If you have an astigmatism, your eye doctor might prescribe toric contact lenses for vision correction. Toric contact lenses use the same material as a soft contact lens. They can be either soft or Rigid Gas Permeable. These lenses offer greater variety and comfort in vision correction to those with astigmatism than ever before.
Whereas regular contact lenses only have one “prescription” or power, the toric contact lenses have 2 powers. They are created with curves at differing angles – one angle for astigmatism and the other for either myopia or hyperpia. The toric lens is made to be more stable in your eye so that blinking and moving your eye around will not move the lens around. This is important for those with astigmatism and results in crisper vision.
Toric lenses can be either soft or Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP). The RGP lenses are stiffer than the soft ones and retain their shape on the cornea better. This can result in crisper vision for some people, although many do not notice any difference between the soft and RGP lenses.
Getting fitted for toric contact lenses can take more time and must be exact. Your eye doctor should be experienced in these types of fittings, but you will probably pay more for the fitting as well as for the lenses.
Not everyone with an astigmatism needs toric lenses. If the astigmatism is mild – between 0 and 1.00 diopter – you may be able to wear a soft or RGP lens. RGP lenses might fare better as they are rigid and can use the tears in your eyes to work with the misshapen cornea. You might even be able to use a high prescription of regular soft contacts. Your eye doctor will know which you need and you may have to try a few before you find the perfect lens for you.
Nowadays, toric contact lenses come in almost any variety as soft lenses. You can get disposable, frequent replacement and even colored contacts to correct your astigmatism so why not toss out those old glasses and give contacts a try?