Hard to Fit Contacts

Contact lenses are not always easy solution for everyone suffering from vision problems. Certain eye conditions make wearing contacts a difficult, including astigmatism and keratoconus. However, just because you have had difficulty with traditional contact lenses does not mean that you are not a good candidate for special fit contact lenses. If you have struggled with traditional contact lenses, you should discuss options with Dr. Kea and obtain specialized hard to fit contacts for their specific vision problems.

Reasons for Hard to Fit Contacts

Finding contact lenses are the right fit can be made more challenging when you are affected from:

• Astigmatism

• Dry eyes

• Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis (GPC)

• Keratoconus

• Presbyopia
  
  

Astigmatism: Astigmatism develops when the front of the eye curves into a bulge or oval shape. It causes blurred vision and can be difficult to correct because regular contacts cannot account for the bulging.

Dry Eyes: When eyes become excessively dry, it leads to irritation, burning, redness and blurred vision. Contact lenses can exacerbate these conditions by making it feel like a foreign object is stuck in your eye.

GPC: This form of conjunctivitis is caused by inflammation on the inner surface of the eyelid. Protein buildup on contact lenses can make this condition worse.

Keratoconus: This is an uncommon condition that causes major discomfort when wearing contacts. Keratoconus happens when the cornea becomes thinner and allows the eye to bulge forward. The bulge forms into a cone shape.

Presbyopia: Eyes tend to have a tougher time focusing on close objects as they age. This condition is known as presbyopia. It typically affects people aged 40 or older.

Solutions for Hard to Fit Contacts

Wearing contact lenses can be an option if you suffer from any of the conditions above. However, you need to schedule an appointment with your optometrist and get prescribed contact lenses that have been designed to fit your specific vision condition.

Gas permeable lenses can be a great solution for patients who suffer from GPC or Keratoconus. A GPlens will limit protein deposits from accumulating which will reduce GPC symptoms. It is also effective in containing corneal bulging and relieving pressure on the tissue for someone who has Keratoconus.

Toric lenses are beneficial for correcting astigmatism. Since the lens needs to align with the bulge it is correcting, toric lenses must not rotate in order to fit on the eye. They are typically custom made to correct specific astigmatism. For that reason, this type of lens takes longer to make and can be more costly than your traditional contact lenses.

Bifocal and multifocal lenses can help remedy presbyopia. Monovision lenses are another option for presbyopia. This type of lenses can have one fitted for distance vision and the other for seeing close objects.

​​​​​​​Medicated eye drops can be an effective solution for dealing with dry eyes. They will lubricate eyes enough to make contact lenses more bearable, although a punctual occlusion also must be done to plug the ducts in some extreme cases. GPC symptoms can also be lessened through medicated eye drops. They flush out protein deposits and reduce inflammation.