With toric lenses, your astigmatism can easily be corrected

Thanks to the development of toric contact lenses, all but the most complex eye prescriptions can be addressed by contacts.  Although soft contacts or convenient daily and monthly disposable lenses were once reserved solely for minor near or far-sightedness, sufferers of astigmatism can now enjoy the benefits of these types of contacts, too.

Standard contact lenses, technically known as spherical lenses, only correct for myopia or hyperopia. By using more complex construction and incorporating several different curvatures, toric contact lenses are able to correct for both astigmatism and near or far-sightedness at the same time.

Unfortunately, the added difficulty of both manufacturing and properly prescribing and fitting toric lenses makes them more expensive than standard contact lenses. If your astigmatism is relatively severe, you will have to weigh the convenience of soft, disposable contacts against the added cost.

However, the vast majority of astigmatism sufferers will be able to use standard spherical lenses to correct their vision. In the case of a minor astigmatism in one or both eyes, the physical properties of contact lenses serve to correct both near or far-sightedness, and also to mask the need for astigmatism correction. If your doctor determines that your astigmatism is minor enough, you won't have to worry about toric lenses at all, and still be able to have perfectly clear vision.

How do standard lenses correct for astigmatism in some cases but not others? For minor astigmatisms, a tiny volume of your tears collects behind your contacts, in essence creating a secondary lens, which helps to correct or mask astigmatism problems. Think of it as a natural toric lens. With this in mind, your doctor may prescribe a slightly stronger spherical lens than you actually need, in order to help mask your astigmatism.

If your doctor determines that you require toric lenses, you will still be able to enjoy the benefits of disposable contacts. Be prepared for a potentially more difficult time fitting your lenses, as toric lenses require a more specifically tailored fit. Unlike standard spherical lenses, which can rotate on your eye without impacting their corrective properties, toric lenses require a particular orientation on your eye. To accomplish this, most toric lenses are slightly heavier on the bottom to prevent any rotation once they are placed on your eyes.

If you don't particularly care about the conveniences offered by disposable lenses, you might consider toric lenses of the rigid gas permeable type. Rigid gas permeable lenses, or RGPs, are the current state of the art rigid contact lenses, and allow the passage of oxygen to your eye surface - a requirement both for comfort and for healthy eyes.

Because they are rigid, it is much easier for toric RGPs to retain their proper position and shape on your eye. For some contact lens wearers, this amounts to vision that is slightly more crisp. Many users find it more difficult to get used to wearing rigid lenses, however, which keeps them from being nearly as popular as soft lenses.

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