CONTACT LENSES
A contact lens prescription is different and completely separate from a glasses prescription. Patients that wear contact lenses require more of the doctor’s time and expertise so it is an additional component to the comprehensive eye examination. In order to prescribe contact lenses an eye doctor must complete several additional tests:
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Evaluate the health of the eye paying close attention to the cornea, eyelids and conjunctiva and to see how contact lens wear will affect the health of the eye
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Determine the proper contact lens prescription based on each individual patient’s glasses prescription, vision needs, corneal health and curvature
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Examine the contact lens on the eye to ensure proper alignment and centration
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Measuring the vision with the contact lens on the eye and make adjustments as needed
Contact lens examinations and fittings have different levels of difficulty; this depends on the types of contact lenses needed, the visual requirements of the patient and the health of the patient’s eyes.
Contact Lens Price Match Guarantee
Thirty days from the time you order your contact lenses through us, we will price match all annual supplies (after rebate)!
•WHAT IS A CONTACT LENS PRESCRIPTION?•
Contact lenses are medical devices that can only be dispensed by a prescription.
Contact lens prescriptions expire after one year whereas glasses prescriptions expire after two years. They are a medical device and must be regarded with the same caution you would use for prescription drugs, which include prescription expiration dates and follow-up visits with your eye doctor.
Your contact lens prescription will include the power of your contact lenses, the type of contact lenses you wear, the shape of the contact lenses (curvature) and any other information determined by the doctor to be necessary for a proper contact lens fit. Your eyes go through gradual changes in size, shape and physiological requirements (such as requiring oxygen) while wearing contact lenses. These changes can affect the health of the cornea and need to be monitored every year. The federal government requires contact lens prescriptions to expire after one year for these reasons.
All doctors at the Kennedy Eye Clinic fit contact lenses and use many of the popular brands to try in-office including CooperVision, Johnson & Johnson, Alcon and Bausch & Lomb. In the event that we do not have the lens you want to try or are currently wearing in-office, we can order them in within 3-5 business days to accommodate your needs.
Under no circumstance will it ever be recommended to sleep in any soft contact lens and we will always promote taking breaks with spectacle wear and proper disposal of all contact lenses. Please see the different modalities below:
•TYPES OF CONTACT LENSES•
• SILICONE HYDROGEL CONTACT LENSES •
These lenses allow a lot more oxygen to reach the eye meaning they are a lot healthier and comfortable for your eye than conventional contact lenses. The Optometrist will always try to fit you in a breathable lens before considering other options.
• DAILY DISPOSABLE LENSES •
These lenses are designed for wearing once then throwing them away at the end of the day. These lenses are definitely the healthiest option for your eyes as you eliminate over-wear, re-use and the need for solution. These lenses are particularly ideal for the part-time contact lens wearer.
• BIWEEKLY DISPOSABLE LENSES •
These lenses are designed to be used for up to 14 days and are taken out every night to be cleaned and stored in solution. Once the contact lens package has been opened, the lenses must be discarded in 14 days. Conveniently, these lenses all offer UV protection.
• MONTHLY DISPOSABLE LENSES •
These lenses are meant to be used for up to 30 days and after 30 days of being opened, the lenses must be discarded. Like the biweekly disposables, they are taken out every night, cleaned and stored in solution.
• TORIC CONTACT LENSES •
These lenses are designed to correct astigmatism and can also correct various amounts of near and farsightedness. These lenses are available in Daily, Biweekly as well as Monthly options.
• MULTIFOCAL CONTACT LENSES •
These lenses are used to correct presbyopia, which is the inability to focus on up-close objects. These lenses allow for optimized vision for far away, intermediate and near vision however the optics of these lenses do NOT parallel that of a progressive or bifocal spectacle lens. An alternative option is being fit with monovision lenses where one eye is corrected for distance and one eye is corrected for near vision. These contact lenses come in Monthly, Biweekly as well as Daily options.
• COLOUR CONTACT LENSES •
Finally there is a oxygen permeable colour contact lens! We have different colour samples in monthly Air Optix Colours for you to try in our office.
• CUSTOM HARD CONTACT LENSES •
These lenses can be RGP (rigid gas permeable) as well as Scleral lenses and will be evaluated and assessed on a per-patient basis. These lenses are customized for corneal conditions such as keratoconus, aphakic babies, or for myopia control.