Astigmatism
What is the condition?
Astigmatism is a refractive condition that affects how your eyes focus on light and images due to the eye not being completely round. With astigmatism, the cornea or lens is either an oval or football shaped curvature causing distorted images.
How does it affect the eye?
Astigmatism is a common vision problem that causes vision to become blurry far away and up close. Due to the irregular shaped eye, light and images that fall on the retina do not meet at a common focal point and therefore causes blurry vision.
What are the symptoms of this condition?
Some symptoms of astigmatism are:
- Eyestrain
- Blurry vision at any distance
- Squinting
- Headaches
- Difficulty with night vision
What are the risk factors for developing this condition?
Some of the risk factors include:
- Astigmatism is hereditary
- It can be associated with certain eye diseases, such as keratoconus or ocular surface disease
- If you have had eye surgery, such as cataract surgery, you may have a higher chance of developing astigmatism.
How is this condition treated?
There are a few ways to treat astigmatism, such as:
- Eye glasses or contact lenses: Your optometrist can prescribe you glasses or contact lenses that correct your astigmatism.
- Refractive surgery: With the help of laser surgery, you can change the shape of your cornea. However, you’ll need an assessment to see if you’re the right candidate.