What's The Difference Between an Eye Exam and a Contact Lens Fitting? - Bella Eye Care Optometry

We are often asked what’s the difference between getting an eye exam and a contact lens fitting. So, let us explain the difference as simply as we can. If you are considering trading your eyeglasses for contact lenses, it is important to notify us when you schedule your next eye exam. This is important because we will need to schedule a contact lens fitting exam, in addition to the routine comprehensive eye exam.

When it comes to a contact lens exam, our eye doctors will need to perform additional tests and procedures. We perform these additional tests to evaluate and test your vision with contacts. The first test we will perform will measure the surface of your eye to determine what size and type of contacts will be best for you, and fit your eyes best. Next, we will perform a tear test, which determines whether you have enough tears to wear contacts comfortably.

The results gathered from those tests allow our doctors to prescribe the best contact lens prescription for your eyes. It is important to understand that a contact lens prescription and eyeglass prescription are not the same. When it comes to a contact lens prescription, the eye doctor measures for lenses that sit directly on the surface of the eye. An eyeglass prescription measures for lenses that are positioned approximately half an inch from your eyes. Having an incorrect prescription of fitting can damage your eye health and vision.

The next step after getting your contact lens prescription is deciding whether you would want disposable contacts or extended wear contact lenses. In order to ensure that contacts are the right choice for you, our eye doctors will prescribe a trial pair of contacts to wear for a short period of time. After that trial period, you will need to come back again for a follow-up exam to make sure you’ve adjusted to your new lenses.

A comprehensive eye exam will examine your eyes for signs of potential eye diseases, check your vision for sharpness, determine your prescription strength, examine how your eyes are working and check the fluid pressure in your eyes. Furthermore, we may dilate your eyes to see if you have any eye conditions or signs of other serious health conditions such as diabetes or high cholesterol.