Contact Lens Exam vs. Regular Eye Exam

Your eyes are some of the hardest working organs in your body. You use them every waking hour to do almost everything. Thus, you need to visit your eye doctor regularly and practice good eye care habits.

 

Types of Eye Exams

Most people understand that they need to undergo routine eye exams to detect and fix any vision problems as early as possible. A comprehensive eye exam also checks for eye diseases. But if you have vision problems, you need to understand that a regular eye exam is different from a contact lens exam.

 

People with vision problems need a corrective solution to help them see clearly again. The decision usually comes down to eyeglasses or contact lenses. What many people are not aware of is that if they are considering contact lenses, they need to inform their eye doctors at the time of booking their appointment.

 

Do you want to get contact lenses? If so, you will need to undergo a different type of exam in addition to your comprehensive eye exam. A contact lens exam will include specific assessments and tests designed for contact lens wearers. You cannot avoid this type of exam if you plan to start wearing contact lenses. It is necessary to ensure your contact lenses fit your eyes properly to protect the health of your eyes.

 

Comprehensive Eye Exam

This type of eye exam plays an important role in caring for your eyes and your overall health. An eye doctor can identify signs of serious eye and health conditions by looking into your eyes.

 

What Is a Routine Eye Exam?

If you need a basic eye exam to check on a specific vision concern, you will have a routine eye exam. It usually lasts less than an hour and involves eye movement, pupil, eye pressure, and vision tests to look for refractive errors and assess the health of your eyes.

 

What Is a Contact Lens Exam?

The purpose of this type of eye exam is to determine a patient’s general eye health, visual acuity, and depth perception before prescribing contact lenses. This test usually includes an evaluation of the tear film and corneal topography. Patients also learn how to insert and remove their contact lenses.

 

Why Do You Need to Have a Contact Lens Exam and a Comprehensive Eye Exam?

This is a question many people who are considering getting contact lenses ask their eye doctors. There are several reasons you should include both of these exams as part of your eye care routine. Some of the reasons include:

 

• Whether you use corrective eyewear or not, you still need to undergo routine comprehensive eye exams.

• Comprehensive eye exams involve a visual acuity assessment to determine whether you have a refractive error.

• Prescriptions for contact lenses are different from those of eyeglasses.

• A contact lens exam will help your eye doctor determine the right lenses for you.
  
   

To learn more about regular eye exams and contact lens exams, visit Ocean Park Optometry at our office in Santa Monica, California. You can call (310) 452-1039 today to schedule an appointment.