CONTACT LENS FITTING IN FORT COLLINS CO
Contact lens fitting near me
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At Poudre Valley Eye Care, everything we do revolves around making life better for you. Many patients are unaware of the ways properly fitted contact lenses can improve their quality of life. We perform contact lenses fittings in our Fort Collins office, providing you with the safest, comfortable, and appropriate contact lenses.
Whether this is the first time you’ve thought about getting contacts or if you’re due for a refitting, let’s go over what to expect during a fitting and get you up-to-date on the latest in contact lenses fitting in Fort Collins CO.
Contact lens fitting process
Our goal is to accurately assess the multiple internal and external influences on vision while achieving maximum patient comfort during each step.
1) A comprehensive eye exam is the best place to start.
This will allow your eye care specialist to evaluate the basic factors which indicate the need and usefulness of contact lenses. Further, we can discuss which properties of lenses are most important for your career and hobbies.
2) Your ability to produce tears can determine the right type of lenses.
“Tear film” is the term used to quantify how hydrated your eye surface is–not a movie that makes you cry–and if you need lenses to help retain moisture. Joking aside, eye dryness can be a major obstacle for those with improperly fitted contact lenses.
3) The curve of your cornea and your lens should be a perfect match.
We use a device called a “keratometer” (which does not touch your eye) to measure the front surface of your eye, or cornea. This ensures that the fit of each lens is perfect. If you need rigid lenses, we will also measure the size and shape of your pupil and iris.
4) Underlying and undetected eye disease can complicate contact lens use.
Using state-of-the-art Optos Optomap technology as part of a comprehensive eye exam, we can detect underlying conditions that affect lens use later on. Using this technology improves early detection and prevention of vision-related diseases. What’s more, Optomap’s ultra-widefield view can also assist in identifying risks of other diseases such as certain cancers or a stroke.
5) Follow-up appointments make sure you get the best lenses.
After your fitting, we’ll send you home with a trial of recommended lenses so you can experience how custom fit lenses improve your everyday life. Our contact lens fitting includes follow-ups for three-months so that even sensitive eyes get the absolute best fit.
6) Let us help make life better.
Our Fort Collins optometrists don’t stop at giving you the industry-best in contact fitting, we also sell contact lenses in our office to make better vision even more accessible. Many patients are able to get same-day lenses. Book your fitting now.
Types of contact lenses
Traditionally, there are two groups of contact lenses: hard and soft. The advent of hybrid lenses has created a third group (more on that later). A lens fitting will help determine the best type for you. With the increasing number of types of lenses, you may find that a fitting simplifies the decision-making process, too! The American Academy of Ophthalmology recognizes the following lenses:
Hard Lenses
The most common hard lens is the rigid, gas-permeable (RGP) lens. Though these are stiff, or firm, oxygen is made available to the eye by the lenses allowing gasses to pass through. Hard lenses offer a customized fit for troubled eyes (i.e. astigmatism and keratoconus), sharper vision, and greater wearing longevity.
Some trade-offs include increased “break-in” time for comfort, decreased flexibility of when you can or can’t wear them, and a higher tendency to be affected by environmental factors or to be dislodged by rough contact.
Soft Lenses
The variety of soft contact lenses can be overwhelming, so it’s best to get a contact lens fitting and talk to your eye care specialist. Categorizing soft contact lenses by their wearing time can be helpful.
- Daily contact lenses are worn while you are awake and either cleaned or thrown away when you sleep. Lenses which can be cleaned may last as long as a week to a month, depending on the type and your vision needs.
- Extended contact lenses can be worn during waking and sleeping times but do need periodic cleaning. While these are convenient, the potential for infection should be discussed with your eye care specialist.
- Beyond the categories of daily and extended-wear there are more types of contacts. Toric lenses are a soft lens option for individuals who have astigmatism. Light-adaptive lenses are a recent development which can change based on the brightness of your environment. Hybrid lenses combine the acuity, durability, and customization of rigid lenses with the comfort of soft lenses. Multifocal lenses can be used for distance-specific vision needs.
How should my contacts feel?
In the end, your contacts should not be noticeable. At the start, however, you might have some discomfort. This is normal, and may be better described as an uncomfortable “awareness” of having something on your eye.
That’s why your same-day contacts are a trial pair. During the test period of a few days to a week, you’ll find that either you stop noticing your contacts or you don’t–in that case, we’ll try something else based on your exam findings.
Contact fitting is more like multiple choice than short answer.
Comfort is the goal, and we’ll take the time to listen to you so you get the perfect set of contact lenses. We carry a wide range of the latest, most comfortable lenses in contacts technology, including:
- Acuvue
- Dailies
- Air Optix
- Biofinity
- Soflens
Do you need to order new contacts but can’t make it in for an appointment?
Book your Contact lenses fitting in Fort Collins Today at Poudre Valley Eye Care
What if my contacts felt fine but are uncomfortable now?
There are a number of reasons your contacts may become uncomfortable. Here are a few:
- Your prescription has changed and you need new contacts
- There might be dirt, dust, or a scratch in your contact lens. Throw that set away and put in a new pair!
- If there’s any abnormal discharge or other symptoms that don’t go away after taking out your contacts, contact your eye doctor. These could be signs of something else going on, not an issue with the contacts, that you’d want to get treated quickly.
- You might be experiencing Digital Eye Strain.
What is Digital Eye Strain? Can I have it with contacts?
In short, your eyes have to work pretty hard when you’re using a screen. Brightness levels, differences in color contrast and focus/resolutions, and constantly looking at the same distance all make working on a screen difficult for your eyes.
Yes, you can have digital eye strain with contacts. That said, you might consider having your prescription checked. A small change can make a big difference–especially if you work on a computer all day.
There’s no need to make your eyes work harder than they have to! We can work together to improve your vision and your comfort.
FAQs
Why Choose Us?
Our advanced technology and individualized care deliver results for patients of all ages. Our routine exams allow us to spot changes in your vision and allow us to treat those changes early. We have a comprehensive understanding of eye care, which means we can treat a wide range of conditions and chronic diseases. Our in-depth routine exams and customized treatment plans set us apart from other Fort Collins optometrists.
