Who is a Good Candidate for Hard-to-Fit Contacts?

Who is a Good Candidate for Hard-to-Fit Contacts?

Who is a Good Candidate for Hard-to-Fit Contacts?

Who is a Good Candidate for Hard-to-Fit Contacts?

November 11, 2021

Contact lenses are a very common and popular choice of prescription eyewear and have many benefits over traditional glasses. Some of these benefits include being less likely to break them or lose them, not altering your appearance, having more ease in doing various activities, such as sports.


 

Many people assume that contact lenses are a one-size-fits-all solution. However, this is far from the case. There are even some types of people who find it extremely difficult to wear contact lenses at all.


 

When you decide that contact lenses are the right choice of prescription eyewear for you, you’ll have to attend a contact lens fitting appointment with your eye doctor. The purpose of this appointment is to find the right style of contact lenses for you, and as part of this process, your eye doctor will examine the surface of your eyes. Some people are described as having ‘hard-to-fit’ eyes. That means that they aren’t likely to be good candidates for standard soft contact lenses. Instead, they will almost certainly need speciality or ‘hard-to-fit’ contact lenses.

 

What Conditions Require Patients to Wear Speciality or Hard-to-Fit Contact Lenses?



There is a range of conditions that can necessitate the use of speciality contact lenses. These include:


 

Dry eyes: This condition occurs when the eyes don’t make the right quality or quantity of tear film, or it drains from the eyes too quickly. Without sufficient tear film, contact lenses can’t float comfortably on the surface of the eyes. Some speciality contacts can trap tear film in a reservoir on the eyes, enabling patients with dry eyes to wear them.


 

Astigmatism: Patients with astigmatism have eyeballs that are shaped more like footballs than basketballs, and this can make it difficult for standard contacts to fit properly. However, some speciality lenses are more rigid, holding them stable on the eyes and improving the clarity of your vision. They can also be made to stay in a certain position on the eyes, which is important for patients with astigmatism since the condition causes there to be more than one focal point.


 

Keratoconus: This condition is characterized by the progressive thinning and bulging of the cornea, causing it to stick outwards in a conical shape. Unsurprisingly, this can make it hard for regular contact lenses to fit properly. Some speciality contact lenses are designed to vault over the surface of the cornea, leaving space for the outward trajectory the cornea can take. They are also larger than usual, keeping them stable on the eyes.
 

 

Corneal scarring: Accidents and injuries, along with some eye diseases, can cause the surface of the cornea to become scarred, making it difficult and uncomfortable to wear regular soft contact lenses. Some speciality types of contact lenses, including rigid gas permeable and scleral lenses, have been proven to be effective in patients who have corneal scarring.


 

 

If you aren’t sure if regular contact lenses are going to be right for you, or you have questions about hard-to-fit contacts, please get in touch with our knowledgeable eyecare specialists. You can call Modern iCare Optometry in Palm Desert, California at 760-674-7272 today.

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