If you've been told you're not a candidate for contact lenses, don't give up just yet. Many people who struggle with traditional contact lenses are surprised to learn there are advanced contact lens options designed specifically for their needs.
At O'Fallon Family Eyecare, we fit specialty contact lenses for patients with complex prescriptions, irregular corneas, dry eye disease, and other conditions.
Specialty contact lenses are custom-designed lenses created for patients whose eyes require something beyond traditional soft contact lenses. While many people do well with standard contacts, others need a more personalized solution because of their corneal shape, eye health, or prescription complexity.
These advanced lenses are designed to provide clearer vision, greater comfort, and a healthier fit for patients who haven't had success with conventional contact lenses. In many cases, specialty lenses can help patients enjoy contact lenses again after years of frustration.
Specialty contact lenses may be recommended if you have:
During your contact lens exam, we'll carefully examine your eyes and determine whether specialty contact lenses may provide a better solution for your needs.
Every patient's eyes are unique, which is why we offer several types of specialty contact lenses. After evaluating your eyes, we'll recommend the lens design that's best suited to your vision, comfort, and lifestyle.
Scleral lenses are larger-diameter gas-permeable lenses that rest on the white part of the eye instead of the cornea. By creating a protective reservoir of fluid over the surface of the eye, they provide exceptional comfort for patients with dry eye disease while delivering crisp vision for many corneal conditions.
Rigid gas-permeable (RGP) lenses maintain their shape on the eye, allowing them to provide sharper vision for many patients with irregular corneas or high prescriptions. They're smaller than soft contact lenses and can be an excellent option for patients who need precise vision correction.
Hybrid lenses combine the clear optics of a rigid gas-permeable center with the comfort of a soft outer skirt. They're designed for patients who need the visual performance of an RGP lens but prefer the comfort of a soft contact lens.
Some prescriptions simply don't fit within the parameters of traditional soft contact lenses. Custom soft lenses are designed specifically for your prescription and eye shape, providing improved vision and comfort for patients with more unique visual needs.
Specialty contact lenses require precise measurements. That's why we've invested in advanced diagnostic technology to map the surface of your cornea, evaluate your tear film, and assess your eye health before recommending a lens.
These detailed measurements help our O'Fallon eye doctors:
Yes. While specialty lenses may look different from traditional contact lenses, they're designed specifically for your eyes. Many patients who struggled with standard soft lenses find specialty lenses to be significantly more comfortable once they're properly fitted.
Because specialty contact lenses are customized, the fitting process is typically more involved than a standard contact lens fitting. Some patients achieve an excellent fit at their first visit, while others benefit from a few adjustments to optimize comfort and vision.
In many cases, yes. Certain specialty lenses, particularly scleral lenses, can provide excellent comfort for patients with dry eye by maintaining a protective layer of fluid over the eye's surface throughout the day.
Many patients keep a pair of glasses as a backup, but specialty contact lenses often provide clearer, more comfortable vision than glasses.
If you've been told contact lenses aren't an option or you've struggled to find lenses that feel comfortable, we'd love to take another look. Schedule a contact lens evaluation with O'Fallon Family Eyecare and discover what may be possible for your eyes.