Everyone’s eyes are different. Perhaps you’ve been told that you’re not a good candidate for contacts, maybe you have eyes that are “hard to fit” with brand lenses, or maybe you’ve had trouble wearing contact lenses in the past.
However, none of this means you can’t wear contact lenses. There are options for people with “difficult” eyes.
What Are Difficult Eyes?
Certain conditions can make finding comfortable contact lenses difficult. This includes:
Keratoconus: a progressive eye disease in which the normally round cornea thins and begins to bulge into a cone-like shape.
Dry eyes: a condition in which a person doesn't have enough quality tears to lubricate and nourish the eye.
Astigmatism: a refractive error where light fails to come to a single focus on the retina to produce clear vision without correction.
Papillary conjunctivitis: an inflammatory reaction causing the inner lid surface to be irregular causing constant foreign body sensation.
Presbyopia: the normal loss of near focusing ability that occurs with age.
Signs you may have one of these conditions are blurred visions, halos around objects, discomfort, and irritation. The first step is to visit an eye care professional for a comprehensive exam. Once your eye condition is diagnosed, your optometrist can use advanced equipment that can measure your cornea more precisely to achieve the best contact lens fit possible.
What Lenses Are the Best Fit For Your Condition?
What contact lense fits best for your eye depends on your vision issue. Below are just a few options for the following conditions:
Keratoconus: Contacts for keratoconus replace the irregular shape of the cornea with a smooth, uniform surface that enables light to form a sharper focus on the retina. Gas permeable lenses, scleral lenses, hybrid lenses, and soft lenses are several types of contact lenses that can correct vision problems caused by keratoconus.
Dry Eyes: Soft contacts have been designed specifically for people with dry eyes.These lenses retain moisture better than contacts made of other lens materials, for greater wearing comfort. Gas permeable contact lenses are also an option for people with dry eyes since these lenses are smaller and don't absorb moisture from your eyes like soft lenses do.
Astigmatism: Toric contact lenses are specially designed contacts that correct astigmatism. Toric designs are available in both soft and rigid gas permeable lens materials. Hybrid contact lenses also are a good solution for astigmatism correction, especially for people who want the clarity of gas permeable lenses but desire a lens that feels more like a soft lens.
Papillary conjunctivitis: Soft daily disposable contact lenses are ideal for people with this condition because these lenses are discarded after a single day of wear. As a result, protein deposits don't have the opportunity to accumulate. Gas permeable lenses also are a good option since proteins don't adhere to these lenses as easily as they do to soft lenses. This means that gas permeable lenses stay cleaner and are less likely to cause an allergic reaction.
Presbyopia: Bifocal contact lenses and monovision are contact lens options for people who are hard to fit because of presbyopia.Like bifocal and progressive eyeglass lenses, bifocal and monovision contact lenses have a more complex design than regular lenses.
Obviously, any of the above conditions does not exclude you from wearing contact lenses. Your optometrist can perform a comprehensive eye examination and conduct certain tests to determine which contact lenses will work for you and your specific condition.
Contact Eden Prairie Eye Care Today
Yes, certain eye conditions make wearing contacts difficult. However, it does not mean you have to rule out wearing contact lenses altogether! Contact Eden Prairie Eye Care today to discuss your options and obtain specialized contacts for your “hard to fit” eyes.
Contact our office today by calling (952) 944-2792 or simply schedule your appointment online. No eye is too “difficult” for us!
