Is there such a thing as only needing ONE contact?

Question

My right eye sees perfectly (I think) and my left is not so good. I was just wondering does an eye doctor ever prescribe just ONE contact lens?

I have my first optometry appt. tomorrow morning, so I'm just curious about my options and what I should bring up with the doctor.

Answer 1

Yes, it's quite possible.

Some people however, even with a zero prescription in one eye, find contacts more comfortable, forgettable, wearing a pair. The eyelids are then reporting the same thing on both sides, which the brain accepts more easily as "normal"

This isn't always the case. but if you only need one contact lens, and that seems slow to settle, trying a plain matching one on the other eye is a possibility to consider.

And of course tinted ones usually come in pairs.

Optometrist, retired.

Answer 2

Yep. My left eye is nearly 20/20, and my right eye is nearsighted, so I only use a contact for my right eye. It doesn't feel strange or anything at all if you have only one contact in, but your optomitrist makes the decision whether or not your right eye is close enough to being perfect. Otherwise they will most likely give you L and R lenses.

Answer 3

Yeah, I think you can just get one contact. However, chances are your left eye is not prefect, so you might want to have two contacts just to correct any minor problems. Also, certainly if you get colored contact lenses, you need to get both of them.

Answer 4

Yes I have met several people that only need one

Answer 5

My mom has one farsighted eye and one nearsighted eye. So that could be your problem too. Maybe your eye doesn't see perfect.

Answer 6

yea.. my mom worked selling glasses for a long time and she said it happens a lot.