If you’ve worn glasses your entire life, you have probably, at least occasionally, wondered what life would be like if you wore contacts instead. The amazing eye doctors at Vista Eye Specialists have helped many patients like you to make the transition to contact lenses. In this blog, they discuss what you need to know about making the switch after years of wearing glasses.
Changes You Can Expect
Prescriptions for glasses and contacts are different because of how they are worn. Whereas contacts rest on the eye itself, glasses are a centimeter or two from your eyes. This means that you cannot simply use your glasses prescription for contacts — new measurements must be taken.
One of the biggest adjustments you experience as a new contact user is the way that you perceive the world. Glasses tend to make objects look slightly larger or smaller than they truly are. When first using contacts, it may be jarring seeing objects at their more accurate size, and this may have a mild effect on your hand-eye coordination until you become more accustomed to them.
The routine of caring for contact lenses is another major change. You must remove your contacts every day and keep them sanitary for safe reuse (unless you have single-use lenses which can be disposed at the end of the day). Learning to put your contact lenses in may also take a few attempts before you become comfortable with the motions. Taking care of these lenses requires more work than glasses, but most contact lens patients find it worthwhile to not wear frames on their face.
How Vista Eye Specialists Makes This Transition Easier
Our team makes every effort to ensure that your transition to contact lenses is as problem-free as possible. First, we do a thorough examination to measure the extent of your refractive errors to produce an accurate prescription for your contacts.
Next, we review the various types of contact lenses that are available to you (including soft contact lenses, rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses, and scleral lenses) so that you can make a choice that fits your eyes and lifestyle best.
During your contact lenses appointment, we also demonstrate the proper way to put on contact lenses. We then encourage you to practice in front of us so that we can verify that you are doing it safely and correctly before you leave.
Finally, we provide you with some trial lenses that you can wear for a week. This gives you time to verify that the fit and prescription are correct and that you feel comfortable wearing contacts. If no further adjustments are necessary, your doctor can write a final prescription for your lenses.
Get Contacts in Fredericksburg & Culpeper
To ask Virginia’s best team of eye doctors all your questions about contact lenses, please schedule an appointment at Vista Eye Specialists by calling 1-888-393-5264.
