The world of contact lenses extends beyond traditional soft contact lenses, which are loved and favored among many lens wearers.
Despite their popularity, comfort, and convenience, these soft contact lenses aren’t suitable for everyone. Fortunately, people with certain eye conditions can experience the same comfort and visual clarity offered by contact lenses, just in a different form.
Scleral lenses are specialized, gas-permeable contacts, larger in diameter, allowing them to rest on the eye’s sclera. They’re designed to vault over the eye’s cornea to provide ongoing hydration through a fluid-like reservoir for continuous comfort and sharp vision.
Just as soft contact lenses may not work for everyone, scleral lenses work for certain eye conditions. A contact lens fitting helps our team determine which type of contact lens appropriately meets your vision and eye needs.
All About Scleral Lenses?
Scleral contacts are gas-permeable (or hard) contact lenses, larger than standard soft contacts most of us are more familiar with.
Most contact lenses rest on the eye’s cornea–the clear front layer of your eye–while scleral lenses fault over the cornea and rest on the sclera—the white part of your eye. This design creates a pocket of fluid between the lens and the cornea, keeping your eyes hydrated and protected during wear.
The fundamental difference in scleral lenses lies in their size and structure.
- Size: Scleral lenses are much larger than traditional soft lenses. Their diameter ranges from 14mm to over 20mm, compared to 8.5mm to 9mm for standard lenses.
- Fit: They don’t touch the cornea directly, which reduces irritation and distributes pressure more evenly across the eye.
- Durability: Made from gas-permeable material, scleral lenses are more robust and allow greater oxygen to flow to the eye, supporting long-term eye health.
The beauty of scleral lenses lies in their unique design. Because the lenses vault over the cornea, they create a stable liquid reservoir, staying in constant contact with your eye. This pool of moisture offers:
- Consistent hydration, which is especially worthwhile for those with dry eyes.
- A smooth optical surface that improves vision even for people with irregularly shaped corneas or scarring.
- A protective barrier that shields sensitive eye surfaces from external irritants.
Are Scleral Lenses for Everyone?
Although scleral lenses have significant benefits, they’re not ideal for everyone. We usually recommend them for people with specific eye conditions or needs that traditional lenses can’t address, such as:
- Keratoconus: Scleral lenses’ ability to vault over an irregularly shaped cornea makes them ideal for those with keratoconus.
- Severe dry eyes: The fluid reservoir provides constant moisture to the eye’s surface, offering much-needed relief from dry eye symptoms.
- Post-surgical corneas: After procedures like LASIK or corneal transplants, scleral lenses can provide comfort and clarity as the eye continues to heal.
- Corneal scars or irregularities: Scleral lenses restore sharp vision by creating a smooth optical surface. This allows incoming light to focus directly on the retina, improving visual clarity.
- Fluctuating vision: Conditions such as pellucid marginal degeneration or post-surgery procedures can lead to fluctuating vision. The durability of scleral lenses creates a smooth optical surface, offering consistent clarity.
Benefits of Scleral Lenses
With that being said, scleral lenses truly are a game-changer for those with unique eye care needs. Here’s how they support healthy vision and eyes.
- Eye comfort: The lenses vault over the cornea, reducing direct irritation to sensitive areas, making them ideal for long-wear times.
- Hydration: The lenses maintain a liquid reservoir that hydrates the eye, helping to manage dry eye symptoms. This consistent moisture reduces irritation and discomfort.
- Improved vision: The durable lens helps deliver sharp, stable vision for irregular corneas for those with corneal scarring. This reduces concerns like ghosting or halos that traditional lenses may cause.
- Protection: The larger size of the lens creates a barrier against environmental irritants like dust and debris, making them ideal for protecting against sensitive eyes post-surgery or injury.
- Custom Fit: Scleral lenses are individually designed to match your eye contours, for a perfect fit. This prevents the lenses from slipping or moving during wear.
- Long-term eye health: Greater oxygen permeability from the lenses supports corneal health. Their custom-fit design reduces the risk of long-term complications often associated with poorly fitted contacts.
About Your Scleral Lens Fitting
Because scleral lenses are highly specialized and custom-fit to your eye’s unique shape and size, a more detailed fitting process is required in comparison to standard soft contacts.
- The initial consultation: After your contact lens exam, your fitting begins with taking detailed measurements of your cornea and sclera to verify the lenses are tailored to your unique shape and size.
- Custom-lens design: Using the measurements from your consultation, a set of trial lenses are custom-made to fit your eyes to help verify ideal comfort and vision quality.
- Trial and adjustments: Once your trial lenses are ready, you’ll return for a trial fitting. Your optometrist will place the lenses on your eyes to assess their fit, vision, and functionality. We can adjust the shape and size of your lenses until you’re satisfied with their fit, comfort, and vision.
- Training and care instructions: Even if you’re familiar with inserting, removing, and caring for soft contact lenses, scleral lenses require a slightly different approach to wear and care. During your fitting, you’ll receive training on how to insert, remove, and care for your scleral lenses. Proper maintenance is key to prolonging the life of your lenses and supporting eye health.
- Follow-up appointments: Follow-ups confirm your lenses continue offering the comfort and clarity you need in your daily life. Your optometrist may recommend fine-tuning over time to adapt to changes in your vision or eye shape.
Invest in Your Vision
Scleral lenses have changed our approach to managing certain eye conditions and vision challenges. Whether you’re seeking dry eye relief or sharper vision, these lenses offer a comfortable alternative to standard soft contact lenses. If you’re unsure whether scleral lenses are right for you, connect with our Eyecare for East Texas team to schedule a contact lens fitting!
