The American Optometric Association understands that some people have problems with their cornea. These patients may have eye conditions that can make wearing regular lenses difficult. Your eye doctor can help you find the right hard-to-fit contacts. Here are the details you should consider to understand what hard-to-fit specialty contacts are.

Hard-to-fit Specialty Contacts for Keratoconus

It is often difficult for people with keratoconus to wear eyeglasses or regular contact lenses. This is because of their irregular corneas. Hard-to-fit contact lenses for this eye condition have a balanced and smooth surface. This enables the light to enter your eyes better. The result is a sharper focus on your retina. Here are the hard-to-fit lenses for keratoconus patients:

 

• Gas-permeable contact lenses are for people with mild to moderate keratoconus. These lenses have oxygen-permeable and rigid material. They keep their shape once they go on the affected eyes. They do not take the shape of the cornea underneath. This feature removes the blur that the irregular cornea causes. You can then have sharper vision.
   

• Soft contact lenses are custom-fit for these patients. They are more comfortable to wear than hybrid or gas-permeable contact lenses. Their larger diameter allows them to have a medium to high water content. Soft contacts can help you see better when you drive or perform an activity that needs sharp eyesight.
   

• Piggybacking is when a patient wears soft contacts under gas-permeable ones. The soft lenses act as cushions to remove the discomfort of wearing gas-permeable lenses.
   

• Scleral lenses have a large diameter, allowing them to vault over the irregular cornea and rest on the white of the eye. This feature provides more stability and comfort.
   

• Hybrid contacts have a rigid and porous central zone. A silicone hydrogel material surrounds this zone. These lenses aim to provide comfort and visual clarity.
   

• Ortho-k lenses are convenient corrective lenses that you can wear overnight. The next day, you can clean and keep them while you go about your day without using corrective eyewear.

Hard-to-fit Contacts for Astigmatism

The hard-to-fit contact lenses for astigmatism are toric contacts. This design is available in the form of hard, gas-permeable, and soft materials. But toric gas-permeable lenses are often used in correcting astigmatism. These lenses feel comfortable right away. You do not need to adjust to them anymore. Toric gas-permeable lenses can correct rare and more severe astigmatism variants.

Hard-to-fit Contacts for Dry Eyes

Soft contacts can keep proper moisture in the affected eye. They reduce discomfort and pain, allowing more comfort in wearing contact lenses. Your eye doctor can treat your dry eye syndrome while you wear your soft contacts. Artificial tears, proper nutrition, and medicated eye drops can help reduce dry eye syndrome. The eye doctor can also provide punctal plugs to prevent excessive tears from draining out of the eyes.

You can ask your eye doctor which hard-to-fit lenses suit your eye condition. At 2020 EyeVenue, we only aim to provide the most suitable contact lens for every need. Please visit our clinics in Westminster and Strasburg, Colorado, for an in-person consultation. Call us at 720-740-0400 to set an appointment or inquire about our hard-to-fit contacts.