Why do I need a contact lens exam every year?

Contact lenses are a medical device that come into direct contact with the cornea on a daily basis. It is extremely important to have our eye doctors check that these medical corrective lenses are fitting properly and not causing damage to the delicate tissues that are responsible for your vision.

A contact lens exam is separate from a comprehensive eye exam. During a contact lens exam your eye doctor will take a keratometry measurement. This tells your eye doctor the curvature of your eye so they can select a contact lens with a curvature that best matches your eye.

If the len’s curvature is too steep or too flat it can cause painful, sometimes sight-threatening complications to your eye health. After checking that the lens curvature is correct, our eye doctor will make sure the lens is large enough to cover your eye so they don’t become more dry towards the end of the day or cause irritation from blinking; also, that the lens is moving enough to allow tears to flow around the lens. Tears provide the nutrients to the front surface of the eyes, and if inhibited, blood vessel growth and scarring may occur.

How you are wearing your contact lenses can also affect your eye health. Not cleaning and storing your lenses properly or “stretching out” your last pair of lenses for an extra month, or two, can have serious consequences. Save yourself the horror of googling acanthamoeba keratitis and just replace them on time.

Eyes can change shape from year to year, and sensitivities to a lens material or contact lens solution may develop over time. Our eye doctors will review the products you are using with your lenses to ensure the best comfort and eye health are achieved.