Contact Lens Exam

Specifically, a contact lens exam will include:  

• Measuring your cornea (the front surface of the eye) to determine the curvature and size of your contact lens. Astigmatism may require you to wear a toric lens (a special type of lens that counteracts flaws on the surface). 
• Measuring the size of your pupil or iris size. 
• Evaluating your tear film to ensure you have sufficient tears to keep the contact lenses moist and comfortable.  

Your doctor will also take your health history and lifestyle into account to determine the best type of contact lens for your needs. 

Your Contact Lens Prescription  

Contact lens prescriptions are different than eyeglass prescriptions, which is why you need a contact lens exam. The contact lens prescription will designate contact lens power, a base curve (a shape matching the curvature of your eye), and diameter. Your doctor may give you a trial pair of contact lenses for you to wear to find the contacts which sit most comfortably on your eye and provide you with the clearest vision. 

The team at Primary Eye Care of Arlington and South Main will ensure you know how to insert and remove your contact lenses, and if applicable, how to properly store them. It is important to follow their instructions, particularly on the contact lens wear schedule, to ensure you have comfortable, clear vision every day and to avoid developing an eye infection.  

Contact Lens Follow-Up Exam  

Depending on your history with the prescribed contact lens, your doctor may ask you to schedule an additional appointment so that we can assess whether your contact lenses are a good fit and to see if your eyes are properly adjusting to the contact lenses.  

If you are interested in wearing contact lenses, contact Primary Eye Care of Arlington and South Main today to schedule your contact lens exam and fitting.   

Your Contact Lens Options  

We have many different contact lens options for patients. When recommending contact lenses, our eye doctor considers your lifestyle, visual needs, and eye health.

Contact lens options include the following:  

Rigid Gas Permeable Lenses 

Rigid gas permeable lenses, also known as RGP lenses, are firm or hard instead of soft. They are made of materials that allow oxygen to flow through to the cornea, the front surface of the eye.   

RGP lenses keep their shape on the eye, so they don’t move around on the eyes the way soft contact lenses do sometimes. RGP lenses are sometimes recommended to slow down the progression of nearsightedness in young people.  

Toric rigid gas permeable lenses are a good option for people with astigmatism because they are customized to the eye shape, so they often feel more comfortable and provide better quality vision.  

Soft Contact Lenses  

Soft contact lenses are the most common type of contact lens and are very popular. These lenses are used for correcting nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. They typically feel more comfortable initially and are easier to adjust to than RGP lenses. There are several types of soft contact lenses to meet unique visual needs, such as astigmatism, and different wear schedules. Whichever type of contact lens the doctor prescribes, it is important to follow directions on how long you should wear them to avoid infection.  

Daily disposable soft contact lenses are meant to be worn for one day only and disposed of at the end of the day. Daily wear soft contact lenses are worn all day and then removed at night for cleaning and storage. Daily wear soft contact lenses should be replaced each day because the materials will break down. 

Colored Contact Lenses  

These are worn to enhance or completely change the visual color of the iris. They are still prescription contact lenses, however, and need to be treated with the same care you would give to regular lenses. Many— but not all—brands of contact lens companies offer colored lens options. 

Schedule a Contact Lens Exam 

Our expert doctor and team are here for your contact lens exam and contact lens prescription needs. We take your health history and unique visual needs into account. Make your healthy vision a priority and contact our office in Memphis or Arlington to schedule your contact lens exam.