Quora

“I Have Astigmatism. Can I Wear Contact Lenses?”

Posted on May 31, 2012 · Posted in Contact Lenses

Let’s face it…you and astigmatism have a lot in common:  You both dread Mondays.  You both wonder why McDonald’s continues to advertise so heavily when everyone in the world knows the golden arches.   And you’re both slightly misunderstood.

Astigmatism is not an eye disease.  Rather, it is a condition created by a slightly oval, or football-shaped, surface of the eye.  Astigmatism tends to be overshadowed by nearsightedness and farsightedness when it comes to patient knowledge, but the truth is that a good percentage of people have it to some degree.

Given their popularity, a very common question we encounter is whether or not a patient with astigmatism can wear contact lenses.  Unfortunately, many are under the impression that astigmatism will prevent them from being a candidate for contacts or that lenses for astigmatism (also called toric lenses) are uncomfortable.  While this might have been true a number of years ago, never has there been a better time to be a contact lens wearer with astigmatism. Today, options exist in soft, gas-permeable, and hybrid materials to comfortably meet almost all degrees of prescription. In other words, almost anyone who wants to wear contact lenses can rest assured there is a lens out there for them.

Questions?  Let’s talk about them in the comments below.