Contact Lens Exam in Shelton, WA

Your glasses prescription and your contact lens prescription are not the same thing. A glasses prescription corrects vision through a lens that sits an inch in front of your eye. A contact lens prescription corrects vision through a lens that sits directly on the surface of your eye, which means it has to fit the curvature of your cornea, work with your tear film, and stay healthy on your eye for hours at a time.

That’s why a contact lens exam involves additional testing — and why a contact lens prescription has more elements than a glasses prescription. Beyond the lens power, we specify the base curve, diameter, brand, and material, all matched to your specific eyes.

Who can wear contacts?

Most people who want to wear contacts can. The technology has improved dramatically over the past two decades. Modern materials are more breathable, daily disposables make care simpler, and toric lenses now correct astigmatism reliably. People who couldn’t wear contacts ten years ago often can today.

Patients we commonly fit:

• First-time wearers — teens, college students, adults who decided they want an alternative to glasses
• Athletes and active adults — contacts give better peripheral vision and don’t fog or fall off
• Patients with astigmatism — modern toric lenses work very well
• Patients over 40 who want to keep wearing contacts despite presbyopia — multifocal lenses are a real option
• People who tried contacts years ago and stopped because of discomfort — often a switch in material or modality solves the problem

Some situations need extra evaluation: significant dry eye, certain corneal conditions, very high prescriptions, or eyes that have had surgery. We’ll figure out what’s realistic for you during the fitting.

What we fit

We fit standard soft contact lenses across the most common modalities:

• Daily disposables — you wear a fresh pair each day and throw them out at night. Healthiest, most convenient, simplest care. Our usual recommendation for new wearers and for patients with any history of dry eye, allergies, or compliance issues.
• Monthly soft lenses — replaced once a month with daily cleaning and overnight storage. More cost-effective for many patients. Multiple material options available.
• Toric lenses — for astigmatism. Available in both daily and monthly modalities. Modern torics fit and rotate predictably; if you were told years ago you couldn’t wear contacts because of astigmatism, that may no longer be true.
• Multifocal lenses — for patients over 40 with presbyopia who want to keep wearing contacts. The technology has improved significantly; most patients adapt well.

For patients who need specialty lenses — scleral, hybrid, ortho-K, or RGP — we’ll refer to a colleague who specializes in those fittings. Specialty lens work requires equipment and expertise that not every practice maintains, and getting the fit right matters a lot.

What happens during a contact lens exam

1. Standard vision exam

We start with the same testing as a comprehensive eye exam — refraction, eye health, prescription. The contact lens prescription is built from this baseline.

2. Corneal measurements

We measure the curvature of your cornea using a process called keratometry. This determines what base curve your contacts need to fit properly. A lens that’s too tight feels uncomfortable and can damage the cornea; one that’s too loose moves around and gives unstable vision.

3. Tear film evaluation

We check your tear quality and quantity. Contacts work best on a healthy, well-lubricated eye. If we find significant dry eye, we’ll address it before fitting contacts — otherwise the lenses will be uncomfortable no matter how well they fit.

4. Trial lenses

We’ll fit you with trial lenses based on the measurements and have you wear them for a short period in the office to evaluate fit, comfort, and vision quality. We may try several different lenses or brands to find the best match. For new wearers, this is also when we teach you how to put lenses in and take them out — an awkward five minutes that becomes second nature within a few days.

Why your contact lens prescription expires

Contact lens prescriptions expire after one year, by federal law. This isn’t arbitrary. Contacts sit on living tissue and affect ocular health in ways glasses don’t. An annual evaluation:

• Confirms your eyes are still tolerating contacts well, with no signs of corneal stress, infection risk, or dryness developing
• Updates your prescription if your refraction has changed
• Catches early issues like neovascularization or giant papillary conjunctivitis before they become problems
• Allows us to switch you to a newer, healthier lens material if better options have become available

If you’ve been wearing the same lenses for years without an exam, please come in. We don’t want to find a problem that could have been prevented.

Common reasons people quit contacts — and what we can do about them

• Discomfort or dryness. Often fixable with a switch to a daily disposable, a different material, or treating underlying dry eye. Don’t suffer through it — come in.
• Vision blurs as the day goes on. Usually a fit or material issue. We’ll troubleshoot and try alternatives.
• The expense. Switching from monthlies to dailies can actually be similar in cost when you factor in cleaning solutions and the reduced infection risk. Worth discussing.
• Hassle of cleaning and storage. Daily disposables solve this completely.
• Hands shake or it’s hard to put them in. A bigger-diameter lens or a slightly different shape can make insertion easier. Some patients also benefit from inserter tools.

If you used to wear contacts and stopped, schedule a fitting and let’s see if today’s options work better than what you tried before.

Insurance and what it costs

Most vision plans cover contact lens fittings, though the specifics vary — some cover the fitting and exam together, some treat them as separate. Apple Health (Washington Medicaid) coverage for contact lenses is more limited; for adults, contacts are usually considered elective rather than medically necessary. We’ll verify your specific benefits before your visit.

The contact lenses themselves are sold by the Walmart Vision Center we're located in, online retailers, or any optical shop you choose. After the fitting, you’ll receive a written prescription — same as with glasses, you can take it anywhere.