Contact lenses are another excellent option for many people with a moderate amount of astigmatism. In fact, some people with an astigmatism do better with contact lenses than with eyeglasses, because the contacts may provide clear vision and an unobstructed, wider range of view than glasses.
Finding the Choice That's Right for You
Many people feel that glasses are the simplest way to correct for astigmatism. Glasses are easy to wear and clean. There is no learning curve for first-time wearers, and no risk of transmitting bacteria to the eyes and developing an infection.
Astigmatism does not always require the use of glasses. A person can have slight astigmatism and still see clearly. Similar to the rest of the body, the eyes change over time, so regular eye checks with your local optometrist are of importance.
Q: Can you wear regular contact lenses if you have astigmatism? A: No, if you have astigmatism, it's essential that you wear specialized contact lenses because your condition can worsen if not. Regular contact lenses do not cover your cornea's entirety, which will impair your ability to see even further.
If you have astigmatism, chances are you have a difficult time finding contact lenses. Those with astigmatism can't wear traditional soft lenses. Rather, they wear specialized lenses such as toric lenses. Toric lenses are specifically designed for patients with astigmatism, allowing for more object focus.
Astigmatism frequently worsens with age. Your cornea can become more irregular due to pressure from your eyelids as they lose muscle tone. Astigmatism generally stays stable until your turn 50. After then, your lens curvature progressively worsens each decade.
Not wearing glasses for astigmatism won't make your astigmatism worse, however. The severity of your astigmatism has nothing to do with whether or not you're using corrective lenses to treat it.
Can I wear contact lenses if I have astigmatism? Of course, you can! Thanks to toric technology, the astigmatism-stricken masses can safely—and comfortably—wear daily, weekly, and monthly soft disposable lenses made from the best materials on the market.
At first, they may be less comfortable than soft contacts since they retain their shape on your eye. Over time, you'll adapt to RGP lenses and they'll feel more comfortable. RGP lenses are better able to correct astigmatism and make your vision clearer.
There's no known way to prevent astigmatism. If you're at risk for keratoconus, it's best not to rub your eyes as much as you can.
If left untreated, astigmatism may cause eyestrain, headaches, and blurry vision. If you have astigmatism you may not see objects in the distance or near without some form of distortion.
Most times astigmatism is not a serious eye condition, but causes eye strain and fatigue – impacting school and office performances. However, astigmatism can sometimes hide a sight-threatening eye condition. Astigmatism, like myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness), is a common refractive error.
Between 2 and 4 diopters is moderate astigmatism, and 4 or more diopters is considered significant or “bad” astigmatism. Generally, eyes with 1.5 diopters of astigmatism or more require correction.
It can take between 10 to 12 days to fully adjust to your lenses. Once you begin using the lenses on your own, watch for these # side effects during the adjustment period.
People who need contacts for astigmatism will pay more. In fact, the average cost of contacts per box for those with astigmatism is closer to between $50 and $70 per box, with an average annual cost of around $500 to $700 or more.
It generally takes more expertise for an eye doctor to fit a patient for toric contacts than it does for regular lenses. For this reason, a toric lens fitting may cost more than a regular contact lens fitting. Since torics are more complex in design, the cost of replacing them will be higher than most regular contacts.
Management and Treatment
Your eye care specialist will measure any changes in your eye during future eye exams. Astigmatism can change over time and get worse, so you might need glasses or contacts eventually, even if you don't at first.
By doing eye exercises every day, you can improve poor vision due to astigmatism. You don't need to resort to eye surgery or surrender to a lifetime of eyeglasses. There are natural and easy ways to repair your vision yourself. Practice these eye exercises and a few more, and take a daily eye vitamin.
Astigmatism is most commonly corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses, but the only solution that can fixes the underlying problem is refractive surgery, such as LASIK, PRK, the implanting of a Toric Lens Implant or performing Limbal Relaxing Incisions.
In fact, excessive screen time can even cause digital eye strain, particularly for those with uncorrected astigmatism. Fortunately, blue light blocking lenses can alleviate this discomfort, and make working on your laptop or texting on your phone much more enjoyable.
No. About 30% of all people have astigmatism. In the vast majority of those, the condition does not change much after the age of 25. The presence of astigmatism as a child or young adult does not signify that an eye disease will later occur.
The risk of astigmatism increased with both the total years of exposure and the average daily duration of screen exposure. Our findings suggested that preschoolers who were exposed to screens during early life might have an increased risk of astigmatism.