Contact Lens Exams
Contact Lens Exams and Fitting in Phoenix
People give up on contact lenses far more often than they need to. The usual story is that lenses were fine for a couple of hours and then became dry, gritty and uncomfortable, so they went back to glasses and concluded lenses were not for them.
That is almost always a solvable problem. The lens material may be wrong for your tear chemistry, the fit may be too tight or too loose, the replacement schedule may not suit you, or you may have untreated dry eye that the lens is exposing rather than causing.
A proper contact lens exam addresses all of that. It is a different appointment from a glasses exam, with different measurements, which is why it carries a separate fee.
Why a contact lens exam is a separate exam
A glasses lens sits about twelve millimetres in front of your eye. A contact lens sits directly on it. That difference changes the required power, and it introduces a set of physical fitting questions that glasses never raise.
The lens has to match the curvature of your cornea, move the right amount with each blink so tears exchange underneath it, allow enough oxygen through to keep the cornea healthy, and stay comfortable in your specific tear film for the whole day. None of that is knowable from a spectacle prescription.
- Corneal curvature measurement, to match the base curve of the lens
- Corneal diameter, which determines the appropriate lens size
- Tear film quality and volume assessment, which drives material choice more than anything else
- Eyelid position and blink quality, which affect how a lens sits and moves
- Assessment of an actual trial lens on the eye, evaluating centring and movement
- Over-refraction with the lens in place to confirm the final power
Lens types and who suits which
- Daily disposables
- A fresh sterile lens every day, thrown away at night. No cleaning, no solutions, and the lowest infection risk of any modality. Our default recommendation for most new wearers, for children and teenagers, for athletes and for anyone with allergies or borderline dry eye.
- Two-week and monthly replacement
- Cleaned and stored nightly, replaced on schedule. Lower ongoing cost than dailies, and appropriate for reliable, disciplined wearers. The failure mode is over-wear, which is common and carries real risk.
- Toric lenses for astigmatism
- Designed to stay in a specific rotational orientation, since astigmatism correction is axis-dependent. Fitting focuses on rotational stability, and modern torics work well for most astigmatic patients who were previously told they could not wear lenses.
- Multifocal lenses
- For presbyopia, giving distance and near in one lens. Adaptation takes a little longer and expectations need setting honestly, but the great majority of patients who want out of reading glasses succeed with them.
- Rigid gas permeable
- Sharper optics than soft lenses and excellent for high astigmatism and irregular corneas. Requires an adaptation period, and durable and economical once adapted.
- Scleral lenses
- Large rigid lenses for keratoconus, irregular corneas and severe dry eye. Covered in detail on our scleral lens page.
If lenses have never been comfortable for you
Come back and try again, because the field has changed and the problem is usually identifiable.
The most common cause is dry eye that was never diagnosed. A contact lens sits in your tear film, so a marginal tear film that causes only mild symptoms without lenses becomes a real problem with one. Treating the dry eye first frequently makes lens wear comfortable for people who had given up entirely.
The second most common cause is material. Silicone hydrogel materials transmit far more oxygen than older hydrogels, and different materials interact differently with individual tear chemistry. Two people can find the same lens perfect and unbearable respectively, which is why trial lenses matter.
Safe wear, said plainly
Contact lenses are medical devices and the risks are real but almost entirely preventable. Microbial keratitis, an infection of the cornea, can permanently damage vision, and the behaviours that cause it are well understood.
- Never sleep in lenses unless they are specifically prescribed for overnight wear
- Never use tap water on lenses or lens cases, and never rinse a case in the sink and reuse it wet
- Replace lenses on schedule. Stretching a two-week lens to a month is the most common risky habit we see
- Replace the case every one to three months, since cases develop biofilm
- Wash and dry hands before handling lenses
- Never top up old solution. Discard and refill
- Remove lenses and call us for any pain, redness, light sensitivity or sudden blur. Do not wait to see if it settles
Who this is for
- Anyone wanting to wear contact lenses for the first time
- Current wearers whose lenses have become uncomfortable
- People told previously that astigmatism ruled out lenses, which is usually no longer true
- Presbyopic patients who want an alternative to reading glasses
- Athletes and anyone for whom glasses are impractical
- Patients with keratoconus or an irregular cornea
Our process
Every patient goes through the same sequence, so you always know what happens next.
- 1
Comprehensive eye exam
Full eye health assessment and refraction first, since a lens is only fitted to a healthy eye.
- 2
Corneal measurement
Curvature and diameter measured to determine appropriate lens parameters.
- 3
Tear film assessment
Quality and volume evaluated, since this drives material choice and predicts comfort.
- 4
Trial lens fitting
A lens on your eye, assessed for centring, movement and comfort, with over-refraction to confirm power.
- 5
Handling training
For new wearers, insertion, removal and care taught until you are genuinely confident. We do not rush this.
- 6
Follow-up evaluation
Reassessment after a period of real-world wear, with the lens in, to confirm the fit is working outside the office.
Related care
- Comprehensive Eye ExamsA full eye health examination, not a quick vision check. Two patients an hour in Ahwatukee, so nothing is rushed and your questions get answered.
- Guaranteed Contact Lens SuccessOur programme for getting people into contact lenses who have failed before. Trial lenses, material changes and real follow-up until it works.
- Scleral and Specialty LensesScleral lenses for keratoconus, irregular corneas, post-surgical eyes and severe dry eye. Fitted in Phoenix by optometrists who fit these routinely.
Contact Lens Exams questions, answered
Why is a contact lens exam an extra charge?
Because it is genuinely additional work: corneal measurement, tear film assessment, trial lens fitting, over-refraction, handling training for new wearers, and follow-up evaluation. It is a separate service from a glasses exam rather than an add-on fee.
Can I use my glasses prescription to buy contacts?
No. A contact lens prescription includes base curve, diameter and a lens-specific power that differs from your spectacle power, plus the specific brand the fit was assessed with. A glasses prescription contains none of that. It is also not legal to dispense lenses against a spectacle prescription.
I have astigmatism. Can I wear contacts?
Almost certainly yes. Toric soft lenses correct most astigmatism well, and rigid or scleral lenses handle higher and irregular astigmatism. If you were told years ago that astigmatism ruled you out, that advice is out of date.
Are daily disposables worth the higher cost?
For most wearers, yes. A fresh sterile lens every day gives the lowest infection risk, no cleaning routine, and consistently better comfort. The per-day cost gap has also narrowed considerably. For allergy sufferers and part-time wearers they are clearly the better choice.
Can I sleep in my contacts?
Not unless they are specifically prescribed for overnight wear, and even then we assess whether it is appropriate for you. Sleeping in lenses not designed for it dramatically raises the risk of corneal infection, which is the complication that can permanently affect vision.
How often do I need a contact lens check?
Annually at minimum. We are checking the fit, corneal health under the lens, and whether the prescription has changed. Contact lens prescriptions expire for a reason, and problems developing under a lens are frequently painless until they are advanced.
Book an appointment with a doctor who has time for you
We schedule 2 patients an hour, so your exam is unhurried and your questions get answered. Most patients are seen within a few days.