Wearing eyeglasses presents some practical disadvantages. For example, since eyeglass lenses do not extend to the corner of your eye, wearing them can compromise your peripheral vision because you cannot see clearly out of the corners of your eyes. You may want to consider getting contacts to correct your vision instead of eyeglasses. Contacts cover the whole retina of the eye, so the vision correction extends to the corners of your eyes, too., Doing so, however, is not as simple as bringing your eyeglass prescription to a contact lens seller and walking away with your lenses.
Instructions
1 Call your eye doctor and inform him that you’d like to begin wearing contact lenses. If you’ve worn lenses before and are comfortable with them, he may be willing to write you a contact lens prescription straight away. Most likely, however, he’ll require you to make an appointment for a contact lens “fitting.”
2 Attend the contact lens fitting. As is the case with a normal eye appointment, your doctor will test your vision strength, but will also examine the shape of your eye to make sure it’s safe for you to wear contacts. If, for example, you have astigmatism —- an abnormal curvature of the eye — it might not be possible for you to wear lenses without damaging your vision further. Observe the doctor and/or nurse when they show you how to insert, remove and care for the lenses.
3 Take your contact lens prescription to be filled. In most cases, you can do this at the same place you get the exam but if, for whatever reason, you want to go elsewhere — your doctor doesn’t stock your preferred brand or her prices are too high— you can take your prescription to any contact lens dealer for its duration, which will be listed at the top of the prescription.
Tips & Warnings
Always get a new eye exam prior to wearing new lenses — -or wearing lenses for the first time. Although some online options exist to help consumers get contacts without a valid prescription, doing so can cause severe damage to your eye and, in some cases, may even be illegal.