Contact Lenses for Astigmatism

What is astigmatism?

Astigmatism is distorted vision that occurs when the cornea (the clear outer layer on the front of the eyeball) is curved more in one direction than another. If you have astigmatism, you see blurred rather than sharply focused images.

How can contact lenses help?

Gas permeable ("hard") contact lenses cover the cornea. They change its shape and make it somewhat more even. This produces better vision.

Soft contact lenses cannot change the shape of the cornea as much as gas permeable lenses can. This means that they can only correct small amounts of astigmatism. However, soft contacts are more comfortable for some people. Special soft lenses that correct some astigmatism (called toric lenses) are available.

For some people, contact lenses correct astigmatism better than eyeglasses do. Talk to your eye care provider if you would like to try contact lenses.

Reviewed for medical accuracy by faculty at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins. Web site: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/wilmer/

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