Contacts? What do I need to know? Teach me

[gillep]

I think you are making this more difficult than it needs to be. I have worn contacts since I was 10, I have been lucky to have the same script in both eyes every year except for two (different for glasses but not enough that I correct for it in contacts) the only time I have disliked my contacts was the one time that the eye doctor felt that it would be better for me to have toric lenses, as they felt that my astigmatism was getting to that point that I needed to correct for it with contacts and I could just never get used to them.

If she goes to a optometrist or ophthalmologist that does contact fittings they will allow her to try individual lenses until she finds ones that are comfortable for her and that the physician feels fit her eyes well. Most places will not finalize your prescription until this point, especially if you are new to contacts, as they don't want you in contacts that don't work for you. Every place I have been allows you to try as many as necessary until you find one that works as part of the contact lens fitting, it can be a time consuming process if it takes a few pairs but it is worth it. Once the prescription is finalized then you would go ahead and purchase her a supply of whatever lenses were agreed upon and they can be different for each eye.

Contact lenses have come a long ways and the issue with oxygenation is really not a worry for anyone in today's disposable lenses barring any other medical related issues that a person may have.

There also isn't a reason for her to have waited until her prescription remained constant, every optometrist I have purchased lenses from has had the policy that if your prescription changes you can exchange any unopened boxes for new ones that fit your current prescription, my lenses change every year and once or twice they changed mid-year, and I have never had an issue exchanging unopened boxes.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Now I have even less issue sticking my finger in my eye or getting up close with the mirror. Much easier to get stuff out of my eye now. I know my mom doesn't like watching me put them in or take them out, some people just can't deal with it.

Yeah my husband is a little weirded out watching me

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

the only time I have disliked my contacts was the one time that the eye doctor felt that it would be better for me to have toric lenses, as they felt that my astigmatism was getting to that point that I needed to correct for it with contacts and I could just never get used to them

That's interesting actually because mine have always been Torics (well my left eye isn't anymore). Did you just have issues focusing more or was it something else?

 

[gillep]

That's interesting actually because mine have always been Torics (well my left eye isn't anymore). Did you just have issues focusing more or was it something else?

There were times that I blinked and it felt like things were just slightly out of focus until it settled back into the perfect position. I think that if I had always worn them it wouldn't have been anything I would have ever noticed, but because I had gone over 20 years with just regular spherical contacts, and only had the torics for a year I noticed the difference. It wouldn't have kept me from wearing toric contacts if I had needed them again, but my doctor said that my astigmatism wasn't as bad at my next appointment, so I could either go back to the spherical, and not correct for the slight astigmatism in my contacts, or get another set of torics with less of an axis correction, I was more than happy to chose to go back to the regular even if it didn't correct my vision quite as well. I have needed vision correction my entire life since before I was two, so I jumped at contacts the first chance my parents allowed, and I am glad that I can choose between my glasses and contacts, there are times that wearing glasses is just not ideal.

 

[afan]

I think you are making this more difficult than it needs to be. I have worn contacts since I was 10, I have been lucky to have the same script in both eyes every year except for two (different for glasses but not enough that I correct for it in contacts) the only time I have disliked my contacts was the one time that the eye doctor felt that it would be better for me to have toric lenses, as they felt that my astigmatism was getting to that point that I needed to correct for it with contacts and I could just never get used to them.

If she goes to a optometrist or ophthalmologist that does contact fittings they will allow her to try individual lenses until she finds ones that are comfortable for her and that the physician feels fit her eyes well. Most places will not finalize your prescription until this point, especially if you are new to contacts, as they don't want you in contacts that don't work for you. Every place I have been allows you to try as many as necessary until you find one that works as part of the contact lens fitting, it can be a time consuming process if it takes a few pairs but it is worth it. Once the prescription is finalized then you would go ahead and purchase her a supply of whatever lenses were agreed upon and they can be different for each eye.

Contact lenses have come a long ways and the issue with oxygenation is really not a worry for anyone in today's disposable lenses barring any other medical related issues that a person may have.

There also isn't a reason for her to have waited until her prescription remained constant, every optometrist I have purchased lenses from has had the policy that if your prescription changes you can exchange any unopened boxes for new ones that fit your current prescription, my lenses change every year and once or twice they changed mid-year, and I have never had an issue exchanging unopened boxes.

Agree on the last, even my dr that's in costco but just rents from them will do it with the contacts I've bought from costco.

 

[Hikergirl]

A spectacle Rx does not include base curve nor diameter. You kind of need those measurements for a contact lens script. I don't know of any states that permit the Rx's to be interchangeable because they are not the same thing. In addition, the actual script for contact lenses will include a brand and type of lens specified by the doctor. The patient cannot just choose whatever they want because it's cheaper. However, if the patient actually had a proper contact lens evaluation and fitting, their contact lens script would bear all that information so that they can order the lenses without issue. And a compassionate provider will take the patient's financial concerns into consideration whenever possible so that the script is for the most affordable lenses that meet the patient's needs.

I'm not sure why you keep trying to explain the difference between an Rx for glasses and an Rx for contacts to me, I know the differences.
I said I didn't know if there were states that allowed a person to use their glasses RX with a contact fitting since there was a pp who mentioned you could. I assumed they were speaking from their own experience, that pp has since come back to clear up what they meant.

 

[Marionnette]

I'm not sure why you keep trying to explain the difference between an Rx for glasses and an Rx for contacts to me, I know the differences.
I said I didn't know if there were states that allowed a person to use their glasses RX with a contact fitting since there was a pp who mentioned you could. I assumed they were speaking from their own experience, that pp has since come back to clear up what they meant.

I was trying to clarify for those who are reading. You implied that some states might permit a patient to use a spectacle Rx as a CLS Rx. I know for a fact that there are no states that permit this and explained why (for the readers).

As for variations from one state to the next regarding CLS dispensing, it mainly rests with the scope of practice. 1-800-Contacts offers an "online" exam for current contact lens wearers but only in some states and under specific circumstances. And the length of time that an Rx is valid is controlled - minimum of 12 months federally, while some states dictate that a script must be valid for at least 2 years.