Contact lenses are a great alternative to eyeglasses. They give you a more natural appearance, and they are great if you are an athlete or an active person. Many people can wear conventional soft lenses; however, some people need to wear specialty contacts. During your contact lens exam with HineSight Vision Care, we can determine which type of lens would work best for you.
There are a few conditions that would make you “hard to fit” for contacts, and you would require special lenses. These include:
Keratoconus: Keratoconus is a condition where the cornea is not strong enough to hold its round shape, causing it to bulge into a cone shape. This makes it impossible to wear soft lenses.
Giant papillary conjunctivitis: This is a form of conjunctivitis that gets worse when protein deposits build up on contacts, which is common when wearing soft contacts.
Dry eye syndrome: Conventional contacts cause your eyes to dry out quickly, which will worsen the symptoms of your condition.
Astigmatism: This is a refractive error that cannot be treated with conventional contacts.
Presbyopia: After the age of 40, your ability to focus on close-up objects can become impaired. To treat the condition, you would need a contact with two different prescriptions.
If you have a condition that makes it impossible to wear soft contacts, there are specialty lenses that your optometrist can prescribe.
Gas-permeable lenses: Gas-permeable lenses are rigid, they will hold your eye's round shape if you have keratoconus. Also, protein deposits don't build up on the lenses the way they do with soft lenses. Finally, they don't dry out as quickly as soft lenses, making them an excellent option for dry eye.
Piggyback lenses: If you are having trouble getting used to gas-permeable lenses, your optometrist can prescribe a soft lens to wear underneath to act as a cushion.
Scleral lenses: Scleral lenses don't sit on your cornea the way that conventional lenses do. Instead, they sit on the white of your eye and vault over your cornea. Since the lens doesn't sit directly on your eye, they are an excellent option for keratoconus, giant papillary conjunctivitis, and dry eye syndrome.
Bifocal lenses: Bifocal lenses contain two prescriptions, which can treat presbyopia.
Monofocal lenses: If you cannot get used to bifocal lenses, your optometrist can prescribe a lens for distance vision for one eye and a lens for close-up vision in the other.
Toric lenses: Toric contact lenses treat astigmatism.
If you are considering getting contacts, schedule an appointment with HineSight Vision Care for a contact lens exam. Our eye doctor can fit you with either conventional lenses or specialty lenses, depending on your particular needs. Regular eye care is essential for the health of your vision and your eyes. To schedule an appointment, give us a call today at 601-519-4466!