Fairfax Optometrist Discusses Contacts and Contact Lens Exams for Astigmatism

If you are like many people with astigmatism, you might think you cannot wear contacts. Great news! Our Fairfax optometrist performs contact lens exams to fit you with special lenses that help you see clearly, despite your astigmatism.

Astigmatism means one of your eyes has trouble focusing light. The vision problem is the result of an imperfection in the curvature of the cornea, which is the clear, round dome covering your eye. The cornea normally focuses light on a precise location on the back of your eye; an irregularly shaped cornea focuses the light in the wrong place. As the result, both near and far objects appear fuzzy, blurry or distorted along various points of your visual field, known as meridians. If you have astigmatism, your contact lens will need to have several different powers across the meridian.

It is important to get contacts specially designed to correct astigmatism, as regular contacts feature only one power across your entire field of vision – they do not correct blurred vision across meridians affected by astigmatism. If you have astigmatism but wear regular contacts, you may not have the clear vision you need.

Fairfax Optometrist Performs Contact Lens Exams for Astigmatism

Every eye is unique, so not all contact lens exams are the same – contact lens exams for astigmatism include evaluations not included in a standard contact lens exam. Our Fairfax optometrist performs these special exams to help patients with astigmatism see more clearly.

During a regular contact lens exam, our eye doctor will measure the size of the surface of your eye to determine the best contact size and type for you. Our optometrist will also determine the best contact power, or strength, to correct your vision.

After completing the eye exam, our doctor may prescribe toric contact lenses. These lenses are special in two ways. First, they have different powers in different meridians so they correct all the visual defects in your field of vision. Second, toric lenses rotate to then rest on the proper location on your cornea so that the power meridians of the contact lens lines up with the appropriate meridians of your eye.

If you have astigmatism, make an appointment with Dr. Howard Budner & Associates Optometrists, serving Fairfax, VA and Rockville, MD. Call today.