Eye Health Resources

Toric contact lenses for astigmatism: What are they?

What are Toric Lenses?

Lenses that correct vision two ways

Most contact lenses are what’s called spherical because, like a baseball 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 American football-like shape 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.

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

To understand toric lenses, understand astigmatism

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 an American football 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 donut, 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 lenses are customized to your eyes

Astigmatism comes in all shapes and sizes, so getting fit for toric lenses isn’t as straightforward as with spherical contact lenses—it might take some trial and error. Your eye doctor will prescribe lenses that correct your astigmatism by using two different parameters:
A teal oval with blue lines shows a representation of the curvatures of regular astigmatism

By cornea or lens shape

Since astigmatism means the cornea or lens is shaped more like an American football rather than spherical, 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.

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

By astigmatism orientation

With spherical 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 personal astigmatism. It’s always between 0 and 180 degrees. If you think of astigmatism as your cornea shaped more like an American football than a basketball, AXIS measures the tilt of the football shape.

How do toric lenses stay in the right orientation?

Since blinking and movement typically rotates lenses on the eyes, it’s a feat of engineering to keep them 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 it oriented correctly. This style is influenced more by gravity, which may cause the lens to rotate out of place during some activities or movements.

With blink stabilization

ACUVUE toric lenses utilize a BLINK 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 movements.

See more ACUVUE eye-inspired innovations

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Types of Lenses

Daily disposible, two-week and monthly contact lenses for astigmatism

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, two weeks, or a month before disposing of them. Two-week and monthly 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 eye doctor. They’re the ones who can give you a comprehensive eye exam and a contact lens exam to determine exactly what kind of lenses are right for you. Keep in mind, the process for finding the best lens for a person with astigmatism may be a bit more involved than for someone without astigmatism—the appointment may take a little more time or even a few visits to the office.

Why choose ACUVUE for astigmatism?

Clear vision

Contacts provide unobstructed sight and correct astigmatism as well as nearsightedness or farsightedness.

BLINK STABILIZED® design

For astigmatism, it’s extremely important that your lenses stay in place for clear vision. Ours realign with every blink.

Great for active lifestyles

Your vision stays clear and stable as you run, jump and twist. And unlike glasses, there's no risk of breaking contacts.

Apply and remove hassle-free

Due to the contact lens' design, it can't be put on upside down like most other lenses for astigmatism.

UV protection#

ACUVUE offers UV blocking# across its entire line of contact lenses, including those for astigmatism.

Get started with ACUVUE contact lenses

Try ACUVUE for free*

Provide some basic information and get a certificate for a free* trial pair

Find an eye doctor

Use our locator tool to find a doctor who can fit you with ACUVUE contact lenses

Earn rewards‖

Become a MyACUVUE® member and get access to exclusive offers

Related content

A dark image with two headlights shining at the viewer, and streaks visible.

Astigmatism: The impact of lights & driving at night

Uncorrected astigmatism can present some challenges when encountering bright lights at night.

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Astigmatism treatments: Can it be fixed or cured permanently?

Dive deeper into the different treatment options available for astigmatism, including contact lenses and laser surgery.

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Footnotes

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

#Helps protect against transmission of harmful UV radiation to the cornea and into the eye.


WARNING: 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. NOTE: Long-term exposure to UV radiation is one of the risk factors associated with cataracts. Exposure is based on a number of factors such as environmental conditions (altitude, geography, cloud cover) and personal factors (extent and nature of outdoor activities). UV-blocking contact lenses help provide protection against harmful UV radiation. However, clinical studies have not been done to demonstrate that wearing UV-blocking contact lenses reduces the risk of developing cataracts or other eye disorders. Consult your eye care practitioner for more information.

*Free trial contact lenses available only from participating eye care professionals. Exam and fitting fees not included.

~Reward amount dependent on ACUVUE product and quantity purchased and if you are a new wearer. Must get an eye exam and purchase from participating provider. Original receipt
required. Valid thru 06/30/24. Rewards paid in the form of an ACUVUE brand Prepaid Mastercard® . Use your card everywhere Mastercard is accepted in the U.S. issued by The Bancorp Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated. Your use of the prepaid card is governed by the Cardholder Agreement, and some fees may apply. This is not a gift card. Please note that prepaid cards are subject to expiration, so pay close attention to the expiration date of the card.

Important Information For Contact Lens Wearers: ACUVUE Contact Lenses are available by prescription only 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 the lens care instructions provided by your eye doctor. Do not wear contact lenses if you have an eye infection, or experience eye discomfort, excessive tearing, vision changes, redness or other eye problems. If one of these conditions occurs, remove the lens and contact your eye doctor immediately. For more information on proper wear, care and safety, talk to your eye care professional, call 1-800-843-2020, or download the Patient Instruction Guides.

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