| Dr. David N. Hoffman is an Optometrist and has answered some common questions that Bizymoms visitors have about Contact Lenses.
Q. What’s involved in a Contact Lens Exam and Fitting?
A. The purpose of a contact lens exam is to determine if it safe for the patient to wear contacts. If so, which contacts would work best for your needs after evaluating the shape, tear and oil layer and overall health of the eye?
A contact lens fitting will generally add approximately 15-20 minutes to the comprehensive eye exam, depending on the complexity of the prescription and fit. Fittings for children include detailed and comprehensive contact lens training with both the doctor and contact lens trainer. It is very important to establish the best habits early on so as to ensure a safe and successful experience throughout life. Also, we carefully monitor your progress with additional follow-ups for both eye health and ensuring a safe technique.
Q. Why is a yearly contact lens exam important?
A. We follow up routinely with our contact lens patients to ensure that the lens and how they’re being used is benefiting the patient safely. Annual exams are the minimum frequency suggested. For new wearers we suggest 3 or 6 month follow-ups depending on the specific circumstance. The health and comfort of your vision is very important to us.
Q. Can children wear Contact Lenses?
A. Absolutely. A responsible child with good hygiene habits can become a good contact lens wearer. Dr. Hoffman works together with the parents to determine if the child is a good candidate. While generally the youngest we fit is 7 to 8, we have successfully fit children as young as 6 with contacts.
Q. What is the difference between soft and hard Contact Lenses?
A. Soft lenses are flexible and usually disposable, being replaced every 2-4 weeks. Hard lenses or Gas Permeable (GP) lenses are made of a harder material that often gives better vision.
Soft lenses are the most common and are slightly easier to fit. One to two follow ups are usually all that is needed to determine if a fit is successful or not.
With the GP lenses, we do a custom topography or fingerprint map of the eye so we can generate a lens designed to fit the patients’ specific eye shape. GP lenses are also used to slow down the progression of near-sightedness (myopia) as the doctor can control the rate of change of the eyes shape.
In some cases, we can use GP lenses to gently reshape the surface of the eye while the patient sleeps so they can go through their day without the need for glasses or contacts at all. Called ortho-k or corneal remolding and is becoming increasingly popular, especially with children. The results are the same as LASIK but without surgery, no side effects or risks, and are fully reversible.
Q. Why shouldn’t I wear my two-week disposable lenses longer?
Being a medical device and regulated by the FDA, the use of contact lenses is prescribed like any other "medication". Research shows that wearing contact lenses past the doctor prescribed time increases the risk of eye infections, ulcers and discomfort. In some cases these conditions can be vision threatening.
Q. Can I safely wear extended wear Contact Lenses overnight?
A. Only under doctor prescribed conditions and with the understanding that more monitoring is necessary to ensure no harm is being done. There are some lenses that are FDA approved to sleep in. Some people have a successful time if they follow the doctor’s instructions. However, sleeping in contacts increases your risk of inflammation, infection, redness, and corneal ulcers. In fact, you are 5-8 times more likely to have severe problems in you sleep in your contacts.
Q. How can we contact Dr. Hoffman if we have further questions?
A. Feel free to contact our office at 562-598-7673 during office hours with any questions or to book an appointment. And please follow us on facebook/psoptometry or visit our website at http://www.psoptometry.com. My email is eyecareforyou@hotmail.com |
