively or keeps them from working well together.

• Eye Health Examination

Dr. Baker and her team will either perform a dilated exam with or without the use of our retinal photography machine. Images captured by the camera serve as screenings for cardiovascular, intracranial, autoimmune, and infectious diseases that may affect the rest of the body.

2. Contact Lens Fitting Evaluation

The contact lens business is constantly coming up with new innovations to make contacts more comfortable, practical, and affordable. In order to determine the type of contacts that are best for you, one of the first stages in a contact lens consultation is to talk with your eye doctor about some lifestyle and health factors.

You should think about things like whether you prefer monthly or daily disposable lenses, as well as soft versus rigid gas permeable (GP) lenses, among other choices. Dr. Baker may have specific suggestions for the best type or brand to meet your expectations for the best possible comfort and vision if you have any specific eye conditions, such as astigmatism or dry eye syndrome.

When it comes to contact lenses, there is no one-size-fits-all. For your contact lenses to fit correctly, your eye specialist will need to take some measurements. Uncomfortable contact lens wear can result in blurry vision, ocular damage, and discomfort. Dr. Baker will collect the following measurements to fit you for contact lenses:

• Corneal Bending

Your doctor will measure the curvature of the cornea, or front surface of the eye, to ensure that the fitting curve of the lens correctly matches the curve of your eye. The correct slope for your contact lenses is determined by measuring the curvature with a device known as a keratometer. Because an astigmatized eye’s cornea is not exactly round, the best vision and lens fit would be achieved by using a “toric” lens, which is made especially for an astigmatized eye. In some circumstances, your eye doctor might opt to use a mapping of the corneal surface, known as corneal topography, to measure your cornea in greater detail.

• Iris or Pupil Size

Your eye doctor may use a tool called a biomicroscope or slit lamp, as well as a ruler or card, to physically measure the size of your pupil and iris (the colored portion of your eye). If you’re thinking about using specialty lenses, such as Gas Permeable (GP) contacts, this measurement is particularly crucial.

• Evaluation of Tear Film

Dry eyes is one of the most typical issues that arise when wearing contact lenses. Your eyes will feel dry, irritated, and itchy if the contact lenses are not kept sufficiently hydrated and wet. Your doctor will want to make sure that you have enough tear film to keep the lenses comfortable and moist, especially if you have dry eye syndrome. If not, contact lenses might not be a good vision choice for you.

• Trial of Contact Lenses and Prescription

Before finalizing and ordering your lenses, the eye doctor may ask you to put on a pair of lenses to ensure fit and comfort after determining which pair of lenses might work best for your eyes. Before the doctor examines the fit, movement, and tearing in your eye, the aide or doctor would insert the lenses and leave them in for 15 to 20 minutes. Your eye doctor will order the lenses for you if they seem to fit well after the fitting. In addition, your eye doctor will give you care and hygiene instructions, such as how to put on and take off contact lenses and, if necessary, how long to wear them at one time.

• Follow-up

To ensure that your contact lenses are fitting correctly and that your eyes are adjusting properly, Dr. Baker may ask you to schedule a follow-up visit. You should see your eye specialist as soon as possible if you have pain or dryness in your eyes. Your eye specialist might decide to experiment with a different lens, a different disinfecting solution for contact lenses, or a change in how frequently you wear them.