Toric Contact Lens

For years, patients suffering from astigmatism were told they could not correct their vision by wearing contact lenses. That all changed in 1978 when the first toric contact lens was approved for distribution. By the late nineties astigmatic patients were able to finally wear disposable lenses and in 2002 CIBA Vision introduced Focus Dailies Toric, the worlds first daily disposable toric contact lens.

An astigmatism for those who are not familiar with the term is a curvature of the eye creating blurry vision. This problem can be corrected by surgery along with your other vision problems, but surgery is expensive and may not be an option for you right now. This is where a Toric contact lens can be important.

Toric lenses can be either soft or Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP). The RGP lenses are stiffer than the soft ones and retain their shape on the cornea better. This can result in crisper vision for some people, although many do not notice any difference between the soft and RGP lenses.

Toric contact lenses have a special shape at the back of the surface, which fit your eyes perfectly. Made up of different kinds of plastics, the two main groups of Toric contact lenses are soft and rigid gas permeable.

Soft Toric contact lenses. They contain a great deal of water in them, are highly adaptable and provide great comfort to your eyes.

Another option your eye doctor may suggest is a Toric contact lens with a special material. Often those with an astigmatism need a higher prescription to correct their vision problems and the heavier weight of the Toric contact lens may be restricting oxygen flow to the eye. If this is the case they may offer a thicker more rigid Toric lens with a special material allowing more oxygen flow. This can help with the extreme dryness that results from having a heavier lens like the Toric contact lens as a secondary effect.