Contact Lens Exam Near Me
Do you see an eye doctor every year? If not, you should. If you are searching online for “a contact lens exam near me” and you are in southwest Florida, come to Elmquist Eye Group. We have convenient locations in Fort Myers and Cape Coral.
What is a contact lens exam?
A contact lens exam is a specific type of eye exam and it does differ from a regular eye exam. During a contact lens exam, the eye doctor checks the shape and size of the eye to ensure a properly fit contact lens. This exam does also include a general eye health exam to check for any eye issues that could affect wearing contact lenses.
So, what tests are part of this exam? There are several evaluations, including:
- Measurement of the iris and pupil to ensure proper fit on the eyes
- Measurements of the cornea to ensure proper sizing and curvature of the contact lens
- Evaluation of your tear production to determine whether you have severe dry eye
Once the doctor completes the tests, our Elmquist team will have you try on several different brands of contacts to determine which ones you wear most comfortably. If the corneal tests have shown that your eye surface is irregular due to astigmatism, we may recommend a toric lens. This is a lens that is shaped to offset the irregular curvature of your cornea. If you have severe dry eye, the doctor may recommend a lens especially designed for dry eyes.
Once we have narrowed down the lens selection and have ensured proper fit and vision, the eye doctor will write your contact lens prescription which outlines your curvature, diameter and contact lens power.
What is a comprehensive eye exam?
Contact lenses are classified as medical devices, therefore a separate eye exam is needed. The good news is that our doctors can usually perform both the contact lens exam and the comprehensive eye exam during the same appointment.
The main function of a comprehensive eye exam is to test visual acuity using an eye chart, but we also will perform several other tests to determine eye health. We will ask about medical history and any vision problems you may be experiencing. Quite often, the eyes are the first to show signs of underlying disease. For example, signs of diabetes often appear in the optic nerve before patients even know they have diabetes. The high sugar levels damage the nerve fibers and that damage shows up during the eye exam.
There are several tests that we can perform as part of a comprehensive eye exam, including tests for:
- Eye alignment
- Peripheral vision/visual field test
- Eye movement tests
- Depth perception tests
- Examination of internal eye structures
- Test for color blindness
- Test for glaucoma (the air puff test)
At Elmquist, our team prefers to do a dilated eye exam where we administer eye drops to dilate the eyes to get a better view of the internal eye structures. Give our team a call today, or schedule your appointment online. We can perform both of these exams. There is a “contact lens exam near me”. It can happen at Elmquist Eye Group in either our Fort Myers or Cape Coral location, so come see us soon for your exam.