Switch to Toric Contact Lenses

L: Dailies AquaComfort Plus (Toric)
R: Dailies (Classic) 

I first began wearing contact lenses a few months before I turned 16. My dad didn't want me to get them. He thought I was too young to handle wearing them. I told him with as much sports that I played, I'd break eyeglasses. Plus, with my flat nose bridge, I fog up lenses constantly. Dad couldn't put up much of an argument.

Diagnosed with astigmatism, the optometrist recommended hard lenses. I wore blue tinted ones (easier to see when putting them in). I then moved to gas permeable hard lenses until 2002 or so, when allergies constantly left deposits on my lenses making them uncomfortable to wear.

From there, I moved to daily disposables, Alcon's Focus Dailies.
So much better. No weekly cleaning. No worries about replacing lost lenses. Every day, a new pair of fresh, clean lenses to wear.

I picked up a 2-week sample of a new type of daily disposable lenses, Toric Dailies AquaComfort Plus. Toric lenses are specially designed for astigmatism. Which I've had most of my life and only has gotten worse over time.

Wore the new toric lenses for the first time today. With a stronger prescription, I can definitely see a difference. Comfort level is good. Biggest differences between standard disposables and torics:

• Thicker lens
• Insertion of lenses are in a specific position
• Higher cost due to more details required for the prescription

Whether or not this will be a long-term solution remains to be, ahem, seen.