Contact Lens Fitting
A contact lens fitting consists of two visits. At the first visit, the lenses are placed on the patient's eyes and the fit and vision are evaluated. The patient is then taught how to insert, remove, and care/clean for the contact lenses. At the second visit, one week later, the patient returns wearing the contacts and the fit is reassessed. As long as everything is fitting properly, a supply of the contact lenses can be ordered at that time. The cost of the fitting is generally not covered by insurance and varies depending on the patient's prescription.
Q: Do contact lenses hurt?
A: No. When the contacts are put into your eyes for the first time it may feel a little wet. You also may have an awareness of the contact, but it will NOT hurt. After a few minutes, this feeling should go away and you will not even know they are in your eyes. Q: What happens if I sleep in my contacts? A: Sleeping in contacts is not appropriate. It is the fastest way to give yourself a vision threatening eye infection. When we are awake tears are able to go underneath your lens and clear away any bacteria that may be there. Also the air is able to go through the lens to provide oxygen to your cornea. When we sleep, we produce almost no tears so anything that may have gotten underneath your contact can burrow its way into the cornea causing an infection. In addition since our eyes are closed when we sleep, not enough oxygen gets through to the cornea which causes it to swell. Most infections due to contact lenses can be prevented by simply taking your contacts out when going to sleep. Q: Can contacts get stuck behind my eye? A: No. If you rub your eye too hard the lens may become displaced. If this happens it may get folded and become stuck under your upper eyelid, but it will not roll behind your eye. In this case you would take the contact lens out, clean it, and place it back in your eye properly. Q: Do I need to build-up the wearing time of contacts before I can wear them all day? A: No. Because contacts are so comfortable so quickly now, it is not necessary to build-up wearing time. As long as you are comfortable you can wear the lenses for a full day of 10-12 hours. Q: Is it easier to take contacts out, or to put them in? A: It depends. Everybody is different. While some patients have no trouble getting the lenses in, and more difficulty getting them out, other patients are the opposite. Either way with practice both insertion and removal of the contacts will become very quick and easy. Q: Are contacts good for playing sports? A: Yes! Contacts are great for sports. Unlike in glasses, your peripheral vision is clear, making it easier to spot a ball that may be coming towards you from the side. In addition, contacts do not fog up like glasses and they won’t slide down your nose when you sweat. Q: Can I shower with contacts in? A: It’s not recommended. While nothing harmful will happen, the steam from the shower makes the lens feels as though it is “suction cupped” to your eye causing discomfort. Since you don’t shower with glasses on there should be no reason to do so with your contacts. If you shower in the morning, put your contacts in when you get out. If you shower in the evening, take the lenses out first and then wear your glasses the rest of the evening. Q: What happens if I don’t wear my contacts everyday? A: If you wear 2 week disposable lenses they are good for 14 days of wear. That means that if you don’t wear your lenses each day you can extend the 2 week time period. However, if you don’t wear your contacts one day be sure to change the solution in the cups anyway. Q: What happens if I don’t throw the lenses away after the 2 week or 1 month time period? A: Your contacts are only made to last for 2 weeks or 1 month (depending on the lens). After that time, the material of the lens begins to breakdown and they won’t stay as clean throughout the day. This causes discomfort of the lens. Q: What do I do if my eyes get dry while wearing the contacts? A: Thanks to newer materials this is happening less and less. Also, children find this to be less of a problem than adults do. However, if you do find that this is becoming a problem you can always use re-wetting drops. These come in very small bottles that you can put in your pocket or your school bag. When you feel the lens drying out just put a drop in your eye. This can be done while the contacts are already in. Q: When do I order more contacts? A: When you are down to your last 2-3 pairs, call the office to place your next order. This will allow enough time in case your lenses are on back order from the company. When ordering from our office, your contact lenses will be delivered directly to your home. |