Why is my eyeglass prescription higher than my contacts?

HOW ARE THE TWO TYPES OF PRESCRIPTIONS DIFFERENT? Part of the reason for the differences is that contacts are placed directly on the lens of your eye, while glasses sit about 12 millimeters away. That seemingly minor difference requires a different prescription strength for each type of corrective eyewear.

Why is my glasses prescription weaker than my contacts?

Since eyeglasses are usually about 12 millimeters from the eye, the prescriptive power of a contact lens — which is positioned directly on the tear film of the eye — will be slightly less nearsighted. This becomes significantly different with prescriptions of 4D or greater.

Do glasses correct astigmatism better than contacts?

Both can correct astigmatism. Many people think only glasses can correct astigmatism, but contact lenses do as well. GP contacts are often preferred for correcting astigmatism because they hold their shape, thereby retaining the proper visual correction, better than soft lenses.

Is contact lens strength same as glasses?

A glasses prescription is not the same as a contact lens prescription. Glasses sit slightly away from your eyes and contact lenses sit directly over your eye, so two different tests and measurements are required.

Is contact lens strength the same as glasses?

Are contact lenses better for astigmatism than glasses?

In fact, some people with an astigmatism do better with contact lenses than with eyeglasses, because the contacts may provide clear vision and an unobstructed, wider range of view than glasses.

How many diopters do you need for astigmatism?

Astigmatism is measured in diopters. A perfect eye with no astigmatism has 0 diopters. Most people have between 0.5 to 0.75 diopters of astigmatism. People with a measurement of 1.5 or more typically need contacts or eyeglasses to have clear vision.

What is astigmatism and how is It measured?

Astigmatism is measured in diopters. A perfect eye with no astigmatism has 0 diopters. Most people have between 0.5 to 0.75 diopters of astigmatism. People with a measurement of 1.5 or more typically need contacts or eyeglasses to have clear vision. Of the three numbers on your contacts or glasses prescription, the last two refer to astigmatism:

How can I get my astigmatism corrected?

You should be able to ask your optometrist, during your prescription exam, to show you the correction with and without astigmatism correction. During the part of the exam when you look at the eye chart, and are presented various diopter options, this would be appropriate. If your optometrist refuses to give you this options, find a new one.