Contact Lens Examination
Sugar House Vision provides exceptional professional contact lens services. If you are interested in contact lenses or currently wear contact lenses, our doctors can discuss options with you. Our recommendations are individually tailored to each patient and are based on many factors including your glasses prescription, visual needs, overall wellness and eye health.
What is a contact lens evaluation?
A contact lens evaluation is a separate part of a comprehensive eye examination and requires additional testing and requires more of the doctor’s time and expertise. Here are some of the additional tests:
1. Evaluate the health of the eye paying close attention to the cornea, eyelids and conjunctiva and how contact lens wear will affect the health of the eye.
2. Determine the proper contact lens prescription based on each individual patient’s glasses prescription, vision needs and corneal health and curvature. A contact lens prescription is different and separate from a glasses prescription. The power of the lenses will typically be different due to the fact that the contact lens is riding on the eye vs. in a frame in front of the eye (as is the case in eyeglasses).
3. Examine the contact lens on the eye to ensure proper alignment with the cornea and lids.
4. Measure the vision with the contact lenses on the eye and make adjustments as indicated. Contact lens examinations and fittings have different levels of difficulty; this depends on the types of contact lenses needed, the visual requirements of the patient and the health of the patient’s eyes.
Why is the contact lens evaluation separate from the comprehensive eye examination fee?
Most insurance companies require doctors to separate routine comprehensive eye examination fees from any services performed due to contact lenses. More time and testing is required for a patient who wears contact lenses; therefore, most insurance companies treat contact lens services as an additional and separate evaluation from the eye examination.
What is a contact lens prescription?
Contact lenses are medical devices that can only be dispensed by a prescription. Contact lens prescriptions expire after one year (or sooner if the doctor determines a medical reason for a shorter expiration date). They must be regarded with the same caution you would use for prescription drugs, which include prescription expiration dates and follow-up visits with your eye doctor. Your contact lens prescription will include the power of your contact lenses, the type of contact lenses you wear, the shape of the contact lenses (curvature) and any other information determined by the doctor to be necessary for a proper contact lens fit. Your eyes go through gradual changes in size, shape and physiological requirements (such as oxygen) while wearing contact lenses. These changes can affect the health of the cornea and need to be monitored at least every year. The federal government requires contact lens prescriptions to expire after one year for these reasons.
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