When your contact lens prescription needs renewing, it’s easy to focus on ordering your next supply. But how have your eyes been feeling? Are your lenses comfortable through dinner, or are you counting the minutes until you can remove them?
This October, our “See the Bigger Picture” theme encourages adult contact lens wearers in Fort Worth to think beyond their next box. At Dr. Ellis R. Jones and Associates, personalized care starts with understanding your vision, your routine, and your eye-health needs.
Prescription, Fit, and Eye Health: Three Different Questions
These parts of eye care work together, but each has a different purpose.
Refraction: What correction helps you see clearly?
Refraction measures focusing errors, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, to help determine your prescription. It provides information about vision correction; it does not, by itself, assess the full health of your eyes.
Contact lens fitting: How does a lens work on your eye?
A fitting considers measurements, lens choice, vision, comfort, and how your eyes respond to wear. A contact lens prescription includes lens-specific details beyond an eyeglass prescription. Our contact lens exams support personalized recommendations and follow-up when needed.
Comprehensive assessment: What else needs attention?
A comprehensive eye exam evaluates vision and ocular health, including structures at the front and back of the eyes. Your clinician determines appropriate testing, which may include dilation or additional assessments. Some eye diseases can develop before you notice symptoms, so clear vision alone does not tell the whole story.
Bring Your Everyday Lens Experience Into the Conversation
You don’t need medical vocabulary to explain what’s happening. Everyday details give your eye doctor useful information. Before your visit, consider:
- Wear time: How many hours do you wear contacts? Do you sometimes nap in them?
- Comfort: When do dryness, redness, or irritation start? Does one eye feel different?
- Vision: Have you noticed fluctuating clarity, trouble reading, or changes while driving?
- Medications: Bring a current list, including eye drops, over-the-counter medicines, and supplements.
- Family history: Mention relatives with glaucoma, macular degeneration, or other eye conditions.
Bring questions, too. “Is this wearing schedule appropriate for me?” and “When should my eye health be checked again?” are useful starting points.
Find an Option That Fits Your Routine and Budget
A lens that suited you previously may deserve another conversation when your schedule or comfort changes. We offer personalized fittings, with options including daily disposable contact lenses and gas-permeable lenses.
Ask about suitability, replacement schedules, care supplies, and ongoing costs. Daily disposables are discarded after each use; reusable lenses require their prescribed cleaning and storage routine. Our broader services include pediatric exams and ocular disease management, and Spanish-language information is available on our website.
Keep Healthy Habits Between Visits
Wash your hands with soap and water, then dry them completely before handling lenses. Follow your clinician’s instructions for wearing, replacing, cleaning, and storing them. Keep lenses away from water, and avoid sleeping in them unless specifically directed.
If you develop eye pain, redness, or blurred vision, remove your lenses and contact your eye doctor promptly. Follow the review schedule your clinician recommends rather than waiting for your supply to run out.
Request Time for the Bigger Picture
Ready to discuss renewal and your broader eye health? Request an appointment with Dr. Ellis R. Jones and Associates. Include your reason for visiting and preferred dates and times; the team will follow up to confirm.
When arranging your visit, ask which services are planned, whether separate visits are needed, and about fees and coverage. A renewal request does not automatically include every assessment.