Scleral Lenses at our Yakima Optometry Center
If you’ve thought about contact lenses in the past, you may have been told that ordinary contacts simply can’t help you with your particular vision issues. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the convenience, comfort, and crystal-clear vision provided by state-of-the-art specialized contacts. You might be an ideal candidate for scleral contact lenses — and either optometrist at our Yakima optometry center, Dr. Farmer will be happy to fit you with them.
Understanding Scleral Lenses
Long before the world was populated with tiny 9.5-millimeter contacts, scleral contact lenses were the only game in town. These were the first type of contacts ever designed and made — and even today, they can still prove superior to ordinary contacts in certain ways. As the name suggests, a scleral contact lens extends completely over the cornea of the eye, resting on the sclera (the “white” of the eye) instead of sitting on the cornea itself. Yes, this makes for a significantly larger lens, but that’s an advantage for individuals who can benefit from this kind of lens.
The perfectly smooth spherical shapes of scleral contacts, and the rigid gas permeable materials they’re made from, make them highly effective at correcting vision problems caused by corneal irregularities. Not only do they do a superior job of correcting for astigmatism, but they also correct for keratoconus. Ordinary contacts cannot always address this condition, in which the cornea bulges out into a conical shape, because they’re designed to sit on a more regular surface. Scleral contacts literally vault right over this obstacle.
Scleral contacts are the logical choice for people with inflammatory corneal diseases and post-surgical corneal problems. They even offer a natural tear repository for dry eyes, allowing for safer, more comfortable wear if you suffer from this condition.
The Right Scleral Lenses for Your Eyes
While all scleral lenses are larger than standard contacts, there are variations in size within this category of corrective lenses. Your optometrist at Yakima Vision Center may find that your eyes will do best with either full-sized scleral lenses (measuring 18-24 millimeters in diameter) mini-sclerals (which may be as small as 14 millimeters), or even corneo-scleral lenses in the 13-15 millimeter range. Whichever type you choose, you may be surprised at just how comfortable scleral lenses can be — and how profoundly they can improve your eyesight.
Schedule an Eye Exam From Your Yakima Eye Doctor
The road to clearer vision through scleral contacts starts with an eye exam, vision test and contact lens exam. Call our clinic at (509) 965-5200 to schedule that initial eye exam from your Yakima eye doctor!