What does it mean if I have astigmatism?
The cornea of the eye is usually spherical. However, some people have astigmatism, which is when the cornea has an unnatural curve to it. This means that your eye is not entirely able to adjust to the light that enters it, resulting in blurred or distorted vision.
Astigmatism is a common refractive error and is easily corrected with toric contact lenses. Most people who are short-sighted (myopic) have some level of astigmatism, but it may not be pronounced enough to wear contact lens for astigmatism.
What do toric contact lenses for astigmatism do?
If you have astigmatism, toric contact lenses help to correct astigmatism and to offer balanced and clear vision to the wearer. They form a torus shape, which helps them to bend and adjust better to your eyes’ demands, offering more accurate visual correction.
Toric contact lenses also need ‘axis’ and ‘cylinder’ values. The axis figure represents the location of the astigmatism on the eye and ranges from 5 to 180 degrees, whereas cylinder is the power used to correct the vision.
By offering different correctional power across different meridians of the lens, and being able to rotate into position so these powers line up with the meridians of the eye that require the visual correction, toric contact lenses are an extremely reliable choice for correcting astigmatism.
To find out more about astigmatism and toric contact lenses, why not take a look at our guide to astigmatism?
How long do lenses for astigmatism last?
If you have astigmatism, how long a toric lens lasts depend on the individual lens you purchase. Toric lenses are available as a daily, two-weekly, monthly or yearly lens depending on your preference. Daily toric contact lenses are the most convenient and can be disposed of at the end of each day, perfect for those who live a busy lifestyle. Two-weekly, monthly and yearly toric contact lenses are more cost effective, however, need to be cleaned and disinfected daily. While cost efficient in the long term, longer wear contact lenses for astigmatism are more expensive to replace.
How to wear contact lenses for astigmatism?
Wearing toric contact lenses is no different from wearing any other lens. The lens may be shaped for a different shaped eye, but the process for inserting and removing toric contact lenses is no different. Click here for our full guide on how to insert and remove contact lenses.
Why are toric lenses for astigmatism so expensive?
Toric lenses that correct astigmatism are slightly more expensive than normal lenses that simply correct short-sightedness (myopia), due to the wide power inventory required and the difference in how the lenses are cut.
Can I wear colour lenses if I have astigmatism?
A small selection of contact lens manufacturers produce colour contact lenses for astigmatism. Due to the number of parameters required, colour lenses for astigmatism are too much of a hassle for most contact lens manufacturers to consider. We do not stock colour contact lenses for astigmatism on Feel Good Contacts.
Quick links:
Can you have astigmatism and be short-sighted at the same time?
How to apply and remove your contact lenses
How to look after your lenses