If you have dry eyes or difficulty wearing contacts, your optometrist may recommend scleral lenses. These lenses improve comfort and may help you see better. At Optometric Vision Experience in Wildomar, we provide an accurate prescription for eyeglasses and contacts. Reach out to our office to learn more about scleral lenses.
What Are Scleral Contact Lenses?
Scleral contact lenses cover the clear part of your eyes called the cornea. They're harder and larger than typical contacts. Additionally, these lenses expand the distance between the cornea and lens, improving your vision. Scleral lenses are also more comfortable for some people than other kinds of contact lenses.
Why Would Someone Need These Types of Contacts?
You may be wondering if you need scleral lenses. Typically, they help people with certain eye conditions that make normal contacts hard to wear. Your optometrist may recommend these contacts for the following conditions:
- Keratoconus: This condition causes the cornea to become cone-shaped and results in distorted vision.
- Irregular astigmatism: If you have blurry vision, it may be caused by an irregular corneal shape known as irregular astigmatism.
- Dry eye syndrome: Do your eyes produce enough tears? If not, you may have chronically dry eyes marked by irritation and redness, among other symptoms.
- Sjogren’s syndrome: This glandular autoimmune disorder causes inflammation and dryness because it compromises your body's ability to create saliva and tears.
- Stevens-Johnson syndrome: Some people have severe reactions to medications or infections. This syndrome impacts the mucous membranes in your eyes and other parts of the body.
- Graft-versus-host disease: When donor cells from bone marrow or stem cell transplants attack healthy tissues, it's referred to as graft-versus-host disease.
- Post-surgical complications: If you undergo LASIK or corneal transplant, it may change the shape of the cornea and make it harder to wear regular contact lenses.
Conditions These Types of Contacts Help With
Scleral contact lenses can help with these conditions. They create a smooth, stable surface to correct your vision problems. Your eye doctor may recommend scleral lenses to keep your cornea lubricated.
Common Names for Scleral Contact Lenses
Scleral lenses come in a variety of widths and designs. Ask your optometrist to explain the difference between scleral gas-permeable lenses, mini-sclerals, and corneosclerals. You may opt for hybrid lenses with a hard center and soft perimeter, depending on your needs.
Contact Our Optometrists for Scleral Lenses
At Optometric Vision Experience in Wildomar, our eye doctors provide accurate prescriptions to improve your visual acuity. Are you looking for an eye doctor near me? Reach out to our team today to learn whether scleral contacts are right for you.
