Can contact lenses help fix astigmatism?
What is Astigmatism?
Astigmatism is a common eye condition that affects the shape of your cornea, which is the clear front surface of your eye. It causes blurred vision due to an irregular curvature in either one or both eyes. Astigmatism can be caused by genetics, injury, or even certain diseases and illnesses. Symptoms include difficulty seeing clearly at all distances and headaches from squinting to try and focus on objects far away. Contact lenses are often used as a way to correct astigmatic vision because they help reshape the cornea for clearer sight without surgery or glasses.
How Can Contact Lenses Help Fix Astigmatism?
Contact lenses can be a great way to help fix astigmatism. Astigmatism is an eye condition that causes blurred vision due to the shape of your cornea being irregularly curved. Contact lenses are designed to fit over the surface of your eye, and when worn properly, they can correct this issue by helping reshape the curvature of your cornea. This helps improve vision clarity and reduce any blurriness you may experience from astigmatism.
The type of contact lens used for correcting astigmatism depends on its severity; some people may require special toric lenses which have different powers in different meridians while others might only need regular soft contacts with no additional features or modifications needed. Your optometrist will be able to advise you on what type would work best for you based on their assessment during an eye exam appointment.
In addition, contact lenses also provide comfort as they don’t cause any irritation or discomfort like glasses do when wearing them all day long – making them ideal if you lead a busy lifestyle! They also allow more freedom in terms of fashion choices since there’s no need for frames or other accessories that come with glasses – giving wearers more flexibility when it comes to expressing themselves through style!
Types of Contact Lenses for Treating Astigmatism
Contact lenses are a great way to treat astigmatism and can help improve your vision. There are several types of contact lenses available that can be used to correct astigmatism, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Here is an overview of the different types of contact lenses for treating astigmatism:
- Soft Toric Lenses – These soft toric contacts have been designed specifically for people with astigmatism, as they provide better stability than regular soft contacts while still providing excellent comfort levels. They also allow more oxygen to reach the eye than other types of lens materials, which helps keep eyes healthy and comfortable during wear time.
- Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) Lenses – RGP lenses offer superior clarity compared to other lens materials but may take some getting used to since they’re not as flexible or comfortable as soft toric contacts at first use due their rigid design structure. However once you get accustomed these type of contact lens will provide clear vision without any distortion from day one until removal time!
- Hybrid Contact Lenses – Hybrid Contacts combine both hard &soft material in one single lenses making them ideal choice if you want maximum comfort &clarity when wearing them all day long! The combination allows oxygen flow through the center portion while maintaining shape around it so your eyes stay healthy even after hours on end wearing them!
- Multifocal Contact Lens – If you suffer from presbyopia along with Astigmatism then multifocal contacts might be just what you need! These specialty lenses feature two distinct optical zones allowing wearers near-vision correction in addition too far-vision correction, thus eliminating need for reading glasses altogether!
Benefits of Wearing Contact Lenses to Correct Astigmatism
Wearing contact lenses to correct astigmatism can be a great way to improve your vision and reduce the need for glasses. Contact lenses are more comfortable than glasses, provide better peripheral vision, and allow you to enjoy activities such as swimming without worrying about them falling off or getting lost. Additionally, contact lenses come in different types that can help with astigmatism correction including toric contacts which are specifically designed for this purpose.
Toric contacts have two powers in one lens – one power is used to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness while the other power helps with astigmatism correction. This type of lens works by correcting both vertical and horizontal refractive errors at once so that light entering your eye is focused properly on the retina resulting in clearer vision overall. Toric contacts also provide good stability on your eyes so they don’t move around when you blink making them ideal for those who suffer from an irregularly shaped cornea due to their condition of having an Astigmatic eye shape.
Another benefit of wearing contact lenses over glasses when it comes to correcting Astigmatism is convenience; since they sit directly on top of your eyes there’s no need for frames or any additional accessories like straps which makes it easier if you want switch between wearing corrective eyewear during certain activities such as sports versus everyday life where frames may not be necessary. Lastly, since these types of corrective eyewear do not require any surgery, there’s less risk involved compared with laser treatments which could potentially cause damage if done incorrectly.
Risks and Disadvantages Associated with Using Contacts for Treating Astigmatism
Contacts are a popular choice for treating astigmatism, but there are some risks and disadvantages associated with using them.
The most common risk is an eye infection. Contact lenses can increase the risk of developing an eye infection if they aren’t cleaned properly or replaced regularly. It’s important to follow your doctor’s instructions when it comes to cleaning and replacing contacts in order to reduce the chances of getting an infection.
Another disadvantage is that contact lenses may not be comfortable for everyone who wears them, especially those with sensitive eyes or dry eyes syndrome (DES). If you experience discomfort while wearing contacts, talk to your doctor about other options such as glasses or laser surgery that may be more suitable for you.
In addition, contact lenses can cause irritation if worn too long without being taken out and cleaned properly; this could lead to redness in the eyes which could potentially worsen astigmatism symptoms over time if left untreated by a professional optometrist/ophthalmologist. Therefore it’s important not only clean your contacts regularly but also take breaks from wearing them every few hours throughout the day so as not strain your vision any further than necessary.
Finally, depending on how severe one’s astigmatism is, contact lens prescriptions might need frequent adjustments which means additional costs compared with eyeglasses – another potential downside worth considering before making a decision on whether or not use contacts as treatment option.
Tips on Choosing the Right Type of Contacts to Correct Your Vision
If you have astigmatism, contact lenses can be a great way to correct your vision. However, it’s important to choose the right type of contacts for your eyes in order to get the best results. Here are some tips on choosing the right type of contacts for correcting astigmatism:
- Talk with Your Eye Care Professional: Before selecting any contact lenses, it’s important that you talk with an eye care professional about which types will work best for your eyes and lifestyle needs. They can help guide you through all available options and provide advice on what would work best based on their experience treating patients with similar conditions as yours.
- Consider Toric Lenses: Toric lenses are designed specifically for those who have astigmatism because they contain two different powers in one lens – one power is used to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness while another power is used specifically to treat astigmatic refractive errors (the shape of cornea). These types of contacts also come in both soft and rigid gas permeable varieties so there’s something suitable no matter what kind of comfort level or lifestyle needs you may have!
- Try Multifocal Contacts: If presbyopia (age-related difficulty focusing up close) has become an issue along with having astigmatism then multifocal contact lenses might be worth considering as well since these allow individuals who need correction at multiple distances (near/intermediate/far) all within one pair! This could potentially save time from switching between glasses when needing different corrections throughout daily activities like reading books or using computers at work etc.
No matter which type(s) of contacts end up being chosen by yourself & doctor; always remember that proper fitting & regular checkups should still occur every 6 months even if everything seems fine initially – this helps ensure optimal performance over time!