Contact Lenses for Astigmatism - Torics

People require toric contact lenses if they have astigmatism, which your optician can diagnose. People with astigmatism often notice that they have slight distortions with their vision, or that their vision may have become blurry. It’s a common problem, much like being diagnosed as short or long-sighted, and is something that requires an optician to diagnose and prescribe toric lenses to treat. Toric contact lenses correct astigmatism by providing stable, crisp vision for people who experience blurriness and distortion.

Astigmatism is a common eye condition that can make your vision blurred or distorted. It is caused by your cornea, which is the clear layer of the front of your eye, or your lens, which is an inner part of the eye which helps the eye focus, is a different shape than it should be. You need to have an eye exam to know for sure if you have astigmatism, and glasses or toric contact lenses can help correct these vision problems. There are several symptoms of astigmatism, including eye strain, blurred vision, headaches and trouble seeing at night, however those with mild astigmatism may not notice they have any symptoms. This is particularly true of children who might not realise that how they see things isn’t how it should be.

Yes, people with astigmatism are prescribed toric lenses which are designed to sit comfortably and securely on the eye when it is shaped irregularly. You might see astigmatism on your prescription when you have glasses, but not necessarily on your lens prescription. If this is the case, it means that your level of astigmatism is low enough that it’s not necessary to correct it with lenses. However, if you have been prescribed toric lenses, this means your level of astigmatism is higher and needs specifically designed lenses to correct it. Because astigmatism means that your eye is shaped differently, toric lenses accommodate this in ways that normal contact lenses can’t do, so it’s not recommended that you wear normal lenses if you have been prescribed toric lenses.

Toric lenses work differently from regular contact lenses, and they use specific technologies to correct the symptoms of astigmatism. Toric lenses use ballast points which ensures the lens sits in the right position in the eyes, and won’t rotate when you move your head as this can cause further distortion to your vision, whereas normal lenses don’t offer this benefit. Normal lenses are spherical in shape, similar to slicing the edge off a baseball.

Toric lenses, on the other hand, are shaped more like a doughnut, so a shallow slice of the edge is used to create a lens with various focal lengths. People with astigmatism require this as their prescription will vary from one point to another due to the irregular shape of their lens or cornea. Toric lenses are also created with specific qualities to maintain the orientation of the eye to balance out the differences in refractive qualities of the lens.

Toric lenses can sometimes be more expensive than regular lenses as they require more advanced technologies to correct the astigmatism. Toric lenses have careful dimensions in which these lenses are cut to help them fit to the eye more comfortably, which can make them more expensive. However, in recent years, the development of toric lenses has advanced and the prices are decreasing as a result. Below is a guide to the type of price you would expect to pay for toric lenses.

• Daily toric lenses – 30 lenses - £19-£27
• Two Weekly Toric Lenses – 6 lenses - £25-£26
• Monthly Toric Lenses – 3 lenses - £15-£35

Toric contact lenses are worn and removed just like any other soft contact lenses, and the process hardly differs from how you would wear and care for regular lenses. Before you handle your lenses, make sure your hands are thoroughly washed and dried to remove any bacteria or dirt from your hands, and to avoid transferring water to the lens which can harbour bacteria.

To insert the lenses carefully, lift your lower and upper eyelid with your thumb and index fingers and place the lens, which is on your middle finger, gently on your eye. Toric lenses are designed to have balance points which are thicker and in lenses in higher astigmatic prescriptions, these are heavier than the rest of the lens.

To make sure your contact lens doesn’t tip over while you’re inserting it to your eye, it is recommended to lean your head forward and downward and insert the lens in an upwards direction. The lens will then stabilise after a few blinks. Astigmatism markers can also help with the insertion of your lenses. These are subtle lines on the lens which indicate the correct orientation and make insertion easier.

To remove your contact lenses, lift your eyelids gently just as you did before and gently pinch and grip the lens with your index finger and thumb. If you are using two weekly or monthly lenses, clean them with the solution recommended by your optician and store in a clean lens case with fresh solution overnight. If you have dailies, you can dispose of the lens.

Toric lenses last from 24 hours to 30 days, depending on the type of lenses you’ve been prescribed. Daily toric lenses are worn once and then disposed of, while bi-weekly contact lenses can be worn up to 14 days with cleaning and storing overnight after each wear. Monthly lenses are worn for up to 30 days as daily wear. The duration you have will depend on a variety of factors, from your budget for contact lenses to your lifestyle and the health of your eyes.

Toric lenses are stored in the same way as regular contact lenses. Before you take out your lenses, make sure your hands are clean and that you have cleaned your storage container in a fresh cleaning solution. Follow the steps above to remove your lens and then clean the lens in your hand by dropping a small amount of cleaning solution on the lens and gently rub the surface with your index finger to remove debris and particles on the lens. Store in your contact lens container and fill with fresh solution until you next want to wear your lenses.