Considering contact lenses requires evaluating your personal health, visual needs, and lifestyle to determine suitability. This decision involves a partnership with an eye care professional, who guides you through the requirements necessary to wear these medical devices safely and comfortably. Understanding the factors that affect success is the first step in determining if contact lenses are the correct choice.
Vision and Health Requirements for Wearers
A thorough eye examination confirms your eyes are healthy enough to tolerate lens wear, as contact lenses sit directly on the cornea. Pre-existing conditions, such as severe dry eye syndrome, can make wearing contacts uncomfortable or risky. Adequate tear film quality is important because insufficient lubrication leads to irritation and fluctuating vision.
Other contraindications include chronic eye infections, severe eye allergies, and untreated blepharitis. People with compromised immune systems are also more susceptible to serious eye infections. The specialist will assess your tear production and corneal health before recommending lenses.
The nature of your prescription also influences suitability and the type of lens needed. While most refractive errors are easily corrected, high astigmatism or a large difference in prescription between the two eyes (anisometropia) may require specialized lenses. For conditions like keratoconus, rigid or scleral lenses are often medically necessary because they provide sharper vision than eyeglasses.
Choosing the Right Lens Modality
Once candidacy is established, you choose the appropriate lens type, categorized by material and replacement schedule. Soft contact lenses are the most commonly prescribed type, made from flexible, water-containing polymers (hydrogels or silicone hydrogels) that offer immediate comfort. Silicone hydrogel lenses are popular because they allow more oxygen to reach the cornea.
Soft lenses are available in several replacement schedules. Daily disposables are discarded after a single use, eliminating the risk of deposit buildup, but they are often the most expensive choice. Bi-weekly or monthly lenses require daily cleaning and disinfection, offering a lower cost but demanding a strict routine.
In contrast, Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) lenses are made from durable, less flexible materials that transmit oxygen effectively but require an adjustment period. RGP lenses often provide sharper vision correction than soft lenses, especially for individuals with high prescriptions or irregular corneas. Specialized designs, such as toric lenses for astigmatism and multifocal lenses, are also available.
Practical Considerations for Daily Use
Wearing contact lenses requires a significant commitment to proper hygiene and time management. The most important daily requirement is cleaning, disinfecting, and storing reusable lenses, using fresh solution every time. Never expose lenses or the case to tap water, which can contain microorganisms that cause severe eye infections.
The routine of inserting and removing lenses adds time to the morning and evening schedule. Hands must always be washed and dried thoroughly before handling lenses to prevent the transfer of pathogens. Following the prescribed wearing schedule is mandatory; lenses must be removed before sleeping unless approved for extended wear.
Contact lenses offer practical benefits, especially for active lifestyles, as they move with the eye and do not fog up. These benefits come with ongoing financial obligations beyond the initial fitting cost. Expenses include replacement lenses, cleaning solutions, and required annual contact lens-specific eye exams to ensure the lenses fit correctly.
Initiating the Contact Lens Journey
The first step in obtaining contact lenses is scheduling a comprehensive eye examination. This appointment checks visual acuity and overall eye health to ensure no underlying conditions prevent successful lens wear. Following the exam, a separate contact lens fitting measures the curvature of your cornea and the size of your iris.
These precise measurements select trial lenses that match your eye shape, ensuring proper fit for comfort and adequate oxygen flow. The professional evaluates the movement and alignment of the trial lenses to confirm an optimal fit. If satisfactory, you receive trial lenses to wear for about a week to assess comfort and visual performance.
Mandatory training is provided during the fitting on the proper techniques for safely inserting, removing, and caring for the lenses. This instructional session prevents complications caused by improper handling. A follow-up appointment is scheduled after the trial period to check your eye’s response and finalize the prescription.