Scleral Contact Lenses from Texas Eye Center

At the Texas Eye Center, we are proud of the various treatments we are able to provide to the people of the Houston, TX area. Dr. Tsegai is a trained optometrist and our team is here to discuss scleral contact lenses with everyone.

What Are Scleral Contact Lenses?

Similar to glasses, there are many different types of contact lenses as well. One potential type is called a scleral lens or a scleral contact lens. Some doctors even refer to these lenses as ocular surface prostheses. This is a contact lens that is a little bit larger than normal. This lens is designed to rest on the sclera directly. When it does this, a small amount of space between the cornea and the back surface of the lens is created that is just over the cornea. This small space has a couple benefits.

Best Uses for Scleral Contact Lenses

The main purpose for a scleral contact lens is for people who have corneal ectatic disorders, these are uncommon, noninflammatory eye disorders that cause your cornea to misshapen. One of the common disorders is keratoconus. For people who have been diagnosed with keratoconus, their corneas are not smooth surfaces as they should be, instead they are misshapen, therefore they generally cannot comfortably wear regular contact lenses because they tend to move excessively over the improper surface. Scleral lenses are larger therefore they move less, while removing that discomfort.

Another use for scleral lenses is for people who have dry eye syndrome. Having dry eye can mean that you are not able to wear regular contact lenses comfortably, as regular contacts can tend to further dry out your eyes. For this reason, your doctor may decide to try scleral contact lenses. Since these lenses trap tears within the small space that is created between your cornea and the inner wall of the lens, this “tear vault” keeps your eyes lubricated, allowing you to wear these lenses even with a dry eye condition.

Rely on the Team from the Texas Eye Center

At the Texas Eye Center, we offer scleral contact lenses as well as numerous other treatment options for the benefit of our patients. We would be happy to leverage these treatment options for you as well. If you are looking for an optometrist in the Houston area, call us today at (281)752-4100 to make an appointment.