Specialty Contact Lenses
Regular contact lenses fit the surface of the eye. However, if you have a cornea that is abnormally shaped or suffer from an eye condition like dry eye or keratoconus, regular contacts will not work well. At Lawrenceville Family Eyecare, we offer many specialty contact lenses that improve eyesight for patients with these issues.
Specialty contact lenses are intended to treat specific vision problems or correct certain refractive errors. They can be designed to help people with unique visual needs, such as those who have keratoconus, a disease that causes the cornea (the clear window at the front of your eye) to thin and change shape.
If you’ve ever been told you can’t wear contact lenses due to unique visual needs or challenges, you may be able to wear specialty contact lenses!
Orthokeratology Contact Lenses
Orthokeratology contact lenses are specially designed for your individual needs. These contact lenses are made to be safely worn overnight. While you sleep, they gently reshape your cornea so that when you take the lenses out in the morning, you will be able to see clearly without wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses during the day. Orthokeratology contact lenses have also proven to be effective at slowing the progression of myopia (nearsightedness), especially in children. Severe myopia can increase a person’s risk of developing conditions like macular degeneration, glaucoma, and retinal detachment.
Rigid Gas-permeable Contact Lenses
If you suffer from dry eyes, wearing conventional contact lenses can feel uncomfortable. Gas-permeable contact lenses can be an effective way to reduce symptoms so that you can comfortably wear contact lenses. These contacts are made from a material that allows oxygen to pass through them, keeping the eyes comfortable and reducing the risk of corneal abnormalities over extended periods of use.
Scleral Contact Lenses
Scleral contact lenses are larger than conventional contact lenses. Scleral contacts are large-diameter gas-permeable contact lenses specially designed to vault over the entire corneal surface and rest on the sclera, otherwise known as the “white” of the eye. In doing so, scleral lenses functionally replace the irregular cornea with a perfectly smooth optical surface to correct vision problems caused by keratoconus and other corneal irregularities. Scleral lenses can be a solution to address issues which may make wearing conventional or regular contact lenses impossible.
If you have been told in the past that you cannot wear contact lenses due to dry eye, keratoconus, or other ocular issues, consider scheduling an appointment with our Lawrenceville eyecare center to see if you are a good candidate for specialty contact lenses.