Can I Wear Normal Contact Lenses With Astigmatism?
Does your vision ever get blurry out of the blue? Perhaps, some things look more distorted than usual. If this sounds like you, you could have astigmatism, a condition caused by a cornea with an unconventional shape, such as a football instead of a soccer ball.
Astigmatism occurs in families and due to issues with the cornea or as a result of keratoconus. In addition to blurry vision, you may have symptoms such as eye fatigue or strain when viewing something up close or far away, depending on your form of astigmatism.
Most eye doctors prescribe contact lenses for astigmatism to correct any visual distortion. If you already wear contacts, you might be wondering, ‘Can I wear normal contact lenses with astigmatism?’ Let’s find out.
Can I wear normal contact lenses with astigmatism?
Since the shape of your cornea often causes astigmatism, you need special contact lenses to correct your eye condition. Many optometrists recommend toric contact lenses for astigmatism since they move with your eye to correct distorted vision at every angle.
Toric contact lenses have horizontal and vertical axes, and depending on the part of the lens you’re looking through, the corrective power changes. They’re also made with a thicker material than standard lenses and weigh more at the base to support your prescription needs. Astigmatism contacts are for blurry vision, and if you don’t get the right type of contact lens, your symptoms may worsen.
So, can you wear normal contact lenses with astigmatism? Our eye doctors advise against it, as regular contacts won’t cover your cornea fully, leaving areas of your vision unprotected. Instead of choosing generic contacts, talk to your eye doctor about the types of toric lenses. If your symptoms are concerning, they may suggest rigid gas-permeable (RGP) toric contacts (hard contact lenses) to promote a better flow of oxygen to your eyes and to help your eyewear stay put.
Can I wear astigmatism contacts if I don’t have astigmatism?
We don’t recommend astigmatism contact lenses if you don’t have astigmatism. Toric contacts and other contact lenses for astigmatism are made to correct symptoms caused by an irregular cornea.
If your cornea has a spherical shape, astigmatism contacts may be uncomfortable on your eyes, which can make you more likely to remove the lenses. (And remember that inserting and removing contacts without sanitizing them can cause eye infections.)
Wearing the wrong contact lens can cause problems with your vision. Never wear anyone else’s eye prescription, whether it’s contacts or eyeglasses, and stick to what your eye doctor recommends for astigmatism. The comprehensive contact lens exam will tell them which contact lenses you need.
Summary: How can I find the best astigmatism contact lenses?
Before your eye doctor can prescribe your contacts, they’ll need to do a contact lens exam. If your corneal shape is a football rather than a sphere, they may recommend contacts for astigmatism.
If you’ve been wondering, ‘Can I wear normal contact lenses with astigmatism?’, know that regular contacts lack the shape and prescription power necessary to correct blurry vision and other astigmatism symptoms. Instead, your eye doctor may suggest toric contacts, which are some of the best astigmatism contact lenses around.
Toric contacts have an unusual shape, much like your cornea, and go with your natural eye motion and gravity to get rid of any visual distortions. If you have astigmatism, steer clear of eyewear that’s not for astigmatism, as it can do more harm than good.
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