Contact Lens Prescriptions

 

It wasn't long ago that not everyone was entitled to a copy of their contact lens prescription. However, legislation in many countries around the world now makes it law that customers have to be given a copy of their contact lens prescription once the eye test is completed. This now enables contact lens customers to shop around in various locations so they can get the best savings on their lenses.

 

Can I Get Contact Lenses Without a Prescription?

No, you are not able to obtain contacts without a valid prescription for the continuing health of your eyes. In many countries, contact lenses are a prescription item, just like medicines. However, some companies in Europe just require you to confirm you have a contact lens prescription. They DO NOT require to see the prescription. Remember even if you already possess an eyeglass prescription, you need a contact lens prescription that includes additional information.

 

Why a Prescription?

A contact lens is a medical device. If it is not prescribed properly, you may not see properly. More importantly, a badly fitting lens - or one made from a material not well-suited to your eyes - can cause discomfort, inflammation, swelling, abrasion, or another dilemma that could, in rare cases, cause permanent damage to your eye tissue.

 

When Does Your Prescription Expire?

Contact lens prescriptions are valid for a minimum of one year. If you buy your new lenses from a different source, you still have to to visit your eye doctor for frequent eye examinations as well as contact lens fittings.
You will not beable to buy more contact lenses unless you have a valid prescription. This usually requires a checkup to make sure that the contacts are not affecting your eyes.

 

An important point to also reflect on, is that simply since your contact lenses seem to be doing their duty and you have no problems with your eyes, does not indicate that your eyes do not have signs of a few underlying microscopic problems that can only be picked up by the optical equipment that your eye doctor has.

 

Customarily, if your eye care practitioner does unearth a problem, it is not to be expected that you will have to stop wearing contacts permanently. The majority of the time people just need a different kind of lens, different size or different material.

Understanding Your Contact Lens Prescription

As opticians use standard abbreviations, measurements and terms globally when they write contact lens presciptions they are quite easy to understand once you know what the terms mean.

 

>> How To Read Your Contact Lens Prescription