5 Things You Need to Know About Astigmatism Contacts

1. Shape Matters

The reason most people in the past with a severe astigmatism could not wear contacts is the shape of their cornea. The cornea of someone who has an astigmatism is shaped more like a football, or oval shaped, whereas the cornea of an eye without astigmatism is round. Today, the options in astigmatism contacts include soft and rigid gas permeable, and these can be used for most people with astigmatism.

2. Limited Correction With Contacts

People with astigmatism do have some options when it comes to eyewear. Astigmatism contacts were the only options available for people who needed limited astigmatism correction. Soft and rigid gas permeable (RGP) are still great options for those with a slight astigmatism, between zero and plus or minus 1.00 diopter. Fitting is important because some doctors will use the fitting process to mask some symptoms of astigmatism. For instance, your doctor may try a higher power soft contact or try a RGP contact to encourage your cornea to conform to the shape of the lens. However, people with a greater degree of astigmatism, unless they have an especially complicated prescription, can now try toric lenses, which include two powers--one to correct the near or far sightedness and one to correct the astigmatism.

3. Care for Your Contacts

Care for your contacts as you would any other soft or hard contacts. Daily wear disposables are a popular choice for most wearers since they don't require protein soaking, just daily disinfection. It is important to note that you must remove and soak these contacts daily; you cannot leave any contact in over night as this deprives your cornea of oxygen, traps harmful bacteria between your cornea and contact and can cause severe irritation to the eye's sensitive tissues. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's directions when disinfecting and soaking your contacts as well. Note the solution they recommend and try using a saline solution for rinsing. This tends to be less irritating on the sensitive eye tissues than those all-in-one soaking, disinfecting and rinsing solutions.

4. When Contacts Won't Work

For some, astigmatism contacts aren't a viable option and they must make another choice. These options include old-fashioned glasses, which have the benefit of no solutions and very little care, and expensive laser surgery. You may want to opt for the surgery if you are comfortable with the cost and the procedure. The most common type of correction for those with astigmatism is laser in situ keratomileusis, otherwise known as the LASIK procedure. Know that some people still need correction after the surgery. Determine what choice is best for your situation by discussing your options with your optometrist. He can help you determine how much care your contacts need and if glasses or laser surgery is a better choice for you.

5. Make a Fashion Statement

Although it might be disappointing when your optometrist says you cannot wear astigmatism contacts, don't be dismayed. There are plenty of great looking fashion frames available. Choosing one that fits your personality and style is just part of the fun. Think of all the money and time you'll be saving. Those contacts require soaking and solutions, which eat up your free time and the cost of the myriad required solutions is enough to make you want to fling those little discs out the window. So, pick a new set of fashion frames and make a statement.