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While the process of getting contact lenses is simple and routine for most people, for some, it is more complex. If it is hard to fit you with the right lenses, there is no reason to despair as there are special contact lenses available.
Being “hard to fit,” simply means that someone doesn’t have an average or typical eyeball. Despite how it may sound, it isn’t all that unusual.
In most cases, people who are hard to fit have a condition like presbyopia (farsightedness caused by age), astigmatism (abnormally curved cornea), keratoconus (a cornea with a more of a bulging or cone-like shape), or dry eyes. Having had eye surgery or conjunctivitis can also lead to someone being hard to fit and requiring specialized contact lenses, as can conditions like high myopia, sensitivity from conditions like sjorgens, and other irregularities with the cornea such as Fuchs’ dystrophy. For these people, wearing regular contacts will be uncomfortable, if not impossible to wear.
Standard contact lenses sit right atop the eyeball and have a standard curve. While everyone’s contact lens will vary due to prescription differences, standard lenses fall within the same general range. It’s when someone requires lenses that fall outside this range that they are considered hard to fit, and the lenses have to be specially made by an optometrist (following an eye exam to be sure that the specifications are precise.)
Specialty contact lens clinics also have additional devices such as a corneal photographer, which can fully map, in three dimensions, the various ridges and bumps on the cornea, to allow the creation of custom lenses. Additionally, doctors who specialize in hard to fit patients will have more experience helping people with these conditions and therefore be better equipped to help you.
Following the exam, the optometrist will go over your options. Depending on the reason for you being hard to fit, it might lead your optometrist to suggest some options over others.
If you suffer from any of the previously listed conditions, and want to wear contact lenses, visit our eye care professionals who specialize in contact lenses and can give you a proper examination and recommend options based on your unique needs. Those who specialize in contact lenses and in working with hard to fit patients will also be more aware of newer contact lens developments that might work better for you than previously known options.
They are also, of course, more than able to answer any other questions you may have about contact lenses.
While the process of getting contact lenses for hard to fit patients is more complex than it is for most people, that doesn’t mean it should be hard for you to find the right contact lenses. Contact us at (360) 491-2121 if you have additional questions, or wish to schedule an evaluation.
Such a nice optician. My grandson is only 4 and needs glasses. We were so sad, but he explained the issues, and we will follow up as he suggested.
I had such a good experience with the clinic. Very friendly staff and doctor, did not have to wait for long to be called, and was treated respectfully. Thanks, American Family.
Dr. Zurcher has gone above and beyond what any other eye doctor has ever done to figure out what is going on with my eyes. Very happy with American Family Vision.
Family Vision Clinic changed our lives! My daughter was frequently car sick, and she was getting headaches every day, often painful enough that they brought her to tears. We saw a string of doctors and therapists, but we made no progress. Finally, we found Dr. Levi Zurcher and his eye therapist Rain. After ten weeks of eye therapy my daughter no longer gets headaches, and she no longer gets car sick. Daily tears are a thing of the past. I really can’t say enough about this clinic. It was fascinating to watch Dr. Zurcher work. For the first time, someone who knew what they were doing was intently studying my daughter, really trying to figure out all of her eye issues, and his therapist Rain is one of the most patient and lovely people that I’ve ever had the good fortune to meet. We’re finished with eye therapy—yay!—and I have switched to American Family Vision Clinic for all of my family’s other eye health needs.
Very professional, yet kind and helpful. They do what they can to make the appointment comfortable. I was running a bit late, I made sure ti call. They were able to switch me with a patient who was already there, they treated me with respect, and helped my son have confidence by getting him the eye care he needed that day. Thank you so much! Would recommend to anyone. It's a blessing that they care enough to work with people who have all different types of insurance from work to state coverage.
The staff is friendly. The Doc is very knowledgeable. The office is family friendly and everyone is so patient with the little ones.
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