Contact Lens Exams

Contact Lens Exam At The Vision Place

Contact lenses are a great alternative to wearing eyeglasses. If you are thinking about getting contact lenses, you are going to need to have a contact lens exam. You should understand that a contact lens exam is different from an eye exam and they aren’t covered by most insurance plans. If you’re going to get contacts, you should know what to expect during the exam.

Dr. Palomino specializes in many different types of contact lens offering the latest technology from the leading contact lens manufactures for the most comfortable fit and the best vision. These include multifocal contacts for presbyopia (for those over 40 needing help focusing at near), toric contact lenses for the correction of astigmatism, and a hybrid of rigid and soft contact lens material. There is an array of contact lens modalities from 1 day disposable, 2 week disposable to monthly replacement. She will take time to learn about your individual visual needs and provide you the different options available to give you the most comfortable, clear vision.

The Exam

A contact lens exam is slightly different from an exam for glasses. A contact lens exam must include the size and shape of your cornea in order to be fitted properly for contacts. Improperly fitted contacts can be irritating at best; at worst, they can cause severe pain and even damage your eye. A prescription for contacts is very specific and should never be changed without a good Doctor’s approval.

Dr. Palomino will also help you decide what kinds of contacts are best: daily disposable, 2 week disposable, monthly disposable contacts. These modalities can correct myopia, astigmatism, presbyopia, and hyperopia with special toric or multi-focal designs. There are also other options such as gas permeable contacts and scleral lenses. Dr. Palomino is also experienced with “hard to fit contacts” and eye types.

Your eye doctor won’t be able to use the same prescription for your contacts as they do your glasses because the two are different. The eyeglass prescription is determined for a lens that sits 12mm from your eye. Contact lenses sit directly on your eye; therefore, the prescription would be different.

Your eye doctor would also need to measure the surface of your eye to determine the type and size of contacts would be best for you.

Choosing the Best Lens

If your optometrist determines that your eyes are “hard-to-fit” for contacts due to a condition or disease of the eye, your contact lens options are limited. If not, your eye doctor would discuss your lifestyle with you. This would give them an idea of what type of lenses would be best for you. The most common types available include daily lenses, weekly lenses, bi-weekly lenses, and monthly lenses. If you want to change the color of your eyes, you can also go with colored contacts.

Contact Lens Teaching

When you optometrist has determined your lens size, your prescription and the type of lens that is best for you, a contact lens teaching is next. This is where you would sit down with someone, usually a tech, to learn how to put the contacts in, take them out, and how to care for them. They will often sit with you until you are able to insert and remove your lenses once or twice.

When you have it down, you will wear the trial pair of contacts home and wear them for a week or two. This will let you know if the contacts will work right for you.

The Follow-Up Appointment

About a week after your contact lens exam, you would go back to see your optometrist. They would check your vision and your eyes while wearing the contacts to make sure that they are working correctly. If everything is fine, you will be able to order your supply.

Contact The Vision Place in San Antonio, TX!

Contact our optometrist at The Vision Place in San Antonio to make an appointment for an assessment of your eyes. Call our office today at 210-764-1113 to find out more information.