Q17. I have astigmatism: can I wear contact lenses?

A17. There are contact lenses available for people with astigmatism. Astigmatism is the name of a condition in which the cornea (front of the eye) is oval shaped (like a rugby ball) rather than round shaped (like a football)

This distortion affects the vision. It is very common and often affects people with short sightedness.

However there is a type of contact lens designed to correct this called a ‘toric lens’. This contains two axis or two different corrective strengths according to your contact lens prescription which forces the eye to concentrate on a single object.

Both soft and gas permeable lenses can correct astigmatism although gas permeable have been found to be the more effective out of the two.

Find out more about toric lenses in our types of contact lenses section.

FAQ:

Contact lenses FAQs

1. What is a contact lens?
2. What do contact lenses do?
3. What are the different types of contact lenses?
4. Can anyone wear contact lenses?
5. Can children wear contact lenses?
6. What are soft lenses?
7. What are gas permeable lenses?
8. Which are the right lenses for me?
9. Are contact lenses safe?
10. Are contact lenses easy or difficult to use?

11. What are the advantages of contact lenses over glasses?
12. What is contact lens aftercare?
13. Why is it so important to care for your contact lenses?
14. What are the risks with wearing contact lenses?
15. Should I buy contact lenses in store or over the internet?
16. Can you get bifocal contact lenses?
17. I have astigmatism: can I wear contact lenses?
18. I play sport: which type of contact lenses should I wear?
19. What are novelty contact lenses?
20. I have never worn contact lenses. What is my first step?