Eye Exam Vs. Contact Lens Exam: What’s The Main Difference?

Do you think a routine eye exam is similar to having a contact lens exam? For example, if you intend to wear contact lenses, you must have an eye test near you for contact lenses to ensure the lenses fit both your eyes correctly and do not harm your eye health.

Before we discuss a contact eye exam, let us discuss routine eye exams to give you a better understanding of the differences between the two.

Comprehensive Eye Exams

Comprehensive eye exams are an essential part of caring for your overall health regardless of whether you need vision correction or not. When looking at your eyes during the eye test, your eye doctor can detect signs of severe health conditions like diabetes and hypertension. During the exams, the doctor also looks for signs of glaucoma, checks your vision sharpness, determines the strength of your prescription, and examines how your eyes work in unison besides checking the fluid pressure in the eyes. The doctor might also dilate your eyes or take pictures of them with a unique camera to determine whether you have any signs of other severe health issues.

Why Additional Fees for Contact Lens Exam?

If you are wearing contact lenses or desire to wear them, you must have a contact lens exam besides a comprehensive eye exam. Special tests are performed by our eye doctor during the contact lens exam to evaluate your vision with contacts. The results of the tests enable the doctor to provide a prescription for contact lenses suitable for your eyes.

A prescription for eyeglasses is not a substitute for a contact lens exam because both are entirely different. Eyeglass prescriptions measure for lenses positioned approximately 12 mm away from your eyes. However, a contact lens prescription measures for lenses sitting directly on the surface of your eyes. Improper fitting or prescription for contacts can damage your eye health.

What Tests Are Involved in Contact Lens Exams?

When performing a contact lens checkup in Calgary, the doctor must measure the curvature of the cornea with instruments like a keratometer to determine the suitable curvature for your contact lenses. However, if you have astigmatism and the curvature of your cornea is not round, a toric lens designed specifically for the condition helps provide optimal vision and lens fit. In some cases, your doctor might decide to measure your cornea comprehensively by mapping the corneal surface.

Our eye doctor in Calgary performs other tests, including tear film evaluation and pupil of iris size, especially if you consider specialized lenses like gas permeable contacts. A common problem affecting contact lens users is dry eyes. If your contact lenses are not adequately hydrated or moist, your eyes become uncomfortable, irritated, and itchy. If you have dry eye syndrome, your doctor will want to ensure you have sufficient tear film to ensure moistness and comfort. If the doctor neglects these tests, contact lenses might not be a suitable option for you.

Contact Lenses Exam and Prescription

After determining which contact lenses are most optimal for your needs, our eye doctor will try a pair of lenses before confirming the fit and finalizing your order for the lenses. The doctor or an assistant will insert the lenses and keep them in your eyes before examining the fit, tearing, and movement in the eye. If the lenses appear like a good fit, an order is placed by your doctor for your contact lens. Our eye doctor also provides care and hygiene instructions, including inserting and removing your lenses, how much time you must wear them, and storing them correctly if required.

Follow-up

Our eye doctor recommends a follow-up exam to ensure your contact lenses are fitting correctly and your eyes are adjusting properly. If you experience dryness or any discomfort in your eyes, you should visit our eye doctor as soon as possible. Your doctor might decide to try a different lens or a different contact lens disinfecting solution or make adjustments in your wearing schedule.

As a contact lens wearer, you must see an eye doctor at least once a year. Annual eye health exams by the doctor can detect minor problems with your eyes and vision that you find difficult to feel or see. Unlike eyeglasses, contact lenses are alien objects resting and moving around on the surface of your eyes, increasing the potential for severe eye problems. In addition, changes to your health, medications, and the environment can affect the interaction of the contact lens with your eye health.

Visit an Eye Doctor Near You

Are you intend to change to contact lenses from eyeglasses and looking for a contact lens check-up in Calgary? Kindly call us or schedule an appointment with Premier Eye Care — Seton to undergo a contact eye exam in Calgary to receive correctly fitting contact lenses.