Astigmatism

How do I know if I have astigmatism?

Only eye care professionals can identify and assess astigmatism and select the right glasses or contact lenses for your individual needs. Astigmatism can first be detected by a simple ray tracing test. However, the eye care professional’s office is equipped with modern equipment that can detect and diagnose even a small degree of astigmatism.

Why should I wear astigmatic glasses or contact lenses?

Astigmatics can have stable and clear vision by wearing specially designed astigmatism correcting glasses or contact lenses. These are different from normal (spherical) glasses or contact lenses. You may have heard of “toric” glasses or “toric” contact lenses. In addition to providing stable vision, toric glasses or contact lenses eliminate headaches, the risk of eye inflammation (blepharitis) or visual impairment by reducing eye strain.

Why haven’t astigmatic glasses or astigmatic contact lenses been recommended to me before?

In the past, it was quite difficult to diagnose astigmatism accurately. Due to the complexity of manufacturing technology, special astigmatic lenses were a rarity.

Today, almost all opticians’ surgeries and opticians’ offices are equipped with special devices that can detect astigmatism in minutes. Not only spectacles but also astigmatic contact lenses are now easily available. They are as easy to use and comfortable as regular spherical contact lenses.

Can simple spherical glasses or contact lenses be used to correct astigmatism?

If you have astigmatism, regular spherical lenses will only partially improve your vision. Of course, you will see better, but your vision will not be as good as it could be. That’s because lenses made to correct astigmatism focus the light rays in your eyes differently than spherical lenses – and that’s exactly what you need.