Contacts for Astigmatism

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, although the range is far smaller and, depending on the severity of the astigmatism, certain lenses made specially for the condition may not be suitable.

Let's look at a typical prescription for astigmatism.

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 many contact lenses like Acuvue Advance 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 soft lenses like these.

Contact Lenses for Astigmatism

So what is available in terms of contact lenses for astigmatism?

The good news is that many patients CAN wear soft contact lenses such as Acuvue Advance for Astigmatism, Focus Dailies Toric or Purevision Toric.

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

One of the latest revolutions for astigmatics is the introduction of color contacts for astigmatism.

Although many opticians see colored lenses as pure vanity, they are becoming more and more important for many wearers and now they are available for astigmatism too.

But the choice is limited right now, you may not find your brand of choice available and the cost may well be prohibitive to some people. If interested try Freshlook Colorblends Toric or Durasoft Optifit Toric Colorblends.

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