Rosemore Eye Care

Astigmatism
Astigmatism is one of the most common vision problems, but most people don't know what it is.

Many people are relieved to learn that astigmatism is not an eye disease. Like nearsightedness and farsightedness, astigmatism is a type of refractive error - a condition related to the share and size of the eye that causes blurred vision.

In addition to blurred vision, uncorrected astigmatism can cause headaches, eyestrain and make objects at all distances appear distorted.

Astigmatism Symptoms and Signs
If you have only a small amount of astigmatism, you may not notice it at all, or you may have only mildly blurred or distorted vision. But even small amounts of uncorrected astigmatism can cause headaches, fatigue and eyestrain over time.

Astigmatism usually develops in childhood. A study at The Ohio State University School of Optometry found more than 28 percent of school-aged children have astigmatism.

Children may be even more unaware of the condition than adults, and they are unlikely to complain about blurred or distorted vision. But astigmatism can cause problems that interfere with learning, so it's important to have your child's eyes examined at regular intervals during their school years.

What Causes Astigmatism?
Usually, astigmatism is caused by an irregular-shaped cornea, the clear front surface of the eye. In astigmatism, the cornea isn’t perfectly round, but instead is more football- or egg-shaped. In some cases, astigmatism may be caused by an irregular-shaped lens inside the eye.

In most astigmatic eyes, the irregular shape of the cornea or lens causes light rays to form two distorted images in the back of the eye, rather than a single clear one. This is because, like a football, an astigmatic eye has a steeper curve and a flatter one.

Astigmatism Treatment
In most cases, astigmatism can be fully corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses.

Rigid gas permeable (RGPs or GP) contact lenses often provide the best correction for astigmatism. But special soft contact lenses for astigmatism, called toric contact lenses are also available.

Hybrid contact lenses are another option. These lenses have a GP center and a soft periphery to provide the clarity of gas permeable lenses and wearing comfort that is comparable to soft lenses.

And depending on the type and severity of your astigmatism, you may also be able to have it corrected with refractive surgery. Discuss with your eye doctor which procedure is best to correct your astigmatism.

For more information on astigmatism or other eye conditions visit All About Vision.