How Do You Go About Switching from Glasses to Contact Lenses?
April 9th, 2011 | See the Top Answers to this Question Below
So i’ve got glasses at the moment and I want to switch to desposible contact lenses (the type where you get new ones every so often).Does anyone know how I should go about this? Do I contact my optition and tell them first? Oh and also do you know from the moment you say that you want contacts roughly how long it takes until you can get them? Thanks.
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contact your optometrist. You then get an eye exam as contact perscriptions are different from glasses. This exam will also let the optometrist get the right fit for your eyes – not all contacts are the same size. The normal thing then is for them to give you trial lenses. You are also shown how to take them in or out. For most people it takes about a month to get really fast at taking them in and out, its an acquired skill. Loads of tips on answers.
How long it takes to get the lenses depends a bit on your perscription. If its fairly common then the optican may have a trial pack in. It shouldn’t take longer than a couple of days though. Note that disposables have ot be paid for every month and you need to factor in teh cost of regular checkups to keep your eyes healthy. i find contacts wonderful but they aren’t cheap. Note also that you shoudl’ht wear contacts all day as they restirct oxygen flow to the eye. Also if you get a cold/are ill etc you may find you can’t wear contacts temporarily so you do need glasses as a backup.
Call your doctor you got your glasses from and let them know you want to do a contact lens exam. Usually the doctor will give you a pair of contact trials the day of your exam for you to try for a week or so to make sure you like the comfort/vision. At the weekly follow-up if you like them you would then buy the boxes.Good luck!
You do NOT call the optician. They only work in the optical and deal with the glasses (in most clinics). You will need to make an appointment with your eye doctor (optometrist). Just simply tell your optometrist that you are interested in trying contact lenses!
If you recently have had your regular eye exam, then you can just tell the receptionist that you’d like a contact lens fit (which is separate from the eye exam). But if you do need a new eye exam anyway, you can do them both in the same day.
In the contact lens fit, the eye doctor will give you a trial pair of lenses that he or she thinks will work the best for your eyes and for your lifestyle. There are daily lenses where you wear a brand new pair of lenses every day, or there are lenses that you replace every 2 weeks or lenses you replace every 4 weeks. And everything in between! It just depends on how often you want to wear the lenses and your lifestyle. You can discuss this with your eye doctor.
On that day, they will also teach you how to put the lenses in and take them out, and also teach you how to take care of the lenses. You typically will wear the lenses for one week and then come back to the optometrist wearing the lenses so that they can take a look and make sure they are fitting properly. Plus, the week trial gives you the opportunity to decide if the lenses are comfortable for you.
If that initial pair works, super! The doctor will finalize your prescription and you will then be able to order as many as you want. Some people order a full year supply right away and some people prefer to order as your go. Some clinics keep certain contact lenses right there in stock so you get them right away, but some you will need to order which takes anywhere form 7 to 10 days for standard shipping (although you can have it rushed if you’d like).
But if the initial pair doesn’t work, you just keep trying lenses with your eye doctor until you find the pair that you like and a pair that fits your eye properly and is healthy for your eye. The initial fee for the contact lens fit covers all of this.
But you will walk out the door with a pair of trial lenses that will hold you over until your boxes arrive if you have to order them.
Good luck!
Yep you need to contact your optometrist for an initial exam. They will check the general health of your eyes (the nerve at the back, your retina etc), and measure what strength lenses you will need. They will teach you how to put the lenses in, take them out, clean them and store them.
Most places have trial lenses available, which are free. You will get 2 lenses (1 for each eye) to try out for a little while, to make sure your eyes are suited for contacts. Depending on how that goes, you may be able to buy your supply, or try a different pair.
Once you decide you want to continue wearing lenses, they will order your supply in, which can take a few days. They don’t tend to store a supply, as there are so many different strengths and other considerations.