Whether you’re considering a transition from glasses to contact lenses, seeking to renew your contact lens prescription, or eager to try contacts for the first time, a common question raised by our clients is whether a regular contact lens consultation is necessary alongside their yearly comprehensive eye exam. Our resounding answer is an emphatic “yes!”

Even if you already have a prescription for glasses, your prescription for contact lenses can be fairly different. It takes into account not only your refractive error (the correction you need) but also several other factors such as the dryness of your eyes, your lifestyle’s level of activity, and even the shape of your eyeball, whether it is circular or oval. Contact lenses are intricate and customised to fit your eyes precisely, necessitating a personalised consultation to ensure a perfect match.

Furthermore, a regular contact lens consultation is indispensable for understanding your specific prescription requirements, tracking any changes that may have occurred over time, and considering the impact of any underlying medical conditions you may have. Even if you underwent an assessment years ago, it is crucial to have a recent evaluation within the past 12 months. Our vision and eye health evolves over time, often without us knowing or being able to visually detect a difference.

At our clinics, we highly recommend that all our clients undergo regular contact lens consultations with our highly qualified optometrists and eye care professionals. These consultations ensure that your contact lenses are perfectly suited to your current needs.

What Happens At A Contact Lens Consultation?

When you undergo a contact lens consultation, you can expect a series of essential steps designed to ensure optimal vision and eye health.

Thorough Eye Assessment

As contact lenses are medical devices, an eye examination is a crucial part of your consultation. Our optometrists employ a gentle approach and utilise innovative medical technology, such as Digital Retinal Photography and Optical Coherence Tomography scans, to assess your eyesight accurately. These advanced tools not only evaluate your vision but also aid in the early detection of potential diseases and conditions. Your comprehensive eye exam may include:

• A detailed discussion about your lifestyle, personal and family health history, medication usage, occupational and environmental factors, and more.

• Visual acuity measurements using reading charts to precisely determine the clarity of your vision in each eye.

• Tests to assess eye health, including depth perception, colour vision, peripheral vision, and the response of your pupils to light.

• Lens assessments to measure the appropriate power required for correcting near-sightedness, far-sightedness, or astigmatism.

• Eye focusing, eye teaming, and eye movement activities to evaluate how well your eyes focus, move, and work together.

• Comprehensive eye health examinations utilising advanced technologies to detect underlying conditions.

Consideration Of Your Lifestyle Preferences

We understand that different individuals have diverse lifestyles and unique vision needs. Our optometrists specialise in fitting contact lenses for various scenarios, including minor vision disturbances and specific conditions such as eye disease, high refractive errors, dry eyes, misshapen corneas, and active outdoor lifestyles. We take into account your specific requirements and preferences when recommending contact lens options.

Precise Eye Measurements

During the consultation, your optometrist will gather important measurements, including the curvature of your cornea—the clear front surface of your eye where the contact lens will sit. Additionally, the size of your pupil and iris may be measured to ensure an accurate fit.

Tear Film Evaluation

For individuals with dry eyes, a tear film evaluation may be conducted to determine the most suitable lenses that promote optimal eye moisture and comfort.

Contact Lens Fitting

Once your contact lenses are selected, your optometrist will ensure a proper fit. This includes checking the centration of the lens on your eye, assessing the movement of the lenses with blinking, and evaluating your visual acuity at both near and far distances. If you require different prescriptions within one lens, our optometrists can guide you in choosing bifocal or multifocal contact lenses that allow seamless switching between close-up and distant vision.

Hygiene Education

Maintaining proper hygiene is crucial for the health and comfort of your eyes when wearing contact lenses. During your appointment, we will provide guidance on how to use and care for your lenses hygienically.

By following this comprehensive process, our highly skilled optometrists ensure that your contact lenses are precisely fitted, promoting comfort, visual acuity, and long-term eye health. You can trust us to deliver personalised care tailored to your unique needs and lifestyle.

Why Do Optometrists Recommend Regular Contact Lens Consultations?

Regular contact lens consultations are highly recommended by optometrists for several important reasons.

Undetected Underlying Issues

Even if you already require contact lenses for vision correction, there could be underlying medical issues that contribute to your visual disturbances. Certain eye conditions, such as glaucoma or retinopathy, can have subtle early signs that may go unnoticed without professional examination. Optometrists possess the knowledge and experience to detect these issues and intervene early, promoting long-term eye health and improving your quality of life. That’s why it is advisable to schedule an in-person comprehensive eye examination with a registered optometrist, even if you have no concerning symptoms. In Australia, it is recommended to undergo these examinations every two years, or annually if you are over the age of 65.

