Contact Lenses: From Eye Exams to Special Lense Fitting - Disposable, Hard and Soft Lenses.
The prescription you receive at the end of your exam is typically a prescription for eyeglasses only. An accurate prescription for contact lenses can only be issued after several steps are taken that are not included in a routine comprehensive eye exam. Thus, there is a separate charge for the contact lens fitting or/and evaluation. The contact lens fitting involves special measurements of the curvature of the front surface of your cornea and includes an evaluation of the tear film and the eyelids. Our doctors will carefully evaluate the health of the cornea with an instrument to make sure there are no other problems that could make contact lens wear difficult or even unsafe for you.
Contact Lenses - Follow-up Care
After your contact lens fitting is complete, you should have your eyes and contact lenses examined at least once per year. All contact lenses, regardless of how well they fit or how new they are, increase your risk for eye infections; because, unlike glasses, contact lenses sit directly on the eye and affect the health of your eyes. Annual ( or more often, as recommended by your eye doctor) comprehensive eye exam and contact lens evaluation can help prevent some problems before they become more serious. Some of the more common complications are eye infections, which are most common in those who sleep with their lenses, and problems from contact lens overwear .Contact lens over wear symptoms include temporary blurred vision from swelling of the front of the eye, or temporary irritation or foreign body sensation from the front of the eye becoming rough. Eye infections cause an irritated eye, and may permanently damage the eye with decreased vision. Other conditions can also cause permanent damage, such as the growth of blood vessels into the front of the eye where they do not belong. These blood vessels can become so extensive that they interfere with your vision. Regular eye exams can alert us to their formation. Sometimes "bumps" form under your eyelids will cause discomfort, discharge and itchiness when wearing contact lenses. Often symptoms don't occur until the condition is more severe, and may cause the inconvenience of not being able to wear lenses comfortably. Like the rest of our bodies, our eyes change with time and therefore your contact lens fit may also change.
Why the glasses prescription is not the same as the contact lens prescription
Your glasses prescription is the starting place in determining the correct contact lens prescription, but the two prescriptions are not the same. The numbers on the glasses prescription and contact lens prescription may look very different, especially if you have a high prescription. This is simply due to optical mathematics. Thus, you can neither use a contact lens only prescription to get glasses, nor use a glasses only prescription to get contact lenses. Since contact lenses actually touch the eyes, they must be precisely fit. A proper fit will assure a healthy eye with optimal vision. Yearly exams will help us assess any potential changes in your contact lens fit before problems occur.
Eye Medical Clinic
220 Meridian Avenue
San Jose, California, 95126
(408) 869-3400
Retinal Detachment
The prescription you receive at the end of your exam is typically a prescription for eyeglasses only. An accurate prescription for contact lenses can only be issued after several steps are taken that are not included in a routine comprehensive eye exam. Thus, there is a separate charge for the contact lens fitting or/and evaluation. The contact lens fitting involves special measurements of the curvature of the front surface of your cornea and includes an evaluation of the tear film and the eyelids. Our doctors will carefully evaluate the health of the cornea with an instrument to make sure there are no other problems that could make contact lens wear difficult or even unsafe for you.
After your contact lens fitting is complete, you should have your eyes and contact lenses examined at least once per year. All contact lenses, regardless of how well they fit or how new they are, increase your risk for eye infections; because, unlike glasses, contact lenses sit directly on the eye and affect the health of your eyes. Annual ( or more often, as recommended by your eye doctor) comprehensive eye exam and contact lens evaluation can help prevent some problems before they become more serious. Some of the more common complications are eye infections, which are most common in those who sleep with their lenses, and problems from contact lens overwear .Contact lens over wear symptoms include temporary blurred vision from swelling of the front of the eye, or temporary irritation or foreign body sensation from the front of the eye becoming rough. Eye infections cause an irritated eye, and may permanently damage the eye with decreased vision. Other conditions can also cause permanent damage, such as the growth of blood vessels into the front of the eye where they do not belong. These blood vessels can become so extensive that they interfere with your vision. Regular eye exams can alert us to their formation. Sometimes "bumps" form under your eyelids will cause discomfort, discharge and itchiness when wearing contact lenses. Often symptoms don't occur until the condition is more severe, and may cause the inconvenience of not being able to wear lenses comfortably. Like the rest of our bodies, our eyes change with time and therefore your contact lens fit may also change.
