Contact Lenses
Gentilly Vision Source in New Orleans offers many options for contact lenses.
There are a number of reasons why you might prefer contact lenses to standard eyewear: a glasses-free look, hassle-free vision correction, wearing non-prescription sunwear and goggles, or the convenience of not having to worry about misplacing your glasses. If you have a high prescription or astigmatism, contact lenses may provide more enhanced vision correction than glasses. Today, you can even replace your bifocal glasses with bifocal contact lenses.
Your eye care provider can recommend the best contact lenses for you based on a complete eye examination and a review of your visual needs both at work and play. Since most people can wear more than one type of lens, it’s important to know what the choices are and the advantages and disadvantages to each.
Soft Lenses
These lenses are comfortable to wear and must be replaced monthly, weekly or daily depending on the type you choose. Soft lenses are often recommended for sports because they fit closer to the eye and are more difficult to dislodge. They can provide correction for most prescriptions including astigmatism. Today, with the introduction of newer materials like silicone hydrogels, which allow more oxygen to the eye, patients find it easier than ever to wear soft lenses comfortably.
Gas-Permeable (GP) Lenses
Made of moderately flexible plastics, GP lenses offer sharp vision and correct most vision problems. They are more durable than soft contact lenses and can be easier to handle and care for but require a longer adaptation period and consistent wear to maintain adaptation.
Multifocal Lenses
In both soft and GP designs, multifocal lenses offer patients both distance and near vision correction just like a pair of bifocal glasses.
Color Contact Lenses
Enhance your eye color or even change it completely. Colored contact lenses are fun and come in a variety of colors for both light and dark eyes.
Silicone Hydrogels
Silicone hydrogels are soft contact lenses that have high oxygen permeability and are comparable to GP lenses.
Regardless of the type of contact lenses you wear, an annual eye exam is recommended to ensure the continued good health of your eyes. Schedule an appointment for an assessment and advice at Gentilly Vision Source in New Orleans, and we will be in touch with you shortly.
Know Before Your Visit
Contact lens examinations and fittings are not part of a conventional or routine eye examination. Contact lenses require additional tests and measurements which are not part of a routine examination, and for which additional fees and visits may be required. All fees will be discussed with you at the time of your exam BEFORE you see the doctor.
In addition to an eye examination, additional tests for a contact lens fitting may include:
• Measurement of corneal curvatures
• Tear chemistry
• Lid position and tightness
• Slit lamp examination of cornea and contact lens in place
• The use of trial lenses if necessary to determine optimal lens specifications
• One-on-one, hands-on instruction for insertion and removal of contact lenses
• Evaluation of patient dexterity
• Custom lens ordering and trial lens evaluations
• Follow-up visits necessary to check lens fit and corneal integrity and arrive at a final lens specification.