What are Scleral Lenses?

Scleral lenses are an alternative form of contact lenses for people who are unable to wear traditional contact lenses for one reason or another. Your Hummelstown, PA eye doctor can help to determine if scleral lenses are an appropriate choice for your individual circumstances. Scleral lenses are different from regular contact lenses in the way they are shaped, their size, and the way they operate while in place on your eyes.

What are Scleral Lenses?

Scleral lenses are not contact lenses. Contact lenses rest atop the cornea, while scleral lenses vault over the top of the cornea. Hence, regular contact lenses make contact with the cornea; scleral lenses do not. The outer perimeter of scleral lenses rests gently on the whites of the eyes. In so doing, the scleral lens creates a perfectly smooth and rounded surface, which enables clear and focused vision.

Special Feature of Scleral Lenses

Since scleral lenses vault over the cornea of the eyes without making contact, it also creates a small cavity between the surface of the cornea and the inside top of the scleral lens. Fluid from the eyes builds up in this cavity to create a kind of reservoir. This is a special feature of scleral lenses that helps to treat the condition known as dry eyes. For this reason, scleral lenses are often recommended for dry eyes sufferers. Your eye doctor in Hummelstown, PA will let you know if you have dry eyes and if scleral lenses might work for you.

What Conditions Are Scleral Lenses Good For?

Besides dry eyes, there are other conditions that scleral lenses are particularly good for. Some people suffer with keratoconus. This is a condition where the shape of the eye is irregular and hard or impossible to fit with regular contact lenses. Scleral lenses are also commonly prescribed for those who have had a corneal transplant for any reason, Stevens-Johnson syndrome or complications with laser eye surgery.

Scleral lenses have been in use since the early 1900’s and they are a widely used alternative to regular contact lenses. Their practical use ranges from simple treatment for dry eyes to enabling people to wear lenses who otherwise would be unable to. Ask your eye doctor in Hummelstown, PA about scleral lenses to see if they are a good fit for you.