You might also hear gas permeable lenses called:. In most cases, GP lenses can correct astigmatism without a specialized toric design. The only gas permeable lenses that do have toric designs are those prescribed for high or unusual levels of astigmatism. Another gas permeable option is scleral lenses : larger lenses that provide excellent astigmatism correction — even for irregular eye surfaces.
Many people with astigmatism find that their vision is noticeably sharper with gas permeable lenses than it is with torics. Fitting gas permeable contacts usually takes more time and expertise than fitting soft contact lenses including torics. GP lenses are also custom-made to your specific eye measurements. This means that GP lenses and fittings usually cost more than soft lenses and lens fittings. Hybrid lenses are a sort of mixture between soft lenses and gas permeable lenses.
They can give wearers a high level of sharpness without sacrificing comfort. Like gas permeable options, fitting hybrid contact lenses also takes more time and expertise than fitting toric lenses. You can expect hybrid contact lens fittings and replacements to cost about as much as they would for GP lenses.
Toric contacts are also made with both soft and rigid gas permeable RGP , or hard, lenses. RGP lenses can be better at staying put, but also involve a longer initial adjustment time and can be drier and more delicate.
Soft toric contact lenses are more comfortable and easier to manage, but need extra care in fitting to stay in place. As with all contact lenses, chat with your eye doctor about getting toric contact lenses for astigmatism.
She can help you find the right correction and fit for both your eyes and your lifestyle. Skip to main content. Toric Contact Lenses: What to Know. What are toric contact lenses?
Contact lenses for astigmatism Toric contact lenses correct for astigmatism issues that arise from a different curvature of the cornea or lens in your eye referred to as regular astigmatism, corneal astigmatism or lenticular astigmatism. Choosing toric contact lenses Toric contacts, like all contact lenses, need to be prescribed by your doctor, who can choose the lenses that are right for your vision, and fit them for your eyes. Meanwhile, here are some important things to consider: Fitting is especially critical for toric contacts Since toric contact lenses have a particular orientation, they need to stay on your eye in the correct way.
Manufacturers design toric contact lenses with features to help the lenses stay put, including: Thin-thick zones Lens truncation, where the bottom of the lens is cut off a little Ballasting, where the lens is a little thicker or heavier This means that fitting the contact lenses to your eyes is even more important than usual. Different types of toric contacts Toric contact lenses also address other visual corrections, and come in every wear schedule.
Nothing in this article is to be construed as medical advice, nor is it intended to replace the recommendations of a medical professional. For specific questions, please see your eye care practitioner. Over a one-month trial involving daily wear soft contact lenses, 88 percent of toric lenses fit on the first attempt.
While there were reports of discomfort and visual problems leading to some participants quitting the use of the contacts, most reported that their overall vision was as good as with glasses. When you have low to moderate astigmatism, simple soft or RGP lenses can neutralize it with relative ease. Doctors prefer toric lenses to correct severe amounts of astigmatism.
Toric contacts are designed to align with the 6 to 12 o'clock axis. After inserting them into your eyes, blinking makes the lenses rotate and adjust while the weight makes it position itself to its proper alignment. This can sometimes be irritating to users. Of course, traditional glasses do not have this problem. Generally, many people prefer hard lenses to soft options. But technological advancements and newer designs have greatly improved the comfort and vision that soft lenses can achieve.
Large amounts of progressive astigmatism may also indicate other underlying conditions like keratoconus. These astigmatisms can be treated by using specially designed GPC contacts.
Although toric soft contact lenses work very well for many people with mild or moderate astigmatism, they are still not a perfect solution. For example, although toric lenses are weighted in certain places, they can still slip out of alignment fairly often. Anyone who wears contact lenses will shift these devices in their eyes when they blink. Standard soft contacts are designed to shift without changing your ability to see, but this does not work for people with astigmatism.
Even with weighted sides to return them to their original position, your vision can still be uncomfortable or blurry for a few moments. Since you need to blink so frequently throughout the day, this may be too disruptive to your daily life. Toric contact lenses also only work for people with corneal astigmatism. Those who have lenticular astigmatism need glasses to treat this condition. The lens is inside the eye, behind the pupil, so it cannot be directly reshaped with a contact lens.
Toric contact lenses are more expensive than standard soft contacts. Depending on the distributor, you may pay as much as 35 percent more for these lenses. Your vision insurance may cover some of this cost, but you will likely end up paying more out of pocket than you would for a pair of prescription glasses. Reasons most cited for toric contact lenses not being a good option for many people with astigmatism include:. Ultimately, toric lenses require more initial work since the fit is more specific.
This means you may need to visit your eye doctor more frequently, resulting in more fees in addition to the higher cost of these lenses. For a long time, contact lenses were not the preferred way to improve visual acuity in people with astigmatism. However, as technology progresses, toric soft contact lenses are a great option for people with mild to moderate corneal astigmatism. If you are interested in these types of lenses, work with your optometrist or ophthalmologist to have toric lenses fitted properly to your eyes.
Be aware that this can take some extra time or extra visits, but it is well worth it.
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