Should I See An Optometrist Or Ophthalmologist For Contact Lenses?
Where do you start in getting contact lenses in Queensland? Whether you’ve noticed your vision declining over time and want an ‘invisible’ solution, or want an alternative to wearing your prescription glasses at times, a common inquiry we get is whether an optometrist or an ophthalmologist is the best person to help you.
See Your Optometrist First
Optometrists are Australia’s go-to primary healthcare provider for all regular and routine eye assessments and prescriptions. This means that they are the first place you should go for new contact lenses, and are the team who have everything you need to get these to you promptly.
Most people will not need to see an ophthalmologist, as their field of expertise is eye surgery and complex eye problems. Most ophthalmologists do not issue contact lenses, but instead, refer back to an optometrist once they have performed any vision-related surgical procedures and care. From there, your optometrist is the one who will reissue your contact lenses, reassess your vision over time, and generally continue to care for your eye health needs.
In your contact lens prescription, your optometrist will support you in correcting any vision errors such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism, or presbyopia (farsightedness related to ageing) - and keep your eye health and vision at an optimal state.
Optometrists Are General Eye Health Professionals
Aside from contact lens prescriptions and fitting, optometrists can help support you in a range of ways, including through their comprehensive eye exams, prescribing other eyewear or low-vision aids, monitoring eye problems related to diseases like diabetes and age-related macular degeneration, diagnosing and treating a range of medical eye conditions such as dry eyes, glaucoma, conjunctivitis, retinopathy and more, prescribing medications for certain eye condition and performing minor eye procedures.
Working alongside ophthalmologists, optometrists support patients after surgery with eye care and education.
What Can An Ophthalmologist Help Me With?
Ophthalmologists are specialists in their field, much like cardiovascular surgeons - just focusing on the eyes instead of the heart. This means their area of focus is complex eye conditions and problems that are often treated with intricate eye surgery. Despite being eye specialists, they generally do not offer the same base services as optometrists, instead working alongside them and using an optometrist’s assessment to guide their further investigations and clinical decision-making, and then referring back to an optometrist for ongoing standard eye care following the resolution of the specific complaint that led to the referral.
Your ophthalmologist may also help you with:
• Medical eye care for conditions like iritis, chemical burns and glaucoma
• Surgical intervention for serious or complex diseases and concerns such as strabismus, cataracts, corneal transplants, trauma, crossed eyes, and retinal detachment
• Laser eye surgery
• Plastic surgery, including blepharoplasty to raise droopy eyelids or other procedures to smooth out wrinkles
• Many ophthalmologists are also involved in scientific research to investigate different eye diseases and vision disorders.
Getting Contact Lenses
Contact lenses offer our clients a lot of freedom by giving them a choice of what they want to wear and when, without always having to wear glasses. The first step to getting the right contact lenses is to ensure that they fit both your eyes and your vision properly (yes, they have different fits!), ensuring you can see clearly while feeling comfortable.
Our team here at the Optical Warehouse offer customised contact lens consultations to give you the best outcome from your lenses while helping you feel fully informed about how to care for your lenses and your eye health. During your appointment with our eye care professionals, we’ll always take the time to explain our wide range of contact lens types to best support your needs and lifestyle. These may include:
• Continuous wear lenses - for those that are busy, always on the go or forgetful. Continuous lenses can be worn during the day and into the night without needing to take them out for sleep.
• Daily disposable lenses - simple one-day use packets for when you need them, especially if it is infrequent. These are also great for travelling as there are no cleaning solutions to pack. It is also good for those who have hay fever or allergies and find relief from a fresh lens every day.
• Monthly disposable lenses - these can be worn daily for up to a month, only being removed for sleep. This is a good value option as you only need 12 pairs each year
• Multifocal contact lenses - much like glasses that combine multiple prescriptions, multifocal contact lenses can accommodate different prescriptions within one lens, which helps optimise your vision, and do things like switch focus from close vision to distant in an instant
• Toric contact lenses for astigmatism - to suit cases where the lens of the eye is slightly oval-shaped
• Coloured lenses that can enhance the natural beauty of your eyes with depth and definition, or allow you to try any colour on the spectrum, from bright blue to warm brown
Optical Warehouse Contact Lens Consultation
Your consultation with us starts with an eye exam. As contact lenses are medical devices, an eye examination is needed to determine the best prescription for your lenses. Here, your optometrist assesses your vision. If you already have a glasses prescription, your contact lens prescription may differ, so you’ll typically need to have a separate contact lens assessment to ensure your lenses will be right for your eyes and your vision.
Part of this exam will include taking measurements, such as the curvature of your cornea, which is the clear front surface of your eye where your contact lens will sit. Your pupil and iris size may also be measured. Your tear film may also be evaluated, particularly if you’re prone to having dry eyes. This will ensure that, if needed, the lenses we prescribe will help keep your eyes moisturised and not irritate them further.
We understand that everyone’s lifestyles and preferences are different. There is a wide range of lenses available with today’s advancing technology, and some contact lens types may be better suited for athletes with active lifestyles, whereas others may be better for frequent travellers who might need to occasionally sleep while still wearing their contacts. All of this will be considered during your exam.
Your Optical Warehouse eye care team will also guide you on how to use and care for your contact lenses hygienically to help support the health and comfort of your eyes. We understand how important the option to be able to wear contact lenses is to many, so we always take a great time and care in helping you get the best contact lenses for your needs.
To learn more about the benefits of wearing contact lenses or to make an appointment to find a lens style which best suits you, contact us via your local Queensland store here.
