Millions of people rely on prescription corrective lenses to help them see the world around them more clearly. A large percentage of these people have a condition called astigmatism. While there are several different vision correction options for people with astigmatism, many people prefer to wear contact lenses. Contacts are worn directly on the surface of the eye and are designed specifically for your requirements. This makes them much more convenient for patients, especially those who dislike needing to constantly carry eyeglasses with them. They also have no impact on your overall appearance in any way. That said, there are some important things to understand when it comes to astigmatism and contact lenses.
 

What is astigmatism?

Astigmatism is a very common vision condition that causes blurred vision. Astigmatism typically occurs when the clear lens that covers the front part of the eye, called the cornea, is an irregular shape. In some instances, it can occur because of the curvature of the lens inside the eye.

When a patient has an irregularly shaped cornea, the light that enters their eye is unable to focus properly on the patch of light-sensitive cells at the very back of the eye called the retina. The retina has the job of receiving light and turning it into signals which are sent to the brain via the optic nerve to tell us what we can see. When the light doesn’t hit the retina properly, the message sent to the brain is garbled and thus causes blurred vision. Unlike myopia and hyperopia, astigmatism causes blurred vision at any distance. However, astigmatism often occurs alongside either myopia or hyperopia, and this makes the patient’s vision problems even more significant.

Exactly what causes astigmatism isn’t always known. It can be a genetic condition, passed on by close blood relatives, or it can develop over time. The level of your astigmatism can also fluctuate, and the prescription you need will change to reflect this.
 

Astigmatism and contact lenses

Some patients find that wearing contact lenses gives them clearer vision than if they were to have prescription lenses placed into glasses. This is because certain types of contact lenses have been found to be particularly effective at improving the sight of patients with astigmatism.

Toric lenses are often recommended for patients who have astigmatism. These specialty contact lenses are thicker at the bottom of the lens, which helps to stop them from rotating while in the eye – a common problem in conventional, soft contact lenses in patients with astigmatism. As a result, patients can enjoy clearer, more balanced visual acuity. Toric lenses are available as rigid and gas-permeable. This makes them better able to retain their shape while on the cornea, compensating for the cornea’s irregular shape and improving the overall quality of vision.

Another key differentiating factor of toric lenses is that they have different powers in different parts of the lens. This enables them to successfully correct the varying amount of short or long-sightedness in the different medians of the eye that is present in people with astigmatism.

If you are concerned that you may have astigmatism and you would like to speak to us about the options available for correcting your vision, or if you have questions about wearing contacts with astigmatism, please don’t delay in speaking to our professional optical care team today.