If you’ve never worn contact lenses before, it can seem a bit intimidating. After all, you’re inserting something into your eye! Let’s ease your mind about the first step – your contact lens exam.

It Begins With A Comprehensive Eye Exam.

Your eye doctor will first determine your overall eye health and vision. This includes a discussion of your health history and then a series of standard eye tests. These tests will evaluate eye focusing, eye teaming, depth perception, color vision, peripheral vision, and the response of your pupils to light. The doctor will also measure your eye’s fluid pressure to check for glaucoma, evaluate your retina and optic nerve, and test your vision with different lenses to assess whether contact lenses can improve your vision.

Next, The Eye Doctor Will Conduct Eye Surface Measurements.

Contact lenses require precise measurements of your eyes to fit properly. Using an instrument called a keratometer, your doctor will measure the curvature of your eye's cornea, the clear front surface of your eye. If you have dry eyes, your eye doctor will also perform a tear film evaluation to measure the amount of tear film on the surface of your eye. If your tear film is insufficient or you have chronic dry eyes, contact lenses may not be a good option for you. However, some newer contact lenses deliver moisture to the surface of the eye, making them a better choice for individuals with dry eye issues.

Then, A Discussion About Your Contact Lens Preferences.

If contact lenses are appropriate for you, it’s time to talk about your contact lens preferences. For example, would you prefer daily disposable lenses or reusable contacts? Ask about the benefits or drawbacks of each, so that you make the best decision. If you are over 40 and have trouble seeing far and up close, your doctor will likely discuss contact lens options that allow you to have freedom from reading glasses.

It's Time For The Contact Lens Fitting.

The final step is to fit you with a trial pair of contact lenses. Once inserted, your eye doctor will examine the lenses in your eyes to ensure a good fit. He/she will check the alignment and movement of the lenses on the surface of your eye and if the fit looks good, the last step is to ensure the prescription is correct with a few more tests.

Now It’s Your Turn To Test It Out.

Once your doctor has determined a good initial contact lens fit, comfort, and vision, then you will be given contact lenses to trial for a week. If you have never put contacts in on your own, we will schedule you for a one-on-one training class on how to insert and remove contact lenses. Once you are comfortable enough to practice at home, then we release trial lenses for you.

After trialing your new contact lenses, you will usually have a short follow-up exam to confirm that the lenses are working well for you. Once your prescription is finalized, you can then order a supply of contact lenses. If the first pair of contacts did not work out, don’t worry, there are many types and brands of contacts you may try until the best fit is found, so be sure to reach out to our office with any questions or concerns.

Give us a call today to schedule your annual exam and be sure to let us know you want to try contact lenses.