What to Expect during a Contact Lens Exam

What to Expect during a Contact Lens Exam

What to Expect During a Contact Lens Exam at Your Family Eye Care Center in Palm Beach County

If you are considering contact lenses, you need to schedule a contact lens exam at your family eye care center in Palm Beach County. Our optometrist will perform a comprehensive assessment to check your vision and overall eye health, then discuss your prescription eyewear options in detail. Here is an overview of what you can expect during a contact lens exam and fitting in our office.
 

What do eye exams for contact lenses involve?

A contact lens exam is more than a vision test to determine your prescription. It involves doing a comprehensive eye assessment and a contact lens evaluation. During the examination, we check your vision, how your eyes work together, and the pressure in the eyes. We will also evaluate for eye disease and consider factors that might interfere with the comfort and effectiveness of your contact lenses.

If you are already wearing contact lenses, our optometrist will evaluate your vision and reassess the fit and comfort. If necessary, we will update your prescription. We’ll also review the proper wear and care of the specific contact lenses that you wear and monitor for complications specific to contact lens wear that threatens eye health. We recommend coming in for a contact lens exam every year, and Florida state law requires an eye examination every 1-2 years, depending on the type and modality of contact lenses you wear and the doctor’s recommendation.

Make eye exams a regular part of your health care routine, irrespective of whether you use prescription eyewear or not. In addition to determining your eye health, our optometrist will also check for serious health conditions like hypertension and diabetes. Conditions such as these are not only detectable in an eye examination, but they also pose a threat to eye health and can cause vision loss. Early diagnosis enables effective treatment.
 

What to expect in a contact lens evaluation appointment?

With a variety of contact lenses available, our optometrist will select the best solution for your lifestyle and preferences. An athlete, for instance, might require a specialty lens that provides an improved vision for nighttime games or a specific lens that corrects astigmatism and provides a stable vision for frequent changes in head position. Some individuals also prefer colored lenses that will change the appearance of their eyes. Patients with careers that require them to be on-call and quick to report frequently benefit from extended wear contact lenses. And still others in dusty environments or those who desire to reduce the risk of eye disease such as pink eye may opt for daily disposable contact lenses.

The correct fit is important for the effectiveness of your lenses to achieve good comfort and to maintain eye health. Several measurements are required to ensure proper lens sizing. Contact lenses are not one size fits all. Such measurements include the curvature of your cornea (the front surface of the eye upon which a contact lens rests) as well as the size of your pupil and iris. Which eye is dominant or preferred by your brain is also important information.

An additional important factor in selecting a contact lens is the health of the tear film. Patients with dry eyes may be deficient in tears or may have poor-quality tears. Often dry eyes must be treated before contact lens wear will be successful. Your eye doctor will select the contact lens made of the material that is best for the consistency of your tears. Water content, the presence of silicone in a lens, and the proprietary moisturizing agents in each contact lens brand will affect the comfort that can be achieved for each contact lens type for patients with dry eyes.

After deciding which contact lenses are right for you, you’ll likely try a sample pair to determine if they are a good fit for your lifestyle and visual needs. You will also receive clear instructions on how to insert and remove the lenses as well as practice proper care and hygiene. It is important to follow these instructions in order to avoid eye strain and infections, including contagious conditions such as the pink eye. You will be asked to schedule a follow-up appointment after a week’s time to check that your lenses fit well and your eyes are adjusting properly. For this appointment, you’ll of course need to wear your new contact lens samples to the office so that the doctor can evaluate the fit of the lenses on the eyes after several hours of wear.
 

Large selection of contact lenses at your family eye care center in Palm Beach County

At SeaView Eyecare, we carry a large selection of contact lens brands and many that are not available in retail optometry practices. Even if you or your child have had problems with contact lenses in the past or have been told you are not suitable for them, our patient and knowledgeable staff will help you to explore the growing number of options of contact lens products on the market. Our board-certified optometrists in Wellington, Palm Beach County can also tailor the eye exam and prescribe suitable eyewear for a hobby or interest and protection for different types of light (computer screen, headlights, and UV light).

From eye exams to vision correction and emergency eye care, count on us to help you maintain optimal eye health. We are credentialed with most major insurance carriers and can help you optimize your coverage benefits.

Our state-of-the-art SeaView optometric eye care center in Lake Worth provides comprehensive services for your whole family. We have invested in the latest diagnostic tools to provide you with prescriptions for the clearest vision as well as to detect any eye problems. An extensive range of eyewear and sunglasses helps cater to diverse tastes. If we do not have the frames you desire, we will be happy to order them for you!   As contracted providers for most insurance plans, we can help you make optimal use of your benefits to maintain healthy eyes.

Call SeaView Eyecare at 561-790-7290 or contact us online to schedule an appointment at our family eye care center in Palm Beach County.