Contact Lens City

Question by carolv: Why do I need a contact lens exam when I had an eye exam a few monthes before?
I am a return customer for many years. I’ve already had my eyes measured for contact lenses. I was told I had to have a contact lens exam after having an exam for glasses in March 2007. My prescription ran out for the lenses in May 2007. I understand that I needed a new one for the lenses, but why couldn’t they use the one from March?
I had an eye exam in March 2007, when I needed a new pair of glasses. In August 2007, I needed some more contact lenses. They told me I had to have another eye exam for contacts. I’ve been a return customer for many, many years and have already had my eyes sized for contacts. As far as I know they didn’t resize my eyes for contacts, so why couldn’t they use the prescription from March? They didn’t put any dyes in or dilate my pupils. It was just like the exam in March. Were they just trying to get more money for another eye exam? My prescription for my glasses and contacts are the same. I feel like they wasted my time. I asked them why another exam was needed, but they skirted around an answer.

Best answer:

Answer by third space
this is so frustrating.. they’ll withhold your lenses if you dont go…

but, in fairness the contact lens check is different – they will test the healthiness of your eyes, they pour some coloured solution in to your eye too. this is less about the sight (although they still do a sight test), and more about the general health or your entire eye. you’ll have to take your glasses with you as you wont be able to put your lenses back in for an hour or so after the test. take your lens case too.
good luck!
x

Answer by minicoop_jen
measuring for contacts and measuring for glasses is different. They must not have measured you for contacts at the exam and therefore you need to go back.

Answer by kris
Contact lens prescriptions should be good for a year after the exam, but many doctors will not tranfer the script to another doctor or a place like 1800contacts. It is considered thier property & they want you to buy from them.

Answer by Melissa P
An eye exam is different from a contact fitting. You have your prescription but you need to be fitted for contacts.

The cornea, or clear part of the eye right in front of you pupil and iris, is curved. Everyone’s curve is different. If you get contacts that do not fit properly they might fall out often or get stuck on your eye and you would have to have them removed by a physician. This along with contamination is the reason why you should not share contacts with other people.

Answer by ILoveMySon!
When you wear contact lenses you need to continue annual check ups to ensure your eyes are maintaining their health while wearing contact lenses.
This is a separate process from a regular eye exam and needs to be done annually. Your doctor will check the health and condition of your eyes and take a few measurements. They need to examine the fit of your lenses to ensure they are still fitting and working well for you. If necessary the doctor can make changes to your lenses and prescribe you a different Rx, type and parameters (sizes).
When wearing contact lenses there is always a risk of harm because they sit directly on your cornea and problems may arise without you being aware of it. Contact lenses are a medical device and a person wearing them needs to monitored by an eye doctor for their eye health. It has nothing to do with wanting to sell you more lenses…. because you do not have to buy lenses from them…. when you have your new prescription you can get it filled wherever you like!
Anyways talk to your eye doctor about it

Answer by pbr p
Probably just squeezing another exam out of you.

Since they didn’t refit you for the contacts, the exam was just to confirm the lens prescription.

On the other hand, no one would want to prescribe the wrong strength lenses to you. Since replacing the wrong lenses would not be a big expense, it’s more like not wanting to appear doing poor work with a patient coming back with a complaint.

If you are very young, it’s possible the prescription could have changed since your last exam.

If you weren’t wearing contacts, it’s unlikely that anything changed in the eye that would prevent you from wearing contacts.

If you were wearing poorly fitting lenses an exam might show some irritation or damage.

Give your own advice below!

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