Understanding Toric Contact Lenses

Toric contact lenses are specially designed lenses for people who have astigmatism. In the early days of contacts, people with this condition often could not wear them. But these days, there are many different types of contacts made especially for astigmatism sufferers, including disposable lenses and even colored lenses.

There are different kinds of astigmatism that people can have. The most common is what's known as regular astigmatism. This means that the eye surface is irregularly shaped with football-like contours. Then there is irregular astigmatism. This is less common than the regular type and means that the surface of the eye is more severely distorted and uneven, and is often caused by certain types of diseases or even injury. Mixed astigmatism is another variety which causes both near and far distortion of vision. Finally, there's what's called residual astigmatism. This type of astigmatism is thought to be caused by problems with the crystalline lens behind the cornea.

In the past, astigmatism sufferers were limited to hard contacts, also known as rigid or gas permeable. This was because this type of lens simply worked to smooth the surface of the cornea more efficiently than soft lenses could. However today, there are soft contacts available for people with astigmatism. Just like regular contact lenses, toric lenses come in disposable varieties and even different colors. They may, however, cost a bit more than traditional soft contacts because they are designed differently and require more effort by your eye doctor to fit. If you're worried about cost, there are ways to obtain discount contact lenses.

Check out sites like http://www.lens.com and http://www.lensesbymail.com, where you can find all different types of toric contact lenses at very reasonable prices. Choose from brands like Durasoft, Freshlook, Focus Torisoft and lots more. There are traditional toric lenses as well as great disposable choices. You will need to know your lens prescription, so it will be necessary to see your eye doctor if you haven't already. Once you know what your prescription is, you're ready to order. Both of these sites offer fast shipping, wide selection, great customer service and satisfaction guarantees. It's fast, easy and affordable to order your toric lenses online, probably even more so than if you purchased them from your optometrist's office!

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