What Are Toric Contact Lenses?
Toric contact lenses came about because of a need that could not be addressed by ordinary contact lenses. For many years after their introduction, contact lenses could easily fix farsightedness and nearsightedness but not astigmatism. Careful crafting of the contact lens made it possible to easily change where light rays focused on the retina so as to return the eye to normal vision. Astigmatism posed a unique problem that was not solvable by technology at the time, which required people with astigmatism to continue wearing glasses. Toric contact lenses ultimately solved that problem.
Vision problems normally occur because the eyes focus light rays incorrectly in relation to the retina. Nearsightedness causes light rays to focus in front of the retina, while farsightedness causes light rays to focus behind it.
Astigmatism poses a different problem. It is a condition in which the cornea, lens or the entire eyeball is shaped oddly compared to a normal eye. The physical distortion is small, but small differences in the eye create a large effect on vision. Rays of light scatter in many different directions instead of just ahead of, behind, or on the retina. Blurred vision is the unfortunate result of this scattering.
The scattering of light caused by astigmatism made it more difficult to produce contact lenses to fix the problem. Toric contact lenses solve the problem by combining different geometric shapes so as to focus light correctly. Ordinary contact lenses are shaped like a half sphere, but toric lenses combine a spherical surface with a donut shaped (toroidal) one. This special shape prevents light from scattering.
Toric contact lenses are made of all the same materials as other contact lenses, despite their different shape. They can be hard, soft, or rigid gas permeable (RGP). However, unlike other contact lenses, toric lenses cannot be allowed to rotate around the surface of the eye. The toric lens shape must remain firmly in place to prevent the scattering of light.
Toric contact lenses can also be designed to fix more than one vision problem simultaneously, such as astigmatism and farsightedness. This flexibility and unique shape of toric lenses makes them more difficult to manufacture correctly, and eye exams and fitting can be more complicated.
As a result of their special qualities, toric lenses are sometimes more expensive. People with a mild astigmatism might avoid the extra expense by just using ordinary contact lenses. The cornea will to some extent conform to the shape of the lens and minimize the scattering of light. In fact, toric lenses may not be necessary at all for mild astigmatism. Only your eye doctor can say for certain after administering an exam.
People who end up needing toric contact lenses, can choose from a variety of options. You can purchase single or multifocal lenses. You can also find toric lenses in all the same types as regular lenses–disposable, single day wear, weekly wear, monthly wear, and extended wear.
If you suffer from astigmatism, then there are sure to be great toric contact lenses to fit your budget and lifestyle.
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categories: toric contact lenses, toric lenses, contact lenses, eyewear, vision care
