Contacts for the "Hard to Fit" Patient

If you are interested in buying and wearing contact lenses, you may have a number of questions.  For example, if you have had bad experiences with contacts in the past, if you are a hard to fit patient, you may be wondering what can be done in regard to getting contact lenses that will fit you properly and appropriately.  In this article, we share with you some basic information that is designed to assist a person who is a hard to fit patient.

It's Not Impossible to Find Contacts that Fit

If you're a hard to fit patient, getting contacts is still quite easy. Finding an eye care specialist who welcomes a challenge like yours is the key.  Eye care specialists who work with hard-to-fit clients tend to be more aware of the different options that are available.  They also have the advanced equipment that is necessary to find the solution for your specific situation. 

The Main Reason People are Hard to Fit

The main reason people are hard to fit with contact lenses is because they have moderate to severe cases of keratoconus, astigmatism or dry eyes. Just because they are hard to fit does not mean that they cannot wear contacts, it just means that they need a specialist that knows how to fit them properly.

A Keratoconic Patient

A keratoconic patient most likely would be fit with a gas permeable or rigid gas permeable contact lens. Unlike a soft lens, it retains its shape on the cornea.  With this condition, the cornea is so irregular it may need a piggyback technique; this is where you wear two lenses on each eye, a soft lens drapes over the cornea and a gas permeable rests on top.

Dealing with Astigmatism

When it comes to astigmatism, there are toric lenses that are specially designed for this condition. The process of finding the best lens may take some time since there are varying degrees of astigmatism and each person's cornea is different. An eye care specialist who has experience fitting a wide variety of toric lenses should be able to find a lens that provides a stable fit and good vision.

Patients with Problems Wearing Contact Lenses

If you are contact wearer that has problems wearing your contacts, such as feeling as though something is in your eye all the time, or watering and tearing of the eyes or frequent burning then you may be one of the many who suffer with dry eyes.  Studies have shown that 15% of all contact wearers have dry eyes.  The problem is that most eye care specialists never test for dry eyes so therefore it goes undiagnosed.

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