Home & Garden5 mins ago
Contact Lenses
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could you try a different optician?
jim
Yes it matters a lot. If you have astigmatism then the primary purpose of spectacles or contact lenses is to correct it. The symptoms of astigamtism are much more noticeable (to the sufferer) than those of myopia. I have astigmatism in both eyes, and trying to see with it uncorrected is a bit like being drunk. I considered having laser surgery (the one where there cut a flap in the lens, laser underneath, then replace the flap), but when I saw the machine, I bottled out!
As an optometrist, I would always consider GP lenses as one of my first choices for every person who comes into my examination room. This is because they give the most stable vision and generally have a lower risk of eye infection than other lens types. (But I fit maybe 1 in 20 people with them.)
There are many other factors to consider when prescribing lenses - such as comfort.It may well be that your optometrist has had no other option but to go for a GP len for your eyes yellowduck - without examining you I can' t tell........but if you have problems with your lens comfort, go back and tell them! It 's what we're there for.
Soft toric lenses could be the solution, but only someone who has actually assessed your eyes can tell!
Do bear in mind that GP lenses are more difficult to fit - we fit more soft lenses than GPs because they're so much easier to do and more comfortable to wear in general.............so (sorry to repeat myself - it's Friday night and I've had a glass of wine) if your guy/gal has picked a GP lens, it's usually because it's going to give you the best vision, and that was probably your priority at the intial consultation - to get the best vision possible with the contacts. If your priority has changed, you need to tell them.
Hope this answers some questions for you (and makes some sense - I might try again tomorrow afternoon...)! Best of luck.
In the unlikely event that it is keratoconus (see, I can spell that one slimfandango........) your optometrist would intially fit you with GP lenses anyway to slow the progression of the condition, and then refer you to the ophthalmology department at your local hospital if that was not helping. Your doctor, more often than not (and absolutely no offence intended here) will just send you back to your optometrist.
Best advice really is to go back to your practitioner - if he has any colleagues you might prefer to see, make an appointment with them instead (before you even contemplate changing practices). At least that way, they'll have all your case notes and history and will better understand the health of your eyes.
Best of luck now!