How to correct astigmatism with contact lenses?

Affecting individuals of all ages, approximately 30% of the world’s population today is affected by severe astigmatism.

Difficult to spot, astigmatism is a common optical defect that causes blurred or distorted vision, both near and far.

Fortunately, today there is a large choice of specialized contact lenses to correct this defect.

What is astigmatism?

Astigmatism is a visual defect caused by an unequal curvature of the cornea, sometimes of the lens or of the eyeball as a whole.

Corneal astigmatism (affecting the cornea) is the most common. Instead of being round, the corneas of astigmatism are often oval in shape like a “rugby ball”.

As a result, the light rays do not converge on a single point of the cornea but in front of or behind the cornea, which produces a distorted image and imprecise vision at all distances.

However, there is another type of astigmatism that affects the lens, another component of the eye, which is called internal astigmatism. Sometimes, both anomalies are present, it is total astigmatism.

How do you know if you have astigmatism?

Astigmatism may be present from birth or may develop later in life due to external factors that may have distorted the cornea.

Difficulty distinguishing certain shapes and details, headaches, eye strain, difficulty reading, differentiating between horizontal and vertical lines and distorted peripheral vision can be symptoms of astigmatism.

The symptoms that indicate the presence of astigmatism may be different for each person depending on the degree of astigmatism.

Our expert opticians at Lindegger Optique advise you not to ignore these alarming symptoms and to take an eye test to measure the degree of astigmatism. This examination allows us to determine the refraction of your eye, and to find the right contact lenses for your eyes.

Contact lenses for astigmatism

Toric contact lenses

Toric contact lenses are soft lenses developed solely for astigmatism.

They are made of either a conventional hydrogel material or a silicone-hydrogel material and are extremely permeable. They allow oxygen to pass through easily and let your eyes breathe, making them comfortable enough to wear, even for several hours.

Toric lenses resemble ordinary soft lenses but have different powers in different meridians of the eye to correct the varying amount of nearsightedness or farsightedness in different meridians of the eye that characterizes astigmatism.

Their design allows them to rotate in the correct orientation on the cornea, so that the power meridians of the lens align with the appropriate meridians of the eye for clear vision.

They are available in every renewal frequency. You can have daily, monthly, bi-monthly and other toric disposable lenses. You can even find colored toric lenses.

Rigid gas permeable contact lenses

Rigid gas permeable lenses are durable lenses with a long life expectancy. They are very gentle on the eyes, as they allow oxygen to pass through. Gas permeable lenses made of fluoro-silicone/acrylate produce better visual acuity. They offer you better resistance to protein, calcium and other mineral deposits from your tears. Toric lenses keep their spherical shape on the eye, and do not distort when you blink.

Gas permeable lenses offer you visual comfort with less risk of infection. These oxygen permeable contact lenses are custom made to fit your eye parameters, making them easier to use.

Hybrid contact lenses

Hybrid contact lenses combine elements of toric contact lenses and rigid gas permeable lenses. These lenses have a central zone made of a rigid gas permeable material, surrounded by a fitting zone (or “skirt”) made of a soft hydrogel or silicone hydrogel material.

As a result, they offer the clear vision of RGP lenses while maintaining the comfort level of toric soft contact lenses.

Because hybrid lenses are about the same size as soft contact lenses and larger in diameter than RGP lenses, these lenses are also less likely to become dislodged during sports and other physical activities.

If you think you have astigmatism, book your appointment at Lindegger Optique and find out which contact lens is right for you!