Question
Hi,
I recently went to an optometrist and got a new prescription for Acuvue Oasys contacts with a base curve of 8.4. I had been wearing Acuvue 2 with a base curve of 8.7 for about 5 or more years, and never experienced prolonged irritation. After about a month of wearing the new contacts, my eyes started getting really red and irritated, even after taking a break from the contacts for a few days. I then switched back to my old contacts, which have been fine. Could this irritation be possibly caused by an incorrect base curve?
Answer
It could be due to the base curve, or you may not react well to the silicone material the Oasys is made out of. You should go back to the optometrist to figure out which is the problem and to modify your prescription. But I would not so much use the term "incorrect" regarding the base curve. The Acuvue II comes in two base curves and you are wearing the flatter of the two. When it first came out, the Oasys only came in one base curve and that was 8.4, which was intended to fit at least 80 % of the population. Just recently they have come out with a looser (flatter) curve (8.8) for the Oasys, so now, in the 8.4 you are wearing the steeper or tighter of the two choices.
Despite the fact that the curve of your eyes is measured when fitting contact lenses, there is not a one-to-one correspondence between the measurements obtained on your eye and which contact lens curve works best for you. For that reason, I would not say the curve was "incorrect" but just that it may not have worked for you. Most eye doctors will allow you to come back for a return visit under the fitting fee you paid initially if there is a problem with the fit. Sometimes, despite the doctor's best efforts, something does not work out as expected and most are glad to correct these problems for you.
