• Whether you’d like to try switching from glasses to contact lenses, are looking to renew your contacts, or would like to try contact lenses for the first time, a question that our clinics are often asked by clients is whether they need a regular contact lens consultation alongside their yearly comprehensive eye exam - and our resounding answer is, yes!

  • Even if you already have a glasses prescription, the prescription for contact lenses may differ, this is to cater for not only your refractive error, but many other factors, including the dryness of your eyes, how active your lifestyle is, and even how circular or oval the shape of your eyeball is. Contact lenses are complex and custom-fitted to your eyes, which means that they require a custom consultation to ensure they are a perfect match for you.

  • As well as this, a regular contact lens consultation is essential in order to understand your prescription requirements, any changes that have taken place over time, and the effect of any underlying medical conditions you may have. Even if you had an assessment years ago,  it's important to have had a repeat in the past 12 months, as our vision and eye health changes over time, often without us even realising.

  • We highly recommend that all of our clients undertake a regular contact lens consultation with our highly qualified optometrists, to ensure your contact lenses are right for your current needs. Let’s take a look at how a consultation can ensure you are as comfortable as possible, while maintaining your overall eye health.


 

What Should I Expect At A Customised Contact Lens Consultation?



  • A contact lens consultation with one of our experienced optometrists typically includes:


Comprehensive Eye Examination



  • Contact lenses are medical devices, so you need an eye examination as part of your contact lens consultation to determine the best prescription for your lenses, and to ensure you’re eligible for contact lenses. Here, your optometrist uses a gentle approach combined with innovative medical technology including Digital Retinal Photography and Optical Coherence Tomography scans, to not only assess your eyesight, but also to help to identify diseases and conditions in their very early stages.

  • Depending on your eye health needs, your exam may include:

  • •  A discussion regarding your lifestyle, personal and family health history, detailing when your visual symptoms began, medications you’re taking, work and environmental factors, and more

  • •  Visual acuity measurements using reading charts, which allow us to assess exactly how clearly each eye can see

  • •  Tests of your eye health including depth perception, colour vision, peripheral (side) vision and how your pupils respond to light

  • •  Lens assessments to measure which power of lens you require to correct near-sightedness, far-sightedness or astigmatism

  • •  Eye focusing, eye teaming and eye movement activities to examine how well your eyes focus, move and work together

  • •  Eye health examinations using a range of technologies to detect underlying conditions


 

Lifestyle Preferences



  • There are a wide range of lenses available with today’s advancing technology, and some contact lens types may be better suited for athletes with active lifestyles, whereas others may be better for frequent travellers who might need to occasionally sleep while still wearing their contacts. Our optometrists specialise in fitting contact lenses for both minor vision disturbances, as well as those with:

  • •  Eye disease

  • •  High refractive errors

  • •  Dry eyes

  • •  Misshapen corneas

  • •  Outdoor or active lifestyles, and more


 

Eye Measurements



  • Your optometrist will also gather several measurements, including the curvature of your cornea, which is the clear front surface of your eye where your contact lens will sit. Your pupil and iris size may also be measured.


 

Tear Film Evaluation



  • If you tend to have dry eyes, your optometrist may also perform a tear film evaluation to make sure you’re prescribed lenses that keep your eyes moisturised.


 

Contact Lens Fitting



  • Once your contact lens is fitted, your optometrist will check to see if it is centred on the eye, how blinking affects the movement of the contact lenses, and of course, how well each eye can see both far away and up close. If you need different prescriptions within one lens, our optometrists can help to fit you with bifocal or multifocal contact lenses which can help you switch focus from close vision to distant in an instant.


 

Hygiene



  • During your appointment, we’ll guide you on how to use and care for your contact lenses hygienically to help support the health and comfort of your eyes.


 

Why Do Optometrists Recommend Regular Contact Lens Consultations?



  • •  Your Eyes May Have Undetected Underlying Issues

  • Even if you already have some vision loss that requires correcting with contact lenses, there may be other underlying medical issues at play that are now additionally contributing to your vision disturbances. Often, the early signs of problems with the eyes (like glaucoma or retinopathy) are very subtle, which is where your eye care professional’s knowledge and experience can have a significant effect on your eye health and your quality of life for the long-term. This is why if you need new glasses, you should also seek an in-person comprehensive eye examination with a registered optometrist, which are recommended every two years here in Australia,[1] and every year if you’re over the age of 65, even if you have no concerning symptoms.

  • There are many other eye diseases that have few or no early symptoms and can develop at any age, however, a trusted team of experienced optometrists can use their comprehensive knowledge paired with digital tools to help track subtle changes in your eyes over time, and pick up on any concerns as soon as they arise. This enables you to start your treatment and management plan as soon as possible, which may include fitting you with carefully prescribed corrective contact lenses to best improve your vision.

  • •  Your Prescription Needs May Have Changed Over Time

  • Even if you’ve seen an optometrist in the past and you know your lens prescription, this doesn’t take into account the subtle changes that your eyes make over time, and we recommend clients visit our trusted optometrists every year to ensure that their prescriptions are accurate and up-to-date. Wearing contact lenses with the incorrect prescription, even if only slightly off, can contribute to eye strain, headaches, dry eyes, and more.

  • •  Contact Lenses Are Custom-Fitted For Your Individual Eyes

  • Although there have been amazing developments in recent years when it comes to contact lenses, a custom contact lens consultation is required to ensure that the contact lenses not only fulfil your vision prescription, but they also fit comfortably - after all, contact lenses rest directly on your eyes. At a consultation, a qualified optometrist can check and discuss:

  • •  How the contact lens feels after you’ve tried wearing it for a few hours, and a week or two later. Sometimes, contact lenses can be made more comfortable by changing the lens material.

  • •  How frequently you would like to change your contact lenses. Depending on comfort, lifestyle and budget, you may prefer to have contact lenses that you change weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or even annually. As well as this, people with people who have dry eye disease, diabetes or allergies may need a more frequent replacement schedule. 


 

Prioritise Your Eyes Today With A Contact Lens Consultation From A Trusted Optometrist



  • Getting the best contact lenses for you starts with a customised contact lens consultation with your optometrist, who assesses your vision, identifies any problems or disturbances, and gets to know your lifestyle, work requirements and various other key factors that are all combined to give you an optimal contact lens prescription. Our team is meticulous in the way we work, paying careful attention to detail, and involving you in every aspect of your care, so you know exactly what you’re getting and how it will work to best support your vision.

  • Once you have your prescription, we work alongside you to ensure your contact lenses are comfortable for you, by selecting the optimum material and replacement schedule to best match your lifestyle, preferences and budget, and work with you over time to monitor changes and adjust your prescription accordingly.

  • As a team who is dedicated to helping you get the most out of your eyesight, we offer high-quality contact lenses that are sourced from leading manufacturers, and who use innovative technological advancements to help create the best eyewear products. You’re in the best hands with us.


 

To book your customised contact lens consultation with our trusted and friendly optometry team, contact one of our local clinics here, or use your prescription to shop for your contact lenses online.

[1] https://www.visionaustralia.org/information/eye-health/eye-care