What is Astigmatism?
Astigmatism is a type of refractive error where light is not focused evenly on the retina. Distorted or blurred vision results at all distances. Additional symptoms can include headaches, eyestrain, trouble driving at night and more. If it occurs early in life it can result in amblyopia.
It is unclear what causes astigmatism. Genetics may play a role. The underlying mechanism involves abnormalities in the eye’s lens or an irregular curvature of the cornea. Boyle Eye Specialists in Scranton, Pennsylvania will diagnosis the situation with a comprehensive eye exam.
There are 3 possibilities for treatment: glasses, contact lenses, and surgery. Glasses are the simplest of course while contact lenses can provide a wider field of vision. Refractive surgery permanently changes the shape of the eye and corrects the situation.
Astigmatism is a very common eye condition that's easily corrected by eyeglasses or contact lenses and on some occasions, surgery.
Astigmatism is caused when your eye is not completely round. Because our bodies are not perfect, astigmatism occurs in nearly everybody to some degree but for some, not to the degree that it causes blurring. Your eye is naturally shaped like a sphere. Under normal circumstances, when light enters the eye, it bends evenly, creating a clear picture on the back of your eye. In a person with astigmatism, their eye is shaped more like a football and light entering the eye is bent more in one direction than the other. This causes only part of the picture to be in focus at any given time. Objects at any distance can appear blurry and wavy. For vision problems due to astigmatism, glasses or contact lenses, and sometimes even vision correction surgery are all possible treatments.
People with undetected astigmatism often have blurred vision which can be associated with fatigue and eyestrain. While these symptoms may not necessarily be the result of astigmatism, you should schedule an eye exam if you are experiencing one or more symptoms.
Our eye doctor can diagnose astigmatism with a thorough eye exam. Astigmatism may occur in combination with other vision problems such as nearsightedness and farsightedness. Because astigmatism gets worse over times, visit our eye doctor whenever you notice changes in your vision.