There are two types of eye exams—comprehensive eye exams and contact lens exams. Both should happen regularly to ensure your eye health. The big question is, which appointment should you opt for when wearing contact lenses?

Logically, it should be for your contact lens exam and the follow-ups. However, you may need to carry your contact lens to comprehensive eye exams. If you wear them, you may need to remove them. It’s this part of the contact lens that makes it clear it is easier to wear eyeglasses.

What Are Contact Lens Exams?

Eye doctors rely on contact lens exams to understand your eyes and vision. They involve checking your eye surface and determining the right contact lenses for your eyes. Thus, you need to wear your contact lenses to these exams. The eye doctor will evaluate the following:

Corneal Curvature

Your eye doctor will measure the clear front surface of your eye or the corneal curvature. It helps them determine the optimal curve and diameter of your contact lenses. Lenses that are small or too big can cause eye damage. They need to sit comfortably on your eye surface.

For patients with astigmatism, their eye surface may be irregular. So for them, your eye doctor will prescribe special lenses. Wearing your lenses to the exam will help your eye doctor determine if your lenses fit your corneal curvature.

Pupil and Iris Size

Your pupil and iris size are critical since they will determine the best contact lens design. The contact lens design is more than cosmetic properties. It also refers to vision correction and optical design. At this point, the doctor will know whether they are correcting for astigmatism, myopia, hyperopia, or presbyopia.

Tear Film Evaluation

Wearing your contact lenses to your exam will help your eye doctor evaluate if they are causing dry eyes. The evaluation is simple. The doctor uses a small paper strip. They insert it underneath your lower eyelid and ask you to close your eyes for five minutes.

Afterward, they remove the paper and measure the paper length with moisture. You may need to stop wearing contact lenses if you have severe dry eye. But if it is mild, your eye doctor may prescribe special lenses.

Vision

Your eye doctor needs to check how well you can see with your contact lenses. Your eye doctor will determine it at this point. They will also provide you with a prescription. Note that contact lens prescriptions are different from eyeglass prescriptions. That is why you need to wear your contact lenses to exams and follow-ups.

On average, your eyeglass lenses are 12 millimeters from the eyes, while contact lenses sit on the eye surface. Without your contact lenses, there will be an improper fitting, which can damage your eye health.

Why You Should Not Wear Contacts to Comprehensive Eye Exams

Your doctor needs to assess how your eyes function by themselves. Eye doctors recommend removing the contact lenses two hours before your scheduled standard or comprehensive eye exam. It allows your eyes to adjust to their normal state before the exam.
 

For more on the importance of regular eye exams when wearing contact lenses, call Clarity Vision in Apex at (919) 367-2832 to schedule an eye exam.