Can contact lenses help with astigmatism? If this is your question, we can help you know everything from living with astigmatism and finding the best relief to everyday solutions to preventing fuzzy eyes.

Contact lenses are safest with the fewest complications and the right fit to the eyes, correcting your cornea or lens with a round shape. They are easy to apply and treat for astigmatism patients, giving them clear vision from any distance. For better vision and treatment, take the help of optometrists who suggest the best contacts for astigmatism:

The Best Contact Lens Choices for Astigmatism

Astigmatism is a treatable eye disorder that has been present since birth or later developed in life. Your vision is at risk of having a more fuzzy appearance whenever the retina fails to perceive and give clear signals to the brain. It happens all because the shape of your cornea is not the usual "spherical.” Astigmatism has a strong hereditary link; the early onset of astigmatism is possibly reversible.

Eye injury, scarring, traumatic surgery, or genetic eye diseases are responsible for the development of astigmatism in individuals later in life. Whatever the case, we have the best contact lens recommendation, even when you are confused about what to do with your astigmatism diagnosis.

Contacts for astigmatism: Have a Look at its types

Individuals with astigmatism always find confusion in selecting the right contacts, especially when there are several different options in the market for contacts. However, if you want uncompromising sharpness in your vision and a pristine focus, we have a few listed. Yes, clear vision with comfortable contact wear all day is possible.

1. Toric Lenses

Toric contact lenses are lenses with corrective power and are usually best suited for individuals whose shape of the lens is rather doughnut-like.

Unlike regular spherical shapes, this lens is designed to adjust horizontally and vertically to compensate for the uneven shape of the eyes, let’s say American football shape, but in small form, not as big as that.

The popular toric lens implants on the market are Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism, Air Optix for Astigmatism, and Biofinity Toric. You can shop for these amazing lenses directly using our coupon code. These help with,

• Correct refractive errors like long-sightedness and shortsightedness
• Favorable to moderate astigmatism with a limited range of vision power.
• Good for first-time contact lens wearers.
• Made from hydrogel or silicone hydrogel materials
• Come in for daily, weekly, and monthly disposable packages and solutions.

However, consulting an eye doctor for proper fitting of toric lenses is crucial to staying stable and orienting correctly on your eyes. Initial lens adaptation may require time, which one should be mindful of.

The newer toric lens has incorporated features like prism ballast, thin zones, optimized lens geometries, Lens stability, and orientation

Optimized Toric Lens Geometry with uniform horizontal ISO thickness and a larger toric optic zone to keep the eye comfortable all day. Some of the feasible lens options are:

• Avaira Toric
• Biofinity toric multifocal
• My Day toric with Aquaform Technology

2. Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) Lenses

Rigid gas-permeable are best-suited contacts for astigmatism. These lenses are different from soft toric lenses. RGPs are stronger and longer-lasting and available in two shapes: spherical or toric. This automatically retains the curvature of the cornea and ensures a proper fit and eye coordination.

RGP lenses are more suitable for patients with severe visual acuity because they have permeable oxygen, keeping the cornea healthy. They cover ¾ part of your cornea and float with the layer of tears.

3. Hybrid Contact Lenses

Hybrid contact lenses have GP materials that help build a strong central zone, providing more accurate and clearer vision. It is also coated with a soft peripheral skirt, enhancing the comfortability of the lenses.

Contact lenses made of hybrid materials are more breathable and easy to wear. Hybrid contact lenses not only prevent astigmatism but also help individuals with keratoconus and other corneal irregularities.

The hybrid contact lens's rigid center fixes the curve of the cornea and its outskirt provides softness, making it comfortable to place. Some of the top innovative hybrid lenses include Dailies Total1 Multifocal, a daily disposable lens that has a central aspheric zone suitable for astigmatism and presbyopia. Menicon Freedom is, in a true sense, a hybrid lens. The features of hybrid contacts for astigmatism are:

• Hybrid contact lenses have rigid gas permeable (RGP) centers.
• It has a soft and flexible outer skirt for a more comfortable fit.
• It may require a toric design for clear vision but is not an absolute necessity.
• It involves expert fitting and no repositioning issues are seen.
• It aims to provide RGP lens-like sharp vision and prevent bacterial buildup in the eyes.
• One needs a certain time before getting used to the fitting of hybrid contacts for astigmatism.

4. Scleral contacts for astigmatism

Scleral lenses are contact lenses with wider diameters that have a GP material coated to pass oxygen to the cornea. It is constructed to be more rigid and durable and fitted after topographical mapping, called SMap3D technology.

Scleral lenses capture the cornea while also covering major parts of the sclera. You see a space between the cornea and lens, which is filled with saline eye care solution to lubricate the cornea against severe surface disease.

It has a stronghold, not letting it fall off even after blinking more often. They also provide high vision clarity and comfort, especially for dry eye patients, by forming better moisture in the eyes.

Scleral lenses correct particular irregular places of the cornea, providing a smooth surface to refract over the cornea. The tear reservoir is created from the scleral contacts to improve comfort for individuals with astigmatism.

• The scleral diameter has a larger diameter with a tear reservoir
• It corrects both regular and irregular astigmatism
• Diagnostic fitting sets and custom-fit options are required for scleral lenses
• Scleral lenses avoid direct corneal contact and provide hydration
• Made of oxygen-permeable materials for lenses
• Scleral lenses best treat keratoconus, post-surgical corneas, and chronic dry eye.

There can be side effects when inserting a scleral lens without expert fitting. All these can be a matter of concern.

• The lens should be removed and re-inserted for comfort.
• Increased eye infection risk
• Discomfort or irritation in lenses
• Corneal swelling or edema
• Fogging of the lens

Contacts for Astigmatism: General Care Guidelines

Taking good care of your contact lenses is a must for your eyes’s retinas to read the light properly. You should take proper care with the prescribed solutions and follow guidelines if you want to have clearer vision, comfort, disinfection, and longevity of contact lenses.

Here are a few must-know general care guidelines for you to follow. It is applicable to all types of contact lenses:

• Touch contact lenses with a clean and dry hand.
• Wash your contact cases only with a sterilized solution (not tap water).
• Use a disinfecting solution to rinse the contact lenses.
• Have a thorough check to see if the contact lens solution is clean enough.
• Replace your contact lens cases every 3 months or sooner.
• Follow the time limitation to wear contact lenses recommended by your eye doctor.
• Crossing the time bar for contact lens use may cause itchiness in your eyes and disinfection of the lens.
• Fill the contact case with the disinfecting solution and place it to soak overnight, at least for six hours.
• Never let your contact lenses be washed with water (even when bathing or swimming).
• Do not sleep with the contact lenses on, it causes excessive eye dryness and scratching over the cornea.
• Use your fingertips rather than nails to remove and wear contact lenses.
• Avoid wearing the lens after the makeup. Similarly, remove contact lenses before removing makeup.
• Pay attention to symptoms such as discomfort, redness, itchiness, or unlimited tears and refer to the eye doctor immediately.

Conclusion

Don’t let astigmatism blur your vision- once and for all. Without treatment, astigmatism can get way worse. When the cornea's shape distorts, it prevents clear images from reaching the retina, causing your brain to struggle and resulting in blurry vision. Why risk your vision when effective treatment options exist?

Schedule an appointment with a trusted optometrist near you for eye care, follow-up, and choosing the right contact lens for astigmatism. Remember, it's you who can prevent your eyes from fuzzing out and see a clearer future.