Toric Contact Lenses

Astigmatism is an eye condition that means lack of point focus. In this condition, everything your eyes look at is blurred. What toric contact lenses do is to give your vision clarity. Although the use of toric contact lenses has long been available, the introduction of new and better materials, have made wearing toric contact lenses viable option for more people.

One option is that of soft torics; they come in either disposable or non-disposable materials. Another option is the hard torics. This is because the material is made of rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses, thus they offer more oxygen and can compensate for a majority of astigmatic cases, especially the more severe cases.

In order to understand how toric contacts help compensate for your blurry vision, it is important to know the effect of astigmatism. A normal cornea is shaped like a dome. Light rays focus to a point in the back of your eye, and you get a sharp image. However, with astigmatism the cornea is incorrectly shaped like a football. The rays of light then hit two points in the back of your eye.

Toric lenses return to the same position even after a person blinks. This is because the lenses have thin zones and curvatures created at different angles. There are also special mechanisms that allow the lenses to remain stable. So even if the wearer blinks, the lenses will rotate but returns to the same position, providing sharp vision.

It is thought that a majority of people have a mild case of astigmatism. Also that it affects more women and even children can have it at an early age. The causes of astigmatism are many. It can be hereditary, partly environmental or even due to chronic eye rubbing. People who have diabetes can experience changes in the shape of their corneas.

What's good to know is even if this eye condition is severe can be corrected by laser surgery. While for those with milder cases, a pair of eye glasses or toric contact lenses will help them look at the world with a crisp vision.