Do you know anything about toric lenses? If not, the first thing you need to understand is that they are specialized lenses meant for people with astigmatism. If you have this condition, you need to learn how they can help you.

What Are Toric Lenses?

Toric lenses have a unique shape. While standard contact lenses are spherical, toric lenses look like a slice of a donut’s side. This lens shape helps create different refractive powers in the horizontal and vertical orientations. The strength of the refractive powers decreases or increases gradually as you move around the contact lens. 

How Toric Contact Lenses Work

These lenses correct astigmatism issues that result from a different curvature of the eye’s lens or cornea. Toric lenses may help you if you have regular astigmatism, lenticular astigmatism, or corneal astigmatism. In these cases, the curvature of the eye’s lens or cornea causes the refraction of the eye to differ between the horizontal and vertical planes. 

That often leads to trouble seeing fine details and double vision. Sometimes, the vertical lines appear to tilt. Toric lenses can provide different refractive powers on the horizontal and vertical planes, which addresses the specific problems that cause astigmatism.

Choosing the Right Toric Lenses for You

Like all contact lenses, before you get toric lenses, you need to obtain an eye doctor’s prescription. Your doctor will determine the lenses that best meet your vision needs and fit them for your eyes. Consult your eye doctor at Sacramento Eye Consultants if you want contact lenses for a vision problem like astigmatism. 

Toric Lens Fitting

Fitting is vital for contact lenses, especially for toric lenses. Since they have an orientation, they need to stay on your eyes correctly. Some design features that help them stay put on the eye include:
 

• Thick-thin zones
   

• Ballasting - Where the lens is a little heavier or thicker
   

• Lens truncation - This involves cutting off a little of the bottom of the contact lens
   

These unique requirements make proper fitting more important than usual. These lenses have a middle axis that helps keep the user’s line of vision clear. If they slip or do not fit well, your vision clarity will decrease. 

Types of Toric Lenses

There are different types of toric lenses designed to address various visual issues. They also have different wear schedules. For example, you can have:
 

• Disposable toric lenses such as toric dailies
   

• Colored toric contact lenses
   

• Rigid gas permeable lenses
   

• Soft toric lenses
   

If you are looking for contact lenses that will stay put on your eyes, go for RGP lenses. However, they can be more delicate, drier, and have a long initial adjustment period. On the other hand, soft contact lenses are easier to manage and more comfortable but need extra care when fitting them in place.

Conclusion

As with all types of contact lenses, it is vital to consult your eye doctor about getting toric lenses. Your doctor will help you understand how they work, in addition to helping you find the right fit and correction for both your lifestyle and eyes.

For more on toric lenses, visit Sacramento Eye Consultants at our office in Sacramento or Lincoln, California. You can call (916) 915-0300 to schedule an appointment today.