If you’ve visited the optometrist for contact lenses and had trouble getting a pair, the doctor may have said that your eyes are hard-to-fit. This is not to say that contacts are not an option for you. It means that you need some specially designed fitting contact lenses. The lenses are called hard-to-fit contacts.

 

Hard-to-fit contact lenses are specialized. Their design considers the complicating factors that make the standard soft contact lenses a less than ideal solution.

 

Conditions That Necessitate Hard-to-Fit Contacts

You are a candidate for hard-to-fit contacts if you have any of the following conditions:

 

• Astigmatism

• Keratoconus

• Presbyopia

• Dry eyes

• Corneal scarring

• Post-refractive surgery like LASIK

• Giant papillary conjunctivitis
  
   

If you have or suspect you have any of the above conditions, do not rush to wear contact lenses. Visit a specialist who deals with contact lenses, especially one known to treat hard-to-fit cases.

 

A contact lens specialist will know the treatment options available to you. He or she will also have the test treatment technology, better than a regular eye doctor. Specialists also have advanced equipment that makes accurate measurements. This could help get you the best possible fit.

 

Hard-to-Fit Contact Lens Options

After a comprehensive eye exam and a test of possible contact lenses, the contact lens specialist settles on the pair that could adjust your vision comfortably.

 

Contact lenses are of many types today. Users may choose from the daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly, and others that last longer. There are even gas permeable lenses now. So, there’s a vast selection from which you can choose. Patients who had trouble getting comfortable contact lenses with a regular doctor now have various options.

 

Unfortunately, as the number of options increases, the possibility of error increases. Be patient because finding the correct hard-to-fit lenses may take a while. Going by your condition and its severity, you may be asked to try a few lenses before finding the perfect fit.

 

Examples of Hard-to-Fit Lenses

Various conditions call for specific contact lenses. Here are some examples of hard-to-fit lenses and the conditions for which they are suited:

 

1. Many hard-to-fit patients take up rigid gas-permeable (RGP) lenses or, simply, gas permeable (GP) lenses. These rigid, oxygen permeable lenses allow your eyes to breathe. The permeability also reduces the possibility of infection. RGP lenses are also preferred because they hold moisture, which keeps your eyes from drying out. The lenses are issued to patients with keratoconus and to correct refractive errors. You may also wear them post-LASIK surgery.

 

2. Toric contact lenses are the kind designed to correct astigmatism. They are made out of soft material to make them stick to a particular spot an entire day. But, sometimes, the lenses may move due to eye movement and blinking. If the disturbance is excessive, the doctor may recommend gas permeable lenses.

3. Persons with giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC) wear RGP lenses or daily disposable lenses. The lenses are not water-based. Hence, they do not lead to protein buildup.

4. For presbyopia, the contact lens specialist may prescribe bifocal and multifocal contact lenses. Multifocal lenses enhance your ability to see near and distant objects at the same time.

Find out if you're a candidate for hard to fit contact lenses, contact West Texas Eyecare in Fort Stockton (432) 336-3662 or Pecos, TX (432) 445-3662.