Contact Lenses for the "Hard-to-Fit" Patient

It is not uncommon for patients to have difficulty wearing contact lenses for a number of reasons. Due to the individual eye shape, certain conditions or impairments, or the aftermath of surgery, some patients are considered to be “hard to fit” as contact lens wearers.

For hard-to-fit patients that prefer to wear contact lenses, however, there are options available that can provide comfortable and effective contact lens wear. This will require a specialized fitting with an eye doctor that is experienced and knows your condition and the various products available to find the right match. You may be considered a hard to fit contact lens candidate if you have one of the following conditions:

Dry Eyes
Astigmatism
Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis (GPC)
Keratoconus
Pellucid Marginal Degeneration
Post-LASIK or other refractive surgery
Presbyopia (reduced near vision common in individuals aged 40 and over).
Corneal Scarring

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Dry Eyes and Contact Lenses

Dry Eye Syndrome causes your eyes to feel dry, gritty, burning, red, and irritated. Dry Eye Syndrome can also cause blurred vision. Often these symptoms can sometimes worsen by the use of contacts. In fact, many people who do not normally suffer from chronic dry eyes will experience some of these symptoms as a result of contact lens wear.

First of all, if you have chronic dry eyes, you should see your eye doctor for treatment and relief before you think about contact lenses. Once your dry eyes are treated, it is safe to try contacts and there are a number of options that can be considered.

Many brands of soft contacts and products such as disinfectant and cleansing solutions are made with ingredients that are designed to be more comfortable for individuals with dry eyes. Our eye doctors in Crowfoot, Creekside & West Springs, Calgary will be able to recommend some of these brands and products to you. Alternatively, gas permeable (GP) or rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses are made with a hard material that in some cases does not dry out like soft lenses and they are able to hold a certain amount of moisture beneath the lens to keep the eye from drying out. Gas permeable lenses are a very good option and can be quite comfortable for individuals with dry eyes.

Additionally, your doctor might recommend a specific wearing schedule such as limiting the time you wear your contacts throughout the day or replacing your contacts on a more frequent basis.

Learn More About Dry Eye Syndrome

Toric Lenses for Astigmatism

Astigmatism is a common condition that causes blurred vision (in some cases double vision). Astigmatism occurs because rather than being round, the front of the eye (the cornea) has two curves instead of one, and therefore, two focal points instead of one. This makes it hard for traditional contact lenses to fit and requires specialized contact lenses such as toric lenses or rigid gas permeable lenses (RGPs).

Toric contact lenses are designed to correct astigmatism and custom-made to fit the eye of the patient. Most are made of soft material designed to stay in place on the eye, however in some cases, when the rotation of the lens (due to blinking and eye movement) can’t be stopped, gas permeable lenses might be tried. Due to the customization and more complicated fitting process required for these lenses, they are more expensive and take more time for the contact lens laboratory to make than traditional lenses.

Learn More About Toric Contact Lenses

Seeing in Style

Are you looking for the latest Oakley and Ray-Ban frames? We have them. Or perhaps you are yearnings for something more upscale, like D&G or Prada? We have them too.

Our Creekside, West Springs, and Crowfoot stores carry frames at every price point and for every purpose. Standard prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, sports glasses, transition lenses, eyewear for kids… we have designer brands for all!

Types of Contact Lenses

Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis (GPC) and Contact Lenses

GPC is a type of conjunctivitis in which the inner surface of the eyelid becomes swollen. The condition can be caused or worsened by a buildup of protein deposits on contact lenses. Your eye doctor may either recommend daily disposable lenses or RGP lenses (which are not water-based) and therefore have less of a tendency for protein buildup. Your doctor may also prescribe medicated eye drops and require you to stop the use of contact lenses until the symptoms improve.

Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) or Gas Permeable (GP) Lenses

Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP), also known as Gas Permeable (GP) lenses, are effective for many hard-to-fit patients. The hard, oxygen-permeable material lets the eye breathe and significantly reduces the chance of infection due to protein deposits which tend to harbour bacteria on soft lenses. RGPs also hold moisture under the lens to keep eyes from drying out.

Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) Lenses for Keratoconus

Keratoconus is a condition in which the cornea thins and bulges forward into a cone shape. Traditional contact lenses may cause some discomfort in these patients and the vision may still be blurry, therefore RGPs are often used for treatment for mild, moderate, and some severe cases. Rigid gas permeable lenses may help to slow down the cone shape from worsening in some cases. Further, RGPs are able to assist in vision correction for keratoconus which is often not possible with soft contacts or even eyeglasses.