Early Detection of Eye Diseases

Numerous eye diseases exhibit few or no early symptoms and can develop at any age. However, experienced optometrists, aided by digital tools, can closely monitor subtle changes in your eyes over time, promptly identifying any concerns as they arise. This allows for early initiation of treatment and management plans, which may involve prescribing carefully tailored contact lenses to optimise your vision.

Changes in Prescription

Your eyes undergo subtle changes over time, even if you have had previous contact lens prescriptions. Therefore, it is crucial to visit trusted optometrists annually to ensure the accuracy and currency of your prescriptions. Wearing contact lenses with an incorrect prescription, even if only slightly off, can lead to eye strain, headaches, dry eyes, and other discomforts.

Custom-Fitted Contact Lenses

Despite remarkable advancements in contact lens technology, a custom contact lens consultation is necessary to ensure that the lenses not only match your vision prescription but also fit comfortably on your eyes. During the consultation, a qualified optometrist can assess and address the following aspects:

• Comfort levels after wearing the contact lenses for a few hours and evaluating their performance over the course of a week or two. Adjustments, such as changing the lens material, can enhance comfort.

• Determining the desired frequency of contact lens replacement. Depending on your comfort, lifestyle, and budget, you may prefer lenses that are changed weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or annually. Individuals with dry eye disease, diabetes, or allergies may require more frequent replacements.

By regularly consulting with optometrists for contact lens evaluations, you can ensure the most suitable lenses for your individual needs, promoting comfort, vision clarity, and overall eye health.

Contact Lens Consultations With Stacey & Stacey

To obtain the ideal contact lenses tailored to your needs, a personalised contact lens consultation with your optometrist at Stacey & Stacey is the first step. During this consultation, your eye care professional will assess your vision, identify any existing problems or disturbances, and gain a thorough understanding of your lifestyle, work requirements, and other essential factors. This comprehensive evaluation allows us to provide you with an optimal contact lens prescription.

Our team takes pride in their meticulous approach, paying close attention to detail and involving you in every aspect of your eye care. We want you to have a clear understanding of the contact lenses you will be wearing and how they will best support your vision.

Once your prescription is determined, we continue to work closely with you to ensure your contact lenses are comfortable. We take into account various factors, such as selecting the most suitable lens material and replacement schedule that align with your lifestyle, preferences, and budget. We understand that everyone is unique, and we strive to find the perfect fit for you. Over time, we actively monitor changes in your eyes and make adjustments to your prescription as needed.

As a dedicated team committed to optimising your eyesight, we provide high-quality contact lenses sourced from leading manufacturers. We stay up-to-date with the latest technological advancements to ensure we offer the best eyewear products available. With us, you can be confident that you are in the hands of experts who are passionate about helping you make the most of your vision.

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To book your contact lens consultation, contact one of our friendly clinics here. 

If you’re looking to buy contact lenses online, you’ve come to the right place. Our Stacey & Stacey optical clinics stock a wide range of high-quality contact lenses to suit your preferences and lifestyle. They’re available for purchase both online here and in-store with the support of our highly qualified eye care professionals in clinics located across Queensland.

To ensure you have the best contact lenses, we recommend starting with an eye exam and personalised contact lens consultation prior to shopping online, so that your eye care professional can explain your prescription requirements and exactly what you should be looking for. As vision and eye health can change significantly in the space of just 12 months, this exam should be completed within 12 months (or ideally 6 months) of your contact lens purchase.

Our optometrists at Stacey & Stacey always go above and beyond to help you get the best comfort, vision and a great fit for your contact lenses.

What Kinds Of Contact Lenses Can I Purchase Online?

You can find a wide range of contact lens types to best support your needs and preferences in the comprehensive catalogue on our website.

