The Importance of Specialty Lens Fitting
There are various advantages of wearing contact lenses, such as allowing you to have a more natural appearance, making you look more youthful and healthier, or giving you a whole field of focused view which is essential when playing sports or driving. You can also wear sunglasses and protect your eyes from UV rays.
Generally, you will enjoy having clear vision and be able to do your daily activities efficiently. However, sometimes it's hard to find a contact lens that fits. Fortunately, an eye doctor with experience and expertise can give you a specialty lens that fits properly. At Pearland Eye Care in Houston, we can help you get fitting lenses regardless of your eye condition and cornea shape.
Why do you need a specialty contact lens fitting?
Sometimes, patients cannot get comfort, vision correction, or any other result they want from their present conventional or standard contact lenses. You can define special lenses as customized lenses that an eye care professional makes to suit your unique cornea shape. Despite being referred to as standard, it's crucial to understand that eye specialists fit all contact lenses to match the needs and shape of a patient.
Specialty lenses are necessary when making a lens fit is more challenging than usual. Before an eye doctor gives you a specialty contact lens, they must do a thorough contact lenses exam to determine several key things, such as the shape and health of your cornea. They will also inquire about your eyeglass prescriptions, measure the size of your pupil, and establish your tear ducts' ability to produce tears.
Conditions that make it hard to fit contact lenses include:
- Dry eyes
- Giant papillary conjunctivitis
- Keratoconus
- Optometrists' refractive errors such as myopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia
It is also challenging to fit lenses after undergoing LASIK surgery. Sometimes, your vision might still not be clear after this procedure, and getting a second surgery may be out of the question.
Types of specialty lenses
An eye doctor can design several types of specialty lenses.
Cosmetic lenses
Users don't wear these lenses to improve vision but to serve purposes like concealing eye disfigurement, injuries, or changing color.
Scleral lenses
These are perfect in cases where the cornea's shape is irregular, making it challenging to fit a standard lens. This lens type rests on the white part of the eye, called the sclera, and jumps over the cornea. Regular lenses sit on the cornea. The eye doctor will fill the gap between the ocular surface and the lens with a saline solution to hydrate the eye and make the cornea irregularities useless.
Rigid gas permeable lenses (RGP)
These lenses have a sturdy design that distinguishes them from the soft structure of ordinary lenses. RGP lenses are more long-lasting and offer better vision correction than standard soft lenses. They are preferred for conditions such as keratoconus. There are also subdivisions of RPG lenses called hybrid and piggyback lenses. The hybrid lenses have soft edges, which make them comfortable to wear, and they also make them stay firmly in place. Piggyback lenses have soft material underneath for increased comfort and the hard part on top for better vision.
Orthokeratology lenses
Patients wear them at nighttime instead of in the daytime. They gradually change the cornea's shape, helping patients have clear vision during the day, especially for patients with conditions like astigmatism, hyperopia, and myopia.
Contact Us Today for a Specialty Contact Lenses Fitting
Pearland Eye Care is your trusted eye care provider in Houston. We have experienced eye doctors who have specialized in optometry. They will help you find the perfect lenses whether you have optometrist refractive errors or any other eye conditions that make it challenging to get fitting lenses. Schedule an appointment by calling us today at (713) 991-4100 for extensive contact lens exams and specialty lens fitting.
