What are my contact lens options?

There are few limitations to contact lens wear. Establishing your goals is key to finding the best fit for you. Your eye doctor may recommend any of the following options.

Corneal Gas Permeable (GP) Contact Lenses

If you prioritize visual quality, a corneal gas permeable (GP) contact lens may be ideal. Corneal GP lenses function well for patients with astigmatism, even those who have not been successful in soft contact lenses in the past. Age is not a limiting factor. From infants to those in need for reading glasses, corneal GP contact lenses can be a suitable option. Those with irregular corneas due to conditions like keratoconus are also candidates for wearing corneal GP contact lenses. However, some situations may require your doctor to employ other lens options.¹

Scleral Lenses

When numerous optical solutions have failed, scleral lenses are often able to provide visual improvement.² This is not to say these lenses are a last resort, but rather stress just how wide the array of patients is who may benefit from scleral lens wear. If you are highly nearsighted (myopic) or highly farsighted (hyperopic) you may benefit from the optics and stability of a scleral lens. Additionally, those with conditions such as keratoconus or who have had corneal surgery, may experience visual improvement with scleral lens wear. More recently, doctors have started to use this technology to help patients who suffer from severe dry eye.²

Hybrid Contact Lenses

A hybrid contact lens combines the optics of a corneal GP contact lens with the comfort of a soft contact lens. The corneal GP lens center is surrounded by a soft skirt. This makes the lens an appropriate option for many of the same candidates as those suitable for corneal GP contact lenses.

Custom Soft Contact Lenses

The majority of the population is most accustomed to soft contact lens wear.³ However, finding the perfect fit and adequate vision from a standard product can be difficult for some patients. In these situations, your doctor may turn to a custom soft contact lens. Your doctor is able to tailor the lens to meet your needs as custom soft lenses have a wider range of fit and power options.

Orthokeratology Lenses

Perhaps your goal with contact lens wear is to rid yourself of needing to wear glasses during the day, but you are not entirely sure you want to wear a contact lens all day either. Your doctor may recommend an orthokeratology lens. This is a lens you would sleep in and then remove in the morning prior to starting your day. The OK lenses gently reshape the surface of the eye (the cornea) which leads to clear vision without the need to wear any form of corrective lenses during the day. The lenses are ideal for patients who participate in watersports or have experienaced discomfort associated with daily lens wear in the past. Additionally, this technology has been applied to control or slow the progression of nearsightedness (myopia) in young children.⁴

Bifocal and Multifocal Lenses

It is typical for near vision to become difficult somewhere around the age of forty. Bifocal (focus at two different distances) or multifocal (focus at a range of distances) lenses are often needed to provide clear vision at all distances. READ MORE ABOUT PRESBYOPIA. We have good news. These designs are available in contact lenses.