A comprehensive eye examination assesses visual acuity, evaluates eye health, and determines an accurate refractive prescription. If you wear contact lenses, you should remove them before a routine comprehensive exam. This allows the eye doctor to properly assess your eyes in their natural state, ensuring the most accurate results for your vision correction and eye health.
The Standard Protocol: Why Corneas Need a Break
The primary reason to remove contact lenses is to allow the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye, to return to its original shape. Contact lenses, even soft ones, exert subtle pressure that can temporarily alter the cornea’s curvature. This temporary change, sometimes called corneal warpage, directly impacts the refraction test used to determine your precise eyeglass prescription. If the measurement is taken while the cornea is still influenced by the lens, the resulting prescription may be inaccurate.
Allowing the cornea to stabilize ensures the eye doctor is measuring your eye’s true refractive error without the distorting influence of the lens. The contact lens also acts as a physical barrier and can mask underlying health issues. A doctor needs an unobstructed view of the corneal surface to check for signs of oxygen deprivation, chronic inflammation, or subtle abrasions caused by lens wear.
Lenses can also interfere with the assessment of the tear film, the thin layer of fluid that protects the eye. Contact lens wear can exacerbate or hide symptoms of dry eye syndrome, a condition the doctor needs to evaluate accurately for overall ocular health. Obtaining an accurate picture of your corneal health and refractive state requires removing the lenses for a sufficient period of time before the exam begins.
Essential Preparation Before the Exam
For a standard comprehensive eye exam, patients should remove soft contact lenses at least two hours before the scheduled appointment time. This timeframe allows the cornea to relax and stabilize. Individuals who wear rigid gas-permeable (RGP) or specialized orthokeratology lenses may require a much longer removal period, sometimes ranging from several days to several weeks, which the doctor will specify in advance.
You should plan to wear your eyeglasses to the appointment, as you will need them for the duration of the examination. It is important to bring the contact lenses themselves, along with their storage case and fresh solution. Additionally, be prepared to provide the doctor with the exact specifications of your current contacts, including the brand name, base curve, and diameter. This information is relevant to your overall eye history.
When Contacts Are Part of the Examination
There are specific instances when the eye doctor will require you to wear your lenses, such as during a contact lens evaluation or fitting. This specialized visit assesses the performance of the lenses on your eye, going beyond a general health and vision check. The doctor needs to observe how the lenses interact with your eye’s delicate surface and tear film.
During this evaluation, the doctor will assess the fit of the lens, observing its movement and centration on the cornea with each blink. A poorly fitting lens, whether too loose or too tight, can cause discomfort, blurred vision, or even lead to complications like corneal damage. The doctor will also evaluate your visual acuity while wearing the lenses to confirm that the power is still providing clear, comfortable sight.
If you are coming in for a contact lens check, wear your lenses as you normally would for at least a few hours before the appointment. The doctor or technician will then instruct you when to remove them so the comprehensive health portion of the exam can be completed. This two-part approach allows for both a functional assessment of the lenses and a thorough health check of the eyes without the lenses in place.