• If you’re travelling or have allergies, daily disposable lenses are a great choice because there’s no need to pack cleaning solutions. You can also find relief by wearing a fresh lens every day.
• For a more cost-effective option, monthly disposable lenses are suitable for everyday wear and you only require 12 pairs a year.
• Continuous wear lenses can be reused for an extended period of time.
• Bifocal or multifocal contact lenses are designed to accommodate different prescriptions in one lens, making it easier to switch focus from close vision to distant vision.
• Toric contact lenses are designed for those with astigmatism and can suit cases where the lens of the eye is slightly oval-shaped.
• Silicone hydrogel lenses are great for those who need to wear lenses throughout the day and night without removing them for sleep.
• Coloured lenses can enhance the natural beauty of your eyes and provide depth and definition, or you can experiment with different colours, from bright blue to warm brown, to achieve a new look.

Eye Care Professional Help For Contact Lenses

It can be challenging to know if you’re making the best selection from the wide array of contact lens options available online, which is why here at Stacey & Stacey, our optometrists offer customised contact lens consultations to support you in selecting the optimal lenses for your needs while helping you feel fully informed about how to care for your lenses and your eye health. They can give you a detailed prescription and guide you towards selecting the best contact lenses from our online store in future, to be delivered straight to your door.

Our optometrists specialise in fitting contact lenses for both minor vision disturbances, as well as those with eye diseases, high refractive errors, dry eyes, misshapen corneas, active lifestyles and more.

Contact Lens Consultation: What To Expect

Consultations with one of our optometrists involve several elements to help you get the best prescription and fit for your lenses. Firstly, your optometrist will carry out an eye examination to determine the best prescription for your contact lenses. This comprehensive eye exam assesses your vision and helps identify the right contact lens for your needs. Even if you have a glasses prescription, you may require a separate contact lens assessment, as your contact lens prescription can differ from your glasses prescription.

In addition to the eye examination, your optometrist will also consider your lifestyle preferences, such as whether you have an active lifestyle or are a frequent traveller who needs to occasionally sleep while still wearing their contacts. This is important because there is a wide range of lenses available with advancing technology, and certain types may be better suited for your lifestyle than others.

Your optometrist will also take several measurements, including the curvature of your cornea, pupil and iris size, as well as perform a tear film evaluation to ensure that you’re prescribed lenses that are the correct shape and keep your eyes moisturised if you tend to have dry eyes.

Lastly, we will guide you on how to use and care for your contact lenses hygienically during your appointment. This will help support the health and comfort of your eyes. Our team understands how important the option to be able to wear contact lenses is to many, so we always take a great time and care in helping you get the best contact lenses for your needs.

Contact Lenses At Stacey & Stacey

Eyesight is incredibly important, and often something we take for granted until a problem occurs. We wholeheartedly understand how important your eyesight is, as well as having lenses that are comfortable and well-fitted. Other reasons why people choose our leading clinics include:

Premium contact lenses from trusted and reputable sources: through our website, we offer high-quality contact lenses that are sourced from leading manufacturers, who use innovative technological advancements to help create the best contact lenses and eyewear products.

Our focus on prevention: with up to 90% of all vision loss being preventable, we strongly believe in taking a preventative and proactive approach to each person’s eye care. There are many eye diseases that have few or no early symptoms, and they can develop at any age. This is why alongside our online shopping options for contact lenses, we recommend having regular eye examinations with our experienced optometrists, to help track subtle changes in your eyes over time, and pick up on any concerns as soon as they arise so you can start your treatment and management plan as soon as possible.

Our innovative equipment and advanced specialist services: alongside custom contact lens consultations, we offer specialised vision testing, advanced treatment options and preventative strategies. We use digital tools such as Retinal Photography and Optical Coherence Tomography, which can help identify a range of eye diseases in their early stages, including diabetic changes or retinopathy, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and retinal vascular changes.

Targeted care for a range of eye conditions: whether you suffer from dry eyes, colour impairment, eye strain, or a medical condition such as diabetes, high-blood pressure or glaucoma, and more, our optometrists can support you with customised contact lenses and a treatment plan that is designed uniquely for your needs, preferences, and to help optimise your quality of life.

Our friendly, experienced and highly-qualified staff: beyond our innovative equipment and evidence-based optometry care, our qualified eye care professionals are dedicated to helping you get the most out of your eyesight, going above and beyond for your care, supporting you at every step, and ensuring you feel comfortable, listened to, and informed.

Our flexible payment options: We offer bulk-billed comprehensive eye exams (subject to Medicare eligibility), and work extensively alongside the DVA, NDIS and health funds.

To learn more about the benefits of wearing contact lenses or to make an appointment to find a lens style that best suits you, contact one of our friendly clinics here.