Astigmatism and Contact Lenses

If you have special eye problems such as an astigmatism you may be wondering whether or not contact lenses are right for you.  Through this article, we share with you the information that you will need if you have an astigmatism and are interested in finding and wearing contact lenses.

Naturally, if you have specific questions about astigmatism and contact lenses you will want to visit with an eye care professional.  Your eye care professional can provide you with all of the information that you will need in regard to contact lenses in light of your own special vision needs.

History of Contact Lenses and Astigmatism

In the past, your eye care specialist may have told you that you could not wear soft contact lenses because you had astigmatism.  You may have also been told that they didn’t come in disposable, multi-focal or colored choices.  At one time this was absolutely true but not today. In most cases, unless you have a very complex prescription, you most likely can be corrected with soft contacts and will have many choices.

Toric Contact Lenses -- For You

Toric lenses are used for those with astigmatism. A toric lens takes more of your eye care specialist’s time to fit and requires more expertise than regular contacts. Therefore the cost for your examination may be more expensive than a regular contact fitting and the lenses may cost you a little more than regular lenses. The eye specialist will try several different options and the technique will vary from one patient to the next, this is why the fitting process may take some trial and error by both the doctor and the patient. 

If Your Astigmatism is Minimal

If you have a small amount of astigmatism you may be able to wear a regular spherical RGP or even a spherical soft lens.

Lenses Designed to Reduce the Aberration of Your Own Eye Shape

Also, some lenses are available that may reduce the spherical aberration of your eye that exists along with the myopia or hyperopia, and astigmatism. This type of lens may help some people who have astigmatism to see well without the necessity of a toric lens.

Patients Who Prefer More Rigid Lenses

A small percentage of patients will find that they prefer rigid gas preamble’s to soft contacts. Rigid lenses will retain their shape on the cornea better than soft lenses and they tend to provide crisper vision to people with astigmatism.  This crispness or clarity is not noticeable for most contact lens wearers, but if you're particularly picky about your vision, you may prefer the rigid gas permeable lenses.

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