Contacts for Astigmatism
Find out which contacts for astigmatism are available and at what price.
Long gone are the days when the only contact lenses available for astigmatism sufferers were rigid hard uncomfortable lenses or worse, no contact lenses at all!
Today, there are numerous contacts for astigmatism on the market, called TORIC lenses. Ten years ago, the range of Toric contact lenses on offer was very small and not all prescriptions were covered.
Before I tell you what Toric lenses are available now as of August 2020, let's look at a typical prescription for astigmatism.
Contacts for Astigmatism Prescription
If you wear eye glasses or contact lenses, you may not have taken much notice of your eye prescription other than to remember the Power required to correct your vision.
A typical eye prescription will contain a set of numbers for each eye:
- OD - equals Right eye.
- OS - equals Left eye.
- BC - denoting the base curve.
- DIA - denoting the diameter.
An astigmatism prescription has two additional numbers: CYL to denote the cylinder and Axis.
As some contact lenses like the popularAcuvue Oasys for Astigmatism only have a cylinder number between -0.75 and -2.25, patients with more severe distortions of the cornea may not be able to wear popular Toric soft lenses like these.
Contact Lenses for Astigmatism
So what is available in terms of contact lenses for astigmatism?
Here are some of the most popular brands. Take special note of the Cylinder and Axis sizes offered as not all may be available in your prescription.
1 Day Acuvue Moist for astigmatism Available in CYL sizes -0.75 to -2.25 and Axis sizes 10 through to 180. $85.99 for a 90 pack.
Acuvue Oasys for astigmatism (1 to 2 weeks disposable wear) Available in CYL sizes -0.75 to -2.75 and Axis sizes 10 through to 180. $35.99 for a box of 6
Air Optix for astigmatism (monthly or extended 6 nights wear) Available in CYL sizes -0.75 to -2.25 and Axis sizes 10 through to 180. $57.99 for a box of 6
Biofinity Toric (monthly disposable) Available in CYL sizes -0.75 to -2.25 and Axis sizes 10 through to 180. $52.99 for a box of 6.
Dailies AquaConfort Plus Toric (daily disposable) Available in CYL sizes -0.75 to -2.25 and Axis sizes 10 through to 180. $77.99 for a pack of 90.
So daily disposables and silky smooth comfortable lenses can be yours if you have astigmatism too.
The bad news is that these lenses are far more expensive than the equivalent non-astigmatism correction lenses. Why? Because they are more complicated to produce with two different "powers."
Your eye doctor will be able to prescribe the best toric lens for your condition and it's very important to get them correctly fitted. Sometimes it's a case of trial and error as if you have only mild astigmatism, you may be able to get away with just a higher power in an ordinary lens. In other cases, you may have to try several different brands of toric lenses to find one that suits you best.
Color Contacts for Astigmatism
Sadly none of the popular brands offer a colored contact lens for astigmatism. So if you normally wear a TORIC lens and just want to change your eye color for evenings out, I suggest you just try a normal single vision lens from the Freshlook Colors range.Related pages:
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