Astigmatism | Contact Lenses

A soft contact lens is a hydrophilic (water-loving) thin disc that hovers on our cornea. Just like prescribed eyeglasses, the contact lens is specially designed & crafted to make the proper focus of the light into the retina for visual correction. But unlike glasses which you can see outer and inner, contacts cover the cornea, rectifying the entire field of vision.

What is an astigmatism?

Many of us must have heard the word "Astigmatism" but, a few of us will entirely be sure what that means indeed; The cornea is the clear dome that sits in front of the colored part of the eye. In some cases, it comes by birth, later gets developed age-wise, where the shape of the cornea changes and affects the quality of vision; Corneal astigmatism is one of the very commonly found refractive errors. When the curvature of cornea, is not ideal, this affects how the light hits the retina; Ideally, for completing vision, the light should hit the retina on one focal point; When you have astigmatism, the light is hitting in two separate spots creating two focal points, which outcomes in an unwanted blurry view.

There are some patients, although rare, whose astigmatism disqualifies them from being a good candidate for eye surgery. The severeness of astigmatism is an important medical factor that must be looked at before going for eye surgery.

In Other Words, you can say that Astigmatism is a commonly found vision problem caused by either an error in the shape of the cornea or missed-landing of light onto the cornea; With astigmatism, the cornea, which is the front surface of the eye, starts having an irregular curve, which can change the way light passes, or refracts, to your retina. This causes blurry, fuzzy, or distorted vision

Treatment/Cure

Thankfully, it is possible to get treated before the problem gets worse (precaution is better than cure). You must calendar the routine use of artificial tears and keep your eyes away from the screen of the device opportunely for letting your eyes for having a short break (even your eyes need a break too).

Mostly, people who choose eyeglasses to fix astigmatism only need a single-vision lens that provides clear vision at all distances. People who are past the age of 40 are more likely to have a bifocal or properly furnished vision lens. No doubt, in today’s time of modern contact lenses, people with astigmatism have more options than ever. People having mild astigmatism usually wear the toric lenses (soft contacts), but rigid gas permeable or hybrid contacts may be able to offer an even sharper vision.

How Contact Lens can fix Astigmatism Issues

In a very rare case, Astigmatism becomes so minor that there's no need to compensate for it with special eyeglasses or contact lenses; Otherwise, Contact lenses can also fix it for a while, but still, you’ll be needing a special pair for it.

Contacts are an affordable and convenient option if you have moderate astigmatism. Contacts may improve vision clarity, reduce distortions, and offer a wide visual field. They don’t obstruct your vision or interfere with physical activities in the way that eyeglass frames may.

All contacts rotate when you blink. The soft lenses used for astigmatism, called toric lenses, are designed to return to the same spot each time. Rigid (hard) gas-permeable contact lenses are a better choice if your astigmatism is severe. Doctors can use them for your regular contacts or for a procedure called orthokeratology. You wear the lenses while you sleep, and they reshape your cornea. You’ll need to keep wearing the lenses to hold this new shape, but you won’t have to wear them as often.

Why toric contact lenses for Astigmatism ?

Contacts are an affordable and convenient alternative if you have moderate astigmatism. Contact lenses may improve vision clarity, reduce distortions, and offer a wide visual field. They don’t obstruct your vision or interfere with physical activities in the way that eyeglass frames may.

Some toric lenses weigh the bottom to prevent rotation & keep them in the correct position. They’re even created to move along with the eye cornea to improve vision. 

 Toric contact lenses are often considered the best choice, as contact lenses for astigmatism patients because they’re specifically crafted to fix the eye-problems. The shape of a toric lens creates different refractive, powers that can help rectify either a corneal or lenticular astigmatism.

Toric contacts have a thicker zone that keeps them from rotating when they’re in your eyes. It also helps you orient the lenses the same way every time, so you can count on consistent visual acuity. Because toric contact lenses must be placed on your eye in a specific way, achieving an exact fit is extremely important.

   

Toric lenses have a middle axis, much like the equator that circles the middle of the earth, to keep your line of vision clear. If your lenses don’t fit well, they’ll do little to improve your vision. If you need contact lenses to help correct astigmatism, we can help. Smart Eye-Care offers toric fittings and can help you choose the right type of toric lens for your lifestyle. Toric lenses are available as soft or hard lenses, and come in every wearing schedule, ranging from dailies to disposables and beyond.

Final Thoughts

The overall goal of treating astigmatism is to improve vision and eye comfort. If you have astigmatism, take the time to carefully shortlist the contact lenses that will best suit your needs. Astigmatism may require a slightly complicated prescription, so stick to a reputable brand that can accommodate your needs. An eye doctor can help determine the best contact lenses for you and address any concerns you have. Always follow your contact replacement schedule, and schedule a follow-up appointment after a few weeks of your initial fitting.