Learn More About Gas Permeable Contact Lenses

Post-LASIK or Vision Correction (Refractive) Surgery

While LASIK surgery has a very high success rate, there are vision complications and symptoms that sometimes remain. Night vision after LASIK, in particular, can sometimes give you side effects such as glare or halos around lights. RGPs are often effective in helping with these side effects and restoring clear vision.

Post-LASIK Surgery Vision Therapy

3 locations to serve you

Blink Eyewear operates no fewer than 3 convenient locations across Calgary. Our clinics in Creekside, West Springs and Crowfoot are all outfitted with experienced optometrists and opticians, the latest optometry instruments, and a wide range of brand frames. Whether you are shopping for a new pair of glasses, getting an eye exam, or treating a severe eye condition, visit any of our 3 clinics for an eye-popping experience.

In addition to our physical stores, we also offer telehealth services so that you can ensure your ocular health from the comfort of your home!

Bifocal and Multifocal Contact Lenses for Presbyopia

Presbyopia is a common condition in people over 40 years in which the eyes’ ability to focus on close objects is impaired. Many people keep a pair of bifocal or multifocal glasses on hand for times when they have to read menus, newspapers, books, and other objects that require near vision. For those that prefer contact lenses over eyeglasses, bifocal and multifocal contact lenses are an option.

For some patients that have presbyopia and need correction for distance vision as well, one option is monovision. Monovision is a contact lens fitting process in which you wear a contact lens in one eye for distance vision and the other contact lens of your other eye for near vision. Another option is multifocal contact lenses. In this contact lens fitting process, both eyes are usually fit for distance vision and both eyes are used for near at the same time. Both contact lens fitting options usually take about one week for the brain and the eyes to adjust.

If you have one of these conditions or find contact lens wear difficult for another reason, speak with your eye doctor. As technology improves there are more and more options for hard-to-fit contact lens patients to benefit from the comfort and convenience of contact lens use.

Our Contact Lenses

Bifocal and Multifocal

Presbyopia is a natural process that occurs as the eye ages and the eye’s natural lens loses the ability to focus on close objects. Presbyopia affects the majority of people from age 40 and upward. Individuals with presbyopia

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Contact Lenses for the "Hard-to-Fit" Patient

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Disposable Contacts

Disposable contact lenses are extremely popular these days and generally considered to be far superior in comfort and wearability than rigid gas permeable lenses. They come in many different varieties, and it is important to know which is b

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Featured Contact Lenses Brands

Blink Eyewear carries a wide variety of contact lenses, including: Soft lenses Hard lenses Disposable lenses Bifocal and multifocal lenses for presbyopia Toric lenses for astigmatism Coloured lenses Come in

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Gas Permeable (GP) Contact Lenses

Gas-Permeable (GP) or Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) contact lenses are an alternative to soft contact lenses and are made from a hard, oxygen-permeable material. GP lenses are currently less popular than soft lenses but offer a number of advant

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Toric Contact Lenses for Astigmatism

Astigmatism is a condition that is caused by an irregular shape of the cornea - the clear part of the eye that covers the iris and the pupil. The cornea is usually smooth, round, and spherical but in an astigmatic eye, the cornea turns into

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Your Guide For Contact Lenses

Whether you wear daily, weekly or monthly disposables, or conventional lenses, check out our selection of lenses to fit your needs. We offer a wide selection of contact lenses including disposable soft contact, bifocal/multifocal, toric, an

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Outstanding vision care across Calgary

Blink Eyewear is the largest provider of vision services and care in Calgary, operating no fewer than 3 accessible locations across the region. All of our stores are inventoried with the most sought-after designer and commercial frames and eyewear for all occasions and purposes.

Home to experienced optometrists and opticians, our stores also offer comprehensive eye exams to individuals of all ages, emergency eye care, and the treatment and management of eye conditions such as glaucoma and macular degeneration.

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Blink Eyewear boasts the largest collection of eyewear in Calgary, but our 3 locations are also home to the region’s finest optometrists. Just as you will not find a better store to shop for your eyewear, you will not find a better vision clinic to do your eye exam or treat your eye condition.

Go ahead and Blink; what you see is really what you get. Call one of our store numbers or fill out the form below to book an appointment.