Glasses and Contacts

Up to 78% of Americans use some form of vision correction, like glasses and contacts. That’s about three of every four adults! At Focus Refined Eye Care, with offices in The Heights and Montrose neighborhoods of Houston, Texas, general and medical optometrist Bimal Patel, OD, offers a wide range of designer eyeglasses and contact lenses to people of all ages. After an eye exam, Dr. Patel can help you determine the best vision correction to meet your needs. Call Focus Refined Eye Care if you need new glasses or contacts, or book your appointment online today. 

What are glasses and contacts?

Glasses and contact lenses are corrective eyewear designed to address common vision problems like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. 

Glasses

Glasses have metal or plastic frames and prescription lenses. They rest comfortably on your ears and nose, letting you see while driving, working, and reading. Glasses can address one issue, such as not seeing well up close, or multiple, with bifocals or trifocals.

At Focus Refined Eye Care, Dr. Patel also offers eyeglasses and special high-powered lenses designed to treat eye problems like keratoconus. He’s also one of the few optometrists in the area that offers Neurolens® eyeglasses, which are designed to prevent symptoms of migraines, motion sickness, eye fatigue, and computer eye strain. They also help with dry eyes.

Contacts

Contacts or contact lenses are small plastic discs that you insert into your eyes. They rest on top of your corneas and correct refractive errors like nearsightedness and farsightedness. There are also contacts specially tailored for people with astigmatism.

Focus Refined Eye Care carries contact lenses from renowned brands like Acuvue®, CooperVision®, Alcon®, and Bausch & Lomb®. Myopia control contact lenses from Paragon® and MiSight®, which are designed for nearsighted children and teens, are also available. Dr. Patel even offers orthokeratology lenses designed to change the shape of the cornea and improve vision.

What does getting glasses and contacts involve?

Make an appointment at Focus Refined Eye Care if you have any symptoms of a refractive error, including:

• Double vision
• Hazy vision
• Blurred vision
• Trouble focusing when reading or looking at a computer
• Frequent headaches
• Seeing glare or halos around lights

During your visit, Dr. Patel reviews your medical records, asks about your symptoms, and completes a comprehensive eye exam. The exam includes a visual acuity test, a slit lamp test, and optical coherence tomography (OCT).

A visual acuity test assesses your eyesight by having you read a series of different-sized letters on a chart on the other side of the exam room. A slit lamp test lets Dr. Patel get a better look at your iris, lens, and cornea, while OCT testing takes photos of your retina and the other structures at the back of your eye.

If Dr. Patel confirms that you can benefit from eyeglasses or contacts, he writes you a prescription, explains the various options to choose from, and makes recommendations that align with your needs. 

What types of glasses lenses are the best?

Dr. Patel typically recommends outfitting frames with ZEISS lenses, which provide 100% protection from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. Patients can also access ZEISS DuraVision® BlueProtect, designed to block the light emitted from electronic devices, and ZEISS SmartLife lenses. 

Focus Refined Eye Care carries frames from name-brand designers like Tom Ford, MODO, Eco, and Raen. You can choose the style that best suits your face and your budget.

What types of contact lenses are the best?

Dr. Patel recommends contact lenses that align with your budget and needs. He offers specialty contact lenses for keratoconus and high-powered contact lenses for problems like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Regardless of your prescription or vision needs, Dr. Patel can order soft or hard contact lenses that help you see clearly.

Call Focus Refined Eye Care to explore the benefits of glasses and contacts, or book your appointment online today.