Confused about what type of contacts to get [points to best answer]?

Question

I have really bad short-sightedness (myopia) and quite bad astigmatism. I think I have to get toric lenses (that is what the optician said) because of the astigmatism but will any type work for the astigmatism AND the myopia or will they only work for the astigmatism.

I doubt I'll get any answers so thanks if you help!

Answer 1

Yes, toric lenses correct both of the error. Thus it is the best

Answer 2

I'm with bill p.  I also prefer the daily wear over disposables. I wore them for almost twenty years before I was talked into disposables. He is right...disposables are thinner and don't correct as well. Easier to tear too. In addition to that, many are made of materials that are "breatheable" and have a tendency to collect more deposits. They were always cloudy and impaired my vision more than anything. My eyes were in a constant state of irritation within two weeks of opening a new pair.  I went with disposables again this year, but a different type of toric lens that hopefully I will not have the same problem with. So far it's been good.  Disposables are worth a try if you would like to go that route. Usually you get 6 pair for each eye. Each pair is expected to last 4-6 weeks. You will get approximately 6 months out of them, then will have to order more. The cost depends on your prescription and the type of lenses. Mine are expensive (I have bad eyes) so it will cost me around $300 for the year.  The benefit of having daily wear is that you purchase only the one pair and wear them all year. They are really more cost effective. Again bill p was right...they like to prescribe disposables because it keeps you coming back for more.

Answer 3

If you have been fit into a toric lens in the past it is a VERY high possibility that you will be put into one again.  a couple of my favorite toric lenses on the market right now are, the o2 optic toric, made by ciba vision, the Proclear toric, made by cooper vision, and the Acuvue oasys toric, made by vistakon.  Currently everyone I have been fitting into theAcuvue Oasys toric lens has been falling in love with it.  On top of the great water content, it is a great lens for your eyes.

Answer 4

You will need to get a toric lens (it is for astigmatism). The contacts will be able to correct your myopia and astigmatism. There are a lot of toric lenses to choose from and the optician will be able to narrow the choices down based on the curvature of your eyes and how well they maintain moisture.

Answer 5

Alright...I'm here to prove you wrong! I've worn contact lenses since I was 14. So...I've worn them for 39 years...sheez that's a scary thought.

My eyesight is similar to yours. Myopic w/ astigmatism. You can either get disposable lenses or long term lenses. Disposables are thinner, less hassle but don't correct nearly as well as the thicker long term lenses. I wear long term lenses as I'm used to cleaning them and prefer the better acuity furnished by them. An optician will tell you there is no difference. They love to push the disposables...keeps you coming back and buying more!!

As for astigmatism, I can only express my experience...you do what you think is best. Astigmatism was explained to me as going down a set of stairs and the edges will look curved even though they are actually straight. The lenses makes the steps look straight again. I had gone w/o correcting my astigmatism for so long, my brain compensated for the astigmatism. Then, when the optician gave me a set of glasses corrected for the astigmatism, everything was curved and I could barely walk. My personal suggestion is to get soft, long term use contacts w/o toric correction. If you can't live w/ them...go back and get the much more expensive torics. Just my two cents.

Answer 6

Toric lenses are specifically designed for astigmatism and myopia or presbyopia.  I am very myopic (-6.00) and also astigmatic.  I wear Accuvue for Astigmatism and they are great.  If your astigmatism is not too bad, then get the doc to let you try a trial pair that are NOT toric first, because they are about half the price and hold up much better...I wore Focus bi-weeklies for about ten years; slept in them, everything and they were $17.00 a box.  My Accuvue for Astigmatism are $40...and I have to replace them much more frequently because they get little tears on the edges...

Toric lenses are hard to fit properly and may require several fittings, because they have to be adjusted an extra way.  They have sizes kind of like the numbers on a clock, and there is a weight or ballast at the bottom of each lense that keeps the lens oriented correctly on the eye.  This never worked for me before; we couldn't get them to sit perfectly in my eye.  The Acuvue's somehow have perfected that part, and now I can wear Toric lenses!