Hard to Fit Contacts vs. Soft Contacts
When hard contacts made of plastic faded away and were replaced with soft contacts, they were a popular choice for people all over the country. There was still a population that soft contacts didn’t work for, though, so hard to fit contacts were born. Here at Urias Eyecare in Midland, we provide hard to fit contacts for those that haven’t been able to wear contacts in the past.
Hard to fit contacts are much larger contacts that reach all the way to the white, or sclera, of the eyes. They are known as gas-permeable lenses because they are made of a type of plastic that lets oxygen through. They are made with a type of flexible, breathable plastic so they don’t tear easily. Hard to fit contacts are worn by those who suffer from astigmatism, dry eyes, post-cornea surgery, or have irregularly-shaped or thinning corneas. For some, traditional contacts can be uncomfortable or fall out, especially during sports or exercise, so hard to fit contacts like scleral lenses, toric lenses, bifocal lenses or multifocal lenses provide a more secure fit.
Soft contact lenses are far more popularly prescribed by optometrists. They cover the colored part of the eye and are very thin. They don’t let much oxygen through, so wearers often carry rewetting drops. Some pairs are designed so wearers can sleep in their lenses, while others are designed to be thrown away and replaced daily. The optometrist typically decides what type of contact lenses are best.
Just like soft contacts, hard to fit contacts offer sharper vision and durability. Unlike soft contacts, one pair of scleral lenses can last for an entire year, whereas soft contacts last one month at the longest. With hard to fit contacts, patients can sometimes see a ring on their eye after removing the contact, which doesn’t happen with soft contacts. Because they are so much thinner, soft contacts have a tendency to tear more easily than hard to fit contacts.
Our eye doctor, Dr. Aaron Urias, can help you through the contact fitting process. First, Dr. Urias will perform a routine eye exam where he has you look through various lenses to see what strength of contact you need. He will also determine which type of lenses will work best for you. Then, you will put in the contacts and our optometrist will measure your eye and make sure that they fit your eye properly. If you are wearing hard to fit contacts, they may be a bit uncomfortable first, but patients adjust quickly.
If soft contacts didn’t work for you and you need another solution, Urias Eyecare in Midland can help. Call our office at (432) 368-4102 and make an appointment with our eye doctor.
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