Contacts or glasses? That question has been asked by countless people. Some people who wear glasses simply could not wear contacts until a couple of years ago. Back in the eighties, if you had astigmatism you could only wear hard contacts and they were not comfortable. Hard contacts use to dry out the eyes, slip a lot and made looking at lights difficult. Headaches use to be another problem when wearing hard contacts. Women also had hard time wearing mascara because the flakes would get into the eye and cause eye infections.
Advances in Contact Lens Technology
Contacts have come along way in recent years. Now almost anyone can wear them. Young, old, nearsighted and farsighted people can wear them. Even people needing bifocals can wear contacts. Some contacts can even correct moderate forms of astigmatism. Contacts have been used in premature infants to correct vision problems at birth. Young school aged children and teens can benefit from wearing contacts because some eye problems are corrected.
Wearing Contact Lenses
You need to follow all of the steps that your eye doctor has given you about the care of your contact lenses. Not caring for you contacts properly can give you bad eye infections. Contacts are also better to wear if you play sports. They can help to enhance your visual skills, depth perception, peripheral awareness and eye-hand coordination. Wearing contacts when you play sports also helps to avoid many eye injuries that can happen if you wear glasses.
Contact Lenses for People With Astigmatism
Toric lenses are made for people with astigmatism. They come in both soft and GP lenses. GP lenses are gas permeable and work better for astigmatism. They are custom made for your eyes and keep their shape when you blink because they are made from a firmer material. Moderate astigmatism could be corrected with regular, non-Toric GP lenses.
Get Sample Pairs to Try
While no contacts are free, you can get free pairs from some companies to try. This way you can get the best contacts for you, the ones you are most comfortable with using. The best ones that fit your current eye problems. Make sure you have an honest and frank talk with your eye-care professional. They are the ones who can help you make the best decision with your choice.
As you get your sample pairs of lenses, just know that the first set you get may not be perfect. Toric lenses have small weights near the bottom to help the lens line up correctly in your eye. If the position of that weight is a little off, then you may end up with blurry vision. If that happens, then do not worry but go back to your eye doctor and get them adjusted. It may take 2-3 times to get them right but eventually you will get the right fit and you will really enjoy wearing them.
Colored Contact Lenses for Astigmatism
Colored contacts for astigmatism are also available for you to try. You can get them in the same, great colors that are available with normal, colored contact lenses. They are a fun way to change up your appearance – either all the time or for special occasions like going out on the town.
Contacts are not for everyone. Some people have a hard time putting something into their eye. While they can take time to get use to, many people have wondered what took them so long to make the switch from glasses to contacts. Think about what has been pointed out here and either search online for more information or talk to your doctor or eye care professional and see what options you have.