Contact Lens Exam
Contact Lens Exam in Blue Island, IL
If you wear contact lenses or plan to wear contact lenses, then you will need a contact lens exam. We will evaluate your eye health and vision and consult with you on your lifestyle and hobbies to ensure we recommend the right contact lens for your eye health, vision, and lifestyle. There are many exciting options now for contact lens wearers to accommodate astigmatism, presbyopia, and more.
What is a contact lens exam?
During a contact lens exam, our optometrist will evaluate the size and shape of your eye to find a lens that fits your eye properly. Our optometrist will also check for any eye health issues that could affect how comfortable it will be for you to wear contact lenses.
Specifically, a contact lens exam will include:
- Our optometrist will measure your cornea to determine the curvature and size of your contact lens. Astigmatism may require you to wear a toric lens (a special type of lens that counteracts flaws on the surface).
- During your contact lens exam, our optometrist will measure the size of your pupils to find contacts that fit best on your eyes.
- In a contact lens exam, the tear film is evaluated to determine if you have a condition known as dry eye.
Once these tests are complete, your optometrist will likely recommend a specific type (or modality) of contact lens based on your eye health and vision needs. They may ask you to try on several different brands of contacts to determine which ones feel most comfortable.
After finding contact lenses that fit properly, are comfortable, and provide proper vision, your optometrist will provide you with your contact lens prescription.
This prescription will designate contact lens power, a base curve (a shape matching the curvature of your eye), and diameter.
Why do I need a separate exam for contact lenses?
If you plan to wear contact lenses, you’ll need a separate eye exam because contact lenses are classified as medical devices, which means you need a contact lens prescription to wear them.
If you wear contact lenses or plan to wear contact lenses, let us know when you schedule an appointment for your comprehensive eye exam, so we can perform the contact lens exam during your appointment.
Contact Lens Exam Follow-Up Visit
Your optometrist may ask you to schedule an additional appointment so that we can assess whether your contact lenses are a good fit and to see if your eyes are properly adjusting to the contact lenses.
Can I sleep in my contacts?
It is not healthy to sleep in contacts though there are several lens designs that are approved for overnight wear up to 7 days. We recommend removing contacts overnight, although wearing them during short daytime naps is generally okay.
Can I use my eyeglass prescription to buy over-the-counter contact lenses?
Eyeglasses prescriptions and contact lens prescriptions are often different. A contact lens prescription specifies not only the power of the contacts but the brand and very specific parameters of the lenses. In the US, there are no FDA-approved brands for over-the-counter contacts lenses. Contact lenses are a medical device because they come into contact with the delicate tissues of the eye.
Is it safe for me to clean my contact lenses with a homemade solution?
No, contact lenses require specialized cleaning solutions.
Can my child wear contact lenses during sports activities?
In general, yes, and contact lenses can often be the preferred method of vision correction because they provide better side or peripheral vision for sports.