We live in times when one no longer has to live with the discomfort of eyeglasses. Not even with an astigmatic eye. We know that the cornea of an astigmatic eye is slightly oval and the light does not focus on one point on the retina but on two points. Thus the image is deformed and the sight of a person with astigmatism becomes blurry. Astigmatism is corrected by correcting the oval shape of the eye, i.e. the cylinder curvature, with an opposite cylinder lens.
The toric contact lenses that correct astigmatism have more parameters than regular contact lenses: Axis and Cylinder Power are added to the usual (Sphere) Power, Base Curve and Diameter. Toric lenses areusually compound lenses (with Cylinder Power as well as Sphere Power) or can be simple cylinder lenses that have power only in one axis. Seeing how complex toric contact lenses are it is normal to ask ourselves how can we insert them correctly.
Toric contact lenses are designed to fit the shape of your eyes and remain correctly positioned during all the wearing hours, offering a clear vision. The good news is that you can insert them as simply as you insert regular lenses as they will get positioned in your eyes and stay in that position even if you blink or move your eyes. So, basically what you need to know when inserting your toric lenses is how soft contact lenses need to be inserted:
- Wash, rinse and dry your hands before touching the contact lenses. A wet finger could flatten the contact lenses also make sure that the lenses do not get in contact with water. Do not use your fingernails when handling your lenses!
- Pour the lens and storage fluid from the case into your palm. Hold out your forefinger and place the lens on it. Most contact lenses have an inside-out indicator, if yours does not have one, the lens is with its right side out if its edge appears almost straight up. If the lens is inside out, the edges will bow out slightly.
- Hold your upper eyelid and pull your bottom eyelid down using your middle finger Look up at the ceiling (or wherever you feel comfortable) and place the lens in your eyes. You can place it on the white part or directly to the center – if that feels comfortable the contact lenses will move to their correct position anyway. Remove your finger and let the bottom eyelid go before the top. Look down to position the lens. Close your eye for a moment.
Make sure that you insert the lenses with the help of your eye care specialist if you are doing it for the very first time. If you feel any kind of discomfort or experience blurry vision from time to time consult your eye care specialist immediately. The choice of base curve, diameter and lens design is very important in case of toric lenses and these parameters can be changed by your eye care specialist in order to assure clear vision.
Ocean Green is a co-editor at BasicLenses.com, and invites you to visit the website and check out the toric contact lenses offered.
