My contact lens order hasn’t changed in over eight years, and I feel like I am seeing clearly, so why do I need to have an eye exam before I can order more contact lenses?
Answer: I get where you are coming from! If your vision feels fine and your prescription hasn’t budged in nearly a decade, it can seem a little puzzling to be told you still need a checkup to refill your contact lenses. But there is more to it than just the numbers on your contact lens boxes. Contact lenses are medical devices that sit directly on the surface of your eyes, which means they interact closely with your cornea and tear film. Over time, even if your vision hasn’t changed, your eyes may have.
Things like oxygen transmission, dryness, and corneal health in general can shift without you necessarily noticing. That is why when we conduct a contact lens evaluation or fitting as part of your exam we check for things like inflammation or other subtle changes that could make lens wearing risky or uncomfortable. Then if we see any concerning issues we can avert an unsafe wearing scenario before damage is done. Annual or biennial eye exams also allow us to monitor for early signs of glaucoma or macular degeneration that may not affect vision right away but can have far-reaching impacts on your life.
So, it’s not about gatekeeping; it’s about keeping your eyes healthy for the long haul and making sure that the contact lenses that worked for you when you were initially fit for them are still the optimal choice for you now. With all the recent improvements in lens technology as well as potential changes in your eye health, it is worth spending the time to make sure you’ve still got the best option for both your eyeballs and your lifestyle. After all, our mutual objective is to help you see clearly and comfortably with contact lenses for as long as possible.
