Candidates for Scleral Lenses

For healthy eyes, it’s important to visit an eye doctor every year. As part of the examination, the optometrist or ophthalmologist looks for a variety of things. Not only do they determine how well a patient sees, but they also look for signs of eye disease such as macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, and so on.

What Are Scleral Lenses

At one time, people could only choose hard contact lenses. Then, this field of medicine improved dramatically. That led to the development of gas permeable and soft lenses. Now, there’s yet another possibility. Scleral lenses are unique in that not only do they correct vision, but they also treat various eye conditions.

Scleral lenses are a type of gas permeable contact with the exception they retain more fluid. Working as a kind of reservoir, they’re ideal for a lot of people who can’t wear traditional lenses. Standard gas permeable contacts only cover the colored portion of the eye. Scleral lenses are much larger and cover the entire corneal surface while resting on the white part of the eye.

Available in different sizes that range from 14.5 mm in diameter to 24 mm, an eye doctor will determine what you need based on your specific situation.

Who Makes a Good Candidate?

The following are examples of when scleral lenses make an ideal choice:

• Post-Surgery – If you’re required to wear contacts following LASIK or corneal refractive surgery, scleral lenses work great for correcting irregular astigmatism.

• Ocular Surface Disease – These lenses help manage this eye disease. Often people with Stevens-Johnson syndrome, Sjogren’s syndrome, and Grave-versus-host disease have the ocular surface disease. That alters vision to the point of making everyday tasks difficult. However, the rigid and curved shape of scleral lenses serves as a kind of liquid cushion that continuously lubricates the anterior ocular surface of the eye.

• Refractive Error – If your eyes have a refractive error or in the case of Dry Eyes Disease, most eye doctors consider scleral lenses as a necessity rather than a luxury.

• GP Burnout – A big advantage of gas permeable contacts is they produce sharp vision. But over time, the crispness deteriorates. Also, for people involved with physical sports, it’s common for dirt or dust particles to become trapped beneath the lenses. Since scleral lenses are much larger, that doesn’t happen, and a person’s vision remains sharp.

• Astigmatism – If you suffer from moderate to severe astigmatism, talk to an optometrist or ophthalmologist about scleral lenses. Since these don’t fluctuate in the way standard contacts do, they offer a more stable solution. Keep in mind that if you have lenticular astigmatism, you likely couldn’t wear scleral lenses.

• Ill-Fitting Lenses – Even if an eye doctor has a hard time fitting you with conventional gas permeable lenses, the scleral approach might work. Since fitting these requires a diagnostic approach, you should notice a stark improvement in the way they feel and how they correct your vision.

• Dry Eye – People with this eye disease often require some kind of refractive correction to see. Due to the fluid reservoir in scleral lenses, your eyes won’t dry out. For people with Dry Eye, conventional contacts are way too uncomfortable, but because scleral lenses fit perfectly, they feel great.

Whether for your annual eye exam or to see if you’re a good candidate for scleral lenses, call us at Ridgeview Eye Care today. You can reach us at one of our two convenient locations – Olathe (913-270-8598) or De Soto, Kansas (913-270-6017). We have an outstanding team of professionals eager to serve you.