Scleral Contact Lenses Right for You

Should you get scleral lenses? Scleral contact lenses are hard and cover your entire cornea. They have a large diameter that goes over the cornea and rests on your sclera (the white of the eye).

Gas-permeable, scleral contact lenses allow oxygen to flow through your eyes for healthier eyes and vision. They also contain fluid to help keep your eyes moist and relieve dry eyes or corneal abrasions.

Who Can Wear Scleral Contact Lenses?

Scleral contact lenses can work for:

People With Hard-to-fit Eyes

Individuals with hard-to-fit eyes cannot use regular contact lenses. If your eyes are hard to fit, you do not have a typical or average eyeball, and many people do not have that. Eye conditions such as age-related farsightedness (presbyopia), a warped cornea (astigmatism), farsightedness (hyperopia), and nearsightedness (myopia) can change your eyeballs' shape.

You will need special contact lenses to correct each eye condition. Scleral lenses may work if your eye doctor has told you that you cannot wear regular contact lenses.

Patients With Dry Eye Disease

Dry eye disease happens when you do not make enough tears to moisten your eyes or when the tears you produce do not lubricate your eyes sufficiently.

If you have dry eyes, regular contact lenses can worsen your symptoms. For instance, your vision may get blurrier, and your eyes may become more sensitive to light, sore, and irritated. Your eye doctor may prescribe scleral contact lenses if that is the case.

Patients With Irregularly Shaped Corneas

Irregularly-shaped corneas can trigger eye problems like keratoconus. Your cornea's shape can become irregular if the protein fibers in the eye weaken or after eye surgery. Regular contact lenses or glasses may not work for you if you have irregularly shaped corneas. The good news is that you can experience sharper vision and ease with scleral lenses.

How Effective Are Scleral Lenses?

Like regular contact lenses, scleral lenses correct vision problems caused by refractive errors. They can correct hyperopia, myopia, presbyopia, and astigmatism. They can also help patients with dry eyes, keratoconus, and other corneal problems that make wearing regular contact lenses difficult.

Scleral contact lenses give you clearer and sharper vision, and you can use them for up to two years. That makes them a practical option for many patients. During that time, you can use them for up to 16 hours daily.

Due to their size, scleral lenses tend to be more stable and comfortable than standard contact lenses. They have a lower risk of falling off or moving when blinking.

Can Scleral Lenses Damage Your Eyes?

Scleral lenses can cause swelling, discomfort, or infections if you do not clean and store them properly. Patients using scleral contacts for their keratoconus must wear them throughout the day. During that duration, remember to lubricate the contact lenses to avoid the eye irritation that comes with overwear.

Also, lubricate your lenses with the fluid your eye doctor prescribed. Avoid using water or saliva to moisten the lenses, as they can introduce bacteria, foreign substances, or viruses into your eyes.

See Your Eye Doctor

The best way to know if scleral contact lenses are right for you is through an eye exam. Your eye doctor will ensure you get fitting scleral contacts to help improve your vision.

For more on scleral lenses and whether they are right for you, visit Apple Eyecare at our office in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Call (260) 432-5502 to book an appointment today.