The exam you need to take before switching to contact lenses

Tired of keeping track of your glasses? Suspect you might need contact lenses? Here’s what you can expect at a contact lens exam.

First off, your eye doctor will give you a regular eye exam to test the strength of your vision and assess your prescription appropriately. This exam includes standard eye-testing procedures such as pupil dilation (so the doctor can see the back of your eyes better) and the “air puff” test for glaucoma and more. They’ll also question you about any potential problems with your eye health or any other health factor that may affect you wearing contact lenses.

This isn’t a one-time exam—you should have your eyes checked annually to reassess the prescription and check comfort and wear of the lenses.

A comfortable fit is best when it comes to contact lenses, of course—so your eye doctor will examine you to see if the contact’s curve works with your particular eye shape. (Some lenses may be too flat, for example.)

The physician will measure your eyes to check the curve of your cornea (the clear, front surface of your eye) with a keratometer, as well as your pupil and iris size (using an instrument called a biomicroscope or slit lamp) and your tear film. This is used to keep the lenses and your cornea hydrated because if your eyes are too dry, the lenses will be uncomfortable and you likely won’t be able to wear them.

It starts with questions: any preference about eye colour? What’s your lifestyle like? Do you want to wear them at night as well? These kinds of questions will help your eye doctor determine what the best sort of lens is for you. They will likely also run you through the options of soft contact lenses (the more popular of the two types of lenses) and rigid gas permeable (GP).

Your age will also factor into your lens needs—if you’re over 40, you may need bifocals, which you can get as contact lenses.

Indeed, your eye doctor will likely provide you with a pair of lenses to see how they feel. It’s a good idea to wear them for at least 15 minutes to check for pain, discomfort, vision, etc. Look all around in them to check the different angles of vision—think peripheral and more.

The physician will give you a prescription to fill as well as show you how to handle, care for and put in and take out your lenses. They’ll also require a follow-up exam to see how the lenses are working for you.