Getting Started With Scleral Lenses for Keratoconus in Billings

When keratoconus makes road signs look distorted or words appear doubled, another change in glasses may not provide enough clarity. At Yellowstone Eye Care, we help patients in Billings explore specialty contact lenses for irregular corneas. Scleral lenses can be an option when glasses or standard contacts no longer meet your vision needs.

Why Scleral Lenses Can Help

Keratoconus causes the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye, to thin and bulge outward. This irregular shape can scatter light and make vision blurry or distorted, even with a prescription.

Scleral lenses are larger, rigid gas-permeable contacts that rest on the white part of the eye and vault over the cornea. A reservoir of sterile, preservative-free saline fills the space underneath. Together, the lens and fluid layer create a smoother optical surface that can improve vision while keeping the cornea hydrated. Results depend on your eye health and lens fit.

Starting With a Personalized Evaluation

Our first step is to understand your vision, eye health, and experience with previous lenses. We evaluate your corneas and discuss the tasks that feel most difficult, whether that means working at a computer or driving around Billings.

Bring your current glasses, contact lens information, and any available records of keratoconus treatment. We use the evaluation to determine whether scleral lenses are appropriate and explain what the fitting process may involve.

What to Expect During Fitting

Scleral lenses require a more detailed fitting than standard soft contacts. Measurements of your eyes and an assessment of trial lenses help guide the custom design. We check vision, lens stability, and the space between the lens and cornea.

Getting the right fit may take several visits and adjustments. Once your lenses arrive, we assess their performance and teach you how to insert, remove, and care for them. Learning the routine can take practice, so allow extra time at first.

Building Safe Daily Habits

Consistent lens care helps protect your eyes and keep your lenses performing well. Our instructions will cover these essentials:

• Wash and dry your hands before handling your lenses.

• Fill each lens with the sterile, preservative-free saline we recommend.

• Clean and disinfect lenses with the prescribed system. Saline alone does not disinfect.

• Keep lenses away from tap water, and remove them before showering or swimming.

• Follow your recommended wearing schedule and remove lenses before sleeping.

Let us know if you notice persistent fogging or discomfort. Remove your lenses and seek prompt eye care for pain, significant redness, light sensitivity, or decreased vision.

Why Follow-Up Visits Matter

Follow-up appointments at our Billings practice allow us to reassess comfort, vision, fit, and corneal health. Bring up any handling challenges or changes in how long you can comfortably wear your lenses.

Scleral lenses improve vision but do not cure keratoconus or stop its progression. Continued monitoring remains necessary, and progressive keratoconus may require a separate treatment such as corneal cross-linking.

Take the next step toward clearer vision with a scleral lens evaluation at Yellowstone Eye Care in Billings, MT. Call our team at (406) 656-7605 to schedule your appointment.