Eye Health Resources

Toric contact lenses for astigmatism: What are they?

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What are Toric Lenses?

Lenses that correct vision two ways

Most contact lenses are what’s called spherical because, like a football or basketball, they have the same curve all the way around. Toric contact lenses are designed differently. Instead of one uniform curve, toric lenses have two—which corrects for the rugby-ball-like curvature of the eye that people with astigmatism have. Still need more info? No problem, let’s dive a little deeper, starting with how astigmatism works.

To understand toric lenses, understand astigmatism

An illustrated side-view of an eye labeled with a few important parts shows how light focuses in a astigmatic eye

Most people’s eyes have corneas (the front part of the eye) and crystalline lenses that are spherical. This allows light from the world in front of you to focus on one point in the eye. If that one point is on the retina (the part of the eye that helps turn light into what you see) vision is usually nice and clear. When a person’s cornea or lens is shaped more like a rugby ball than a sphere, the light focuses on two places instead of one, creating blurry or distorted vision at all distances. About one in three people have it, so it’s actually quite common.

What Does Toric Mean?

Toric describes the shape of the lens

The word toric describes a specific shape. It comes from the word torus, which is the shape of a doughnut. If you cut a little slice off the side of a doughnut, that slice is what’s called toric—it’s a piece of a torus and has two different curves perpendicular to each other. Toric contact lenses use this shape to correct astigmatism—there is a curve with a shallower arc, and a curve with a steeper arc.

How They Work

Toric contact lenses are optimised to your eyes

Astigmatism comes in all shapes and sizes. Your Eye Care Professional will prescribe contact lenses that correct your astigmatism by using two different parameters:

By cornea or lens shape

A teal oval with blue lines shows a representation of the curvatures of regular astigmatism

Since astigmatism means the cornea or lens is shaped more like an rugby ball rather than a football, the steepness of the two curves of your eye plays an important role in how severe the astigmatism is, and how to correct it. On a contact lens prescription, one of those curves is labeled SPH, or sphere, and the other is CYL, or cylinder. Cylinder compensates for the degree of astigmatism you have.

By astigmatism orientation

A blue front-view illustration of an eye shows the orientation of oblique astigmatism

With spherical contact lenses, the orientation of the lens doesn’t matter, because it’s uniform all around. But lens orientation is a big deal when you’re correcting astigmatism because the two curves of the lens need to be in the right position for the lens to work. On a contact lens prescription, AXIS is a measurement of the orientation of your astigmatism. It’s always between 0 and 180 degrees. If you think of astigmatism as your cornea shaped more like a rugby ball than a football, AXIS measures the tilt of the rugby ball shape.

How do toric lenses stay in the right orientation?

Since blinking and movement typically rotate contact lenses on the eyes, it’s a feat of engineering to keep toric lenses in exactly the right orientation to correct astigmatism. Here are two ways it’s done today.

Traditional prism and peri-ballast

These types of lenses are designed to have a thicker area below the lower eyelid, which helps keep them oriented correctly.

With eyelid stabilisation

ACUVUE® Toric Contact Lenses utilise an EYELID STABILIZED® design, meaning it works with the eyelids to realign with every blink, helping provide clear, stable vision, even during head tilts, blinks and extensive eye movements1,2,3.

See more ACUVUE® Eye-Inspired Innovations

Types of Lenses

Daily disposable, two-week contact lenses for astigmatism

Image of a smiling optician speaking to a woman with wavy hair

ACUVUE® Contact Lenses for Astigmatism are worn during the day and taken out at night. Depending on the kind you get, you may wear them for one day or two weeks. Two-weekly lenses need to be cleaned and disinfected with multipurpose disinfecting solution every night.

Get started with toric lenses

The path to contact lenses always starts with one thing: an appointment with an Optician. They’re the ones who can give you a comprehensive eye test and a contact lens exam to determine exactly what kind of lenses are right for you.

Why choose ACUVUE® for astigmatism?

Get started with ACUVUE® contact lenses

Try ACUVUE® for free*

Start your Free* Trial of ACUVUE® contact lenses today.

Find an Optician

Locate an Optician near you who can fit you with ACUVUE® contact lenses

Consult your eye care professional for more information. Johnson & Johnson does not provide medical advice; this information is for educational purposes only.

*T&Cs apply: 1 trial per person. 18+. Professional consultation and fitting fees may apply and are not included. Subject to Optician approval. Participating Opticians only. See full terms and conditions.

#All ACUVUE® contact lenses have UV Blocking to help provide protection against transmission of harmful UV radiation to the cornea and into the eye. UV absorbing contact lenses are NOT substitutes for protective UV absorbing eyewear such as UV absorbing goggles or sunglasses because they do not completely cover the eye and surrounding area. You should continue to use UV absorbing eyewear as directed by your optician.

1. JJV Data on File 2008. No other toric contact lens has the total package like ACUVUE® OASYS Brand Contact Lenses for Astigmatism with HYDRACLEAR-PLUS.

2. Chamberlain P, Morgan PB, Moody KJ, et al. Fluctuation in visual acuity during soft toric contact lens wear. Optom  Vis Sci. 2011;88(4):E534-538. doi: 10.1097/OPX.0b013e31820ea1ea. 

3. McIlraith R, Young G, Hunt C. Toric lens orientation and visual acuity in non-standard conditions. Contact Lens and Anterior Eye. 2010;33(1):23-26. doi: 10.1016/j.clae.2009.08.003.

4. Data on file 2024, ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses for ASTIGMATISM overall fitting success, orientation position, rotational stability and vision performance.

5. JJV Data on File, 2016. Design enhancements and resultant benefits of ACUVUE® OASYS 1-Day for ASTIGMATISM with HydraLuxe® Technology contact lenses.

6. JJV Data on File 2018. ACUVUE Brand UV Claims.

Important information for contact lens wearers: ACUVUE® Contact Lenses can be used for vision correction. An Eye Care Professional will determine whether contact lenses are right for you. Although rare, serious eye problems can develop while wearing contact lenses. To help avoid these problems, follow the wear and replacement schedule and instructions on proper lens care. Do not wear contact lenses if you have an eye infection, any eye disease or systemic disease that may affect the eye, or if you are allergic to any ingredients. If you experience eye discomfort, excessive tearing, vision changes, redness or other eye problems, remove the lens and contact your Eye Care Professional immediately. For detailed information on proper wear, care, warnings and precautions, talk to your Eye Care Professional and carefully read the Instructions for Use available on the Johnson & Johnson website https://www.e-ifu.com/

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Last updated 18/06/2024
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