Contact Lens Exams and Fittings

A contact lens exam allows us to determine if you have any eye conditions that may impact your ability to wear contact lenses. Once we have determined that contact lenses are a suitable choice for your eyes, we will determine your contact lens prescription and then move on to the fitting.

Please note that your contact lens prescription is different from your eyeglasses prescription.

Now that we have established that contact lenses are a good choice for you, we will take detailed measurements of your eyes. Accurate measurements are critical because they ensure that the contact lenses we prescribe are suitable, based on your cornea’s shape and size.

Contact lenses are available in a variety of styles, sizes, and curvatures, so it is vital that we find the right fit for your eyes. Properly fitting contact lenses provide clear, healthy, and comfortable vision.

At Associates in Eyecare – Bristow, we use a variety of different cutting-edge instruments to measure your eyes, including corneal topography.

Once we know which style of contact lenses is best suited to your unique eyes, we will send you home with a trial pair in your prescription. This trial period allows you to test out your new contact lenses, make sure they are providing you with clear vision, and ensure that your eyes are comfortable.

Once you have had a week or so to try your contacts, we will meet with you again to ensure that you are happy and that your eyes are adjusting properly. If you are satisfied with your contacts, we will provide you with a copy of your prescription and order a supply of lenses for you.

If your trial pair is not as effective as you had hoped, we will work with you by trying different powers, styles, and brands until we find the perfect match.

Toric contact lenses are designed for patients with astigmatism. While standard, spherical contact lenses are typically only made with one prescription, toric lenses feature different prescriptions along the vertical and horizontal axes.

Because each lens accommodates more than one prescription, they need to remain rotationally stable to provide you with clear vision. Toric lenses feature a weighted portion of the lens to ensure they don’t rotate throughout the day.

Multifocal contact lenses, just like multifocal glasses, are typically prescribed to patients with presbyopia. Presbyopia is a common condition that develops as we age and impacts our ability to focus on near objects.

Multifocal contact lenses are made using two or more prescriptions and allow you to easily shift your gaze from near to distant objects, and vice versa, without having to switch between different pairs of contact lenses or glasses. These contact lenses can either feature concentric rings of alternating near and distant powers or be aspheric, with a smooth transition between multiple prescriptions.

Scleral contact lenses are a type of rigid gas-permeable lenses that are designed to rest gently on your sclera (the white of your eye) and vault over your cornea. Scleral contact lenses are typically prescribed to individuals with irregularly shaped corneas, including patients with astigmatism and keratoconus, or those with very dry eyes.

Scleral lenses may also be prescribed to patients who have recently undergone a corneal transplant. The contact lens acts as a bandage for the eye while the cornea heals.

Orthokeratology contact lenses (also called Ortho-K lenses) are a style of rigid, gas-permeable lenses that are designed to be worn overnight while you sleep, gently reshaping your corneas and temporarily correcting myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), or astigmatism.

This gentle reshaping provides you with clear vision the next day, without having to wear glasses or contact lenses. However, this change is only temporary, so to continue to enjoy clear vision without eyewear, you will need to wear your Ortho-K lenses every night.

Hybrid contact lenses include a rigid, gas-permeable central zone, which is surrounded by a skirt of hydrogel or silicone hydrogel material. Hybrid lenses allow you to experience the clear, crisp vision of rigid, gas-permeable lenses as well as the comfort of soft hydrogel lenses.

Hybrid contact lenses are particularly popular among athletes since their large diameter and thin edges make them less likely to be dislodged during high-energy activities such as sports.

Are you considering switching to contact lenses or interested in trying a new style or brand? Schedule your contact lens exam and fitting today.