What Are Toric Lenses

Toric lenses are worn by people who need their vision corrected and also have astigmatism. Torics may be worn in one eye or both, depending on the severity of the astigmatism found in the eye(s). It is not uncommon for a ‘regular’ contact lens to be worn in one eye and a toric in the other as many people have astigmatism that is barely noticeable in one field of vision.

Astigmatism in your eye(s) means that your cornea is shaped like an oval rather than spherical (or an egg rather than an orange). Toric lenses are shaped so that your eye has more power on one side than the other. Toric lenses may be either soft or rigid gas permeable. If a person has never worn hard contact lenses, they may find the RGPs difficult to get used to. Soft toric lenses feel slightly different than typical contact lenses but, once the wearer adjusts to them, they are virtually the same.

Toric lenses are weighted on one side so that they do not move from the necessary position on your eye. This is essential for proper vision correction. If the lens does rotate, your vision will be slightly blurred. Blinking several times will usually reposition the lens to its correct placement. You can also remove the lens, clean it and put it back in to get it positioned correctly.

If you are diagnosed as having astigmatism your optometrist can tell you if a toric contact lens is necessary to correct your vision. The doctor may have you try on several and read the eye chart to see which is most suitable for you as torics can be difficult to prescribe correctly. Because a toric lens evaluation and/or fitting takes more time than a normal eye exam, expect the fees to be slightly higher along with the price of the toric contact lenses.