Everything You Need To Know About Astigmatism
03 April 2019
Eye astigmatism occurs when the cornea (the protective, clear outer layer of the eye) is shaped differently in comparison to a regular cornea that curves over the eye equally in all directions. The cornea grows into the shape of a rugby ball which causes the light to focus in more than one place instead of directly on the retina, resulting in the vision becoming blurred.
Astigmatism shares common aspects to myopic (nearsighted) and hyperopic (farsighted) as all are considered to be a refractive error. The difference is that the blurry vision caused by myopic and hyperopic vision is due to the shape of the eyeball, whereas astigmatism is due to the shape of the cornea. Astigmatism can also be confused for being an eye disease, however it is defined as an eye condition just like myopia and hyperopia.
Types of Astigmatism
There are two main types of astigmatism:
- Regular astigmatism is the most common form of astigmatism. It is when the cornea is more arched in one direction than the other.
- Irregular astigmatism is less common and usually occurs when scarring is found on the cornea due to some sort of eye injury.
Astigmatism Symptoms
Astigmatism symptoms may include:
- blurry vision or areas of distorted vision
- eye strain
- headaches
- squinting to try to see clearly
- eye discomfort
It can be common for astigmatism to be the cause of a lazy eye in some young children. Which is why it’s important that the eye condition is spotted early so that it can be treated sooner.
Can Astigmatism be Corrected?
In most cases, yes! At Ultralase, we can offer a variety of choices to help you rid your vision of astigmatism.
Laser Eye Treatment
Two methods come from our laser eye category LASIK and LASEK. Both treatments will help reshape the cornea so that the surface of the eye is more symmetrical. This will then allow the light coming in from the eye to bounce on the retina directly. If you are myopic, laser eye surgery will also correct your farsighted vision if blurry.
Lens Replacement
Another corrective treatment we can offer for those with astigmatism is Lens Replacement Surgery. By using a lens from our toric selection, we can correct the prescription caused by astigmatism as well as your near and distant vision. This treatment will also stop astigmatism from developing again in the future. A temporary method would be using glasses or contact lenses where the prescription of the visual aids counterbalances the prescription created by astigmatism. However, this would become ineffective once the glasses or contact lenses are not being worn.
Back to Blog