FreshLook Toric Contact Lenses for Astigmatism

Think you can't wear soft contact lenses because you have astigmatism? Not any more. Forty to fifty percent of the population suffers from this common vision problem. The good news is that it can now be corrected with toric soft contacts instead of glasses. CIBA Vision, makers of FreshLook, supplies toric contact lenses in nearly 3000 different prescriptions.

Astigmatism is when your eye is shaped like an egg instead of being perfectly round like a tennis ball, preventing light from correctly focusing on the retina. At a certain level of astigmatism the contact lens prescription needs to be "tailor-made" in order for you to see clearly. With minor levels of astigmatism it is frequently possible to fit a regular rigid contact lens and correct the problem without need for a toric.

In a toric contact lens, the power correction in one meridian differs from that of other meridians. People who have been told they are not suitable for regular lenses may be able to use torics, which are made from the same materials but have a few additional characteristics:

- They have two powers, one for spherical correction and the other for the "cylinder."
- They are designed to keep the lens in a stable position regardless of the eye movement.

A person with astigmatism has hazy vision at all distances, which can vary from hardly perceptible to severe. Special weighting and thin zones in FreshLook Toric contact lenses keep the correct meridian in front of the matching meridian of the eye and prevent the lens from rotating during wear. Toric soft lenses are more expensive to produce and cost more than ordinary soft lenses since they have a more complicated design.

FreshLook Toric contact lenses for astigmatism provide clear vision, good comfort, and easy handling and durability. They are designed as a 1-2 week disposable, soft contact lens. The frequent replacement schedule means cleaner lenses and more convenience. FreshLook Torics are a good choice for first time contact lens wearers. FreshLook Toric contact lenses are tinted for easy handling.

FreshLook Adds Color

CIBA Vision has added gray to its line of FreshLook ColorBlends Toric lenses. The lenses are available in plano to -4.00D, in cylinders -0.75D, -1.25D and -1.75D. CIBA says gray is the best-selling color in the FreshLook ColorBlends lineup, accounting for 27% of sales, followed by green. It is also available in blue and honey. Freshlook ColorBlends have a more limited range power range than the regular toric lenses.

The past fifteen years have seen great strides in the manufacturing of disposable toric contact lenses, particularly since Freshlook Toric, the first 2-week disposable, was released less than ten years ago.