Astigmatism Symptoms To Look Out For

The common symptoms of astigmatism you might notice or experience may include fatigue, headaches, blurred or doubled vision at all distances, eyestrain, and general discomfort in the eye. Oftentimes, individuals who have undetected astigmatism complain about blurred vision at any distance. Anyone who has astigmatism may have a distorted view of horizontal, vertical, or diagonal lines. For instance, viewing a building or wall might seem like viewing something that is slightly leaning to one side.

Even as these common symptoms are experienced by those diagnosed with astigmatism, they are not exclusive to astigmatism. These symptoms vary from one patient to the next, since an individual can have mild, moderate, severe astigmatism, or another separate condition contributing to those symptoms.

For instance, there are other conditions that may give you astigmatism as a complication and underlying condition. An example is keratoconus, a disorder where the patient suffers from a progressive thinning of the cornea. What happens it that the cornea turns cone-shaped, and this affects how you see. Corneal dystrophy affects one in every 2000 people in the United States. If you are suffering from one or more of the symptoms mentioned, it is always a good idea to confirm astigmatism with an eye care specialist so you can have it treated right away.

Screening And Diagnosis

During screening and diagnosis, you may go through a series of eye exams, in some cases repeated eye exams. Your eye care specialist will examine the ability of your eye to focus light rays on the retina normally. This is also called refraction. He or she will use a standard eye chart to test your visual acuity. In this case, you will go through a visual acuity test. Your eye doctor may ask you about your current vision or decide to use a keratometer or keratoscope.

When getting a diagnosis from your eye doctor, he or she may use a keratometer, an instrument that measures light that is reflected from the surface of your cornea. He or she may also use a keratoscope and videokeratoscope, which are devices that identifies and analyses the surface curvature and existing astigmatism found on your cornea. The keratoscope utilizes light to show rings on the cornea. The eye doctor will examine the shape of and spaces between the rings and then is able to determine the severity of astigmatism you might have. A videokeratoscope is simply a keratoscope that is installed with a video camera.

If you have trouble seeing far or noticed you are “seeing double”, you may be suffering from astigmatism. However, it is always important to visit your eye care specialist and go through a screening process. This way, you are assured of getting proper diagnosis and treatment for your eye condition.

First of all, what is laser eye surgery?

Laser eye surgery is a procedure aimed at correcting farsightedness, nearsightedness, or astigmatism. It can involve decreasing or getting rid of the need for spectacles, corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses.

What are the types of laser eye surgery?

The types of laser eye surgery available are PRK, Custom Wavefront LASIK, Epi-LASIK, LASEK, IntraLase Bladeless LASIK, Presby LASIK and Corneal Onlays or Inlays.

PRK uses an excimer laser that smoothens the cornea into its normal shape, which consequently focuses light better and results in crisper vision. The procedure is suitable for nearsighted and farsighted individuals, but also works well for those who have astigmatism; Epi-LASIK is a procedure that doesn’t use alcohol to eliminate the cornea’s outer layer; LASEK is performed on thin corneas; IntraLase Bladeless LASIK, by the name itself, utilizes a second laser instead of a blade; The Corneal Onlays or Inlays merges with the surface of your eye.

What are the benefits of LASIK surgery?

LASIK surgery can actually correct many levels of nearsightedness and farsightedness. Individuals with myopia, or nearsightedness, often also have astigmatism. This makes the LASIK surgery effective for astigmatism as well.

Many individuals who suffer from astigmatism are comfortable with the idea of have LASIK surgery. This is the case usually because it is not painful.

The procedure used in LASIK surgery uses a laser, which makes it extremely precise and quick. The procedure can take just 5 to 10 minutes.

Most of the time, just one procedure is needed to get positive results. When more procedures are required, they are often required several years later.

Is LASIK surgery right for me?

If you have a really hard time seeing, then LASIK surgery is a good option for you. Have you always worn eyeglasses or contacts before? Have you often had trouble driving due to some visual problems? Have you found yourself straining to see, as you’ve gotten older? If you’ve answered one or more of these questions, you may want to discuss LASIK surgery with your doctor.

Where Can I Find The Right Doctor?

Eye doctors are highly trained professionals and many offer LASIK surgery. If you are unsure of where to go for LASIK surgery, just make a little bit of research and don’t hesitate to ask around. Ask for recommendations from family or friends who have tried LASIK surgery. Find out how many LASIK surgeries a doctor has performed, if equipment used is FDA-approved, if follow-up treatment and care is available after surgery, and finally, if you are comfortable with the exchange of information between you and the doctor.

For medical advice, consult with an eye care specialist.

Why wear contact lenses?

Contact lenses have long been preferred over eyeglasses in many cases. First, contact lenses are convenient. When you wear them, you won’t have any problems with fogging or having to take them on and off several times when you need to see near or far. Also, contact lenses can be aesthetically pleasing, where no one will be able to tell that you’re wearing corrective lenses.

What are the types of contact lenses available for astigmatism?

First of all, the special lenses made for astigmatism are called toric contact lenses. These lenses contain two powers that are made with curvatures at various angles. One curvature is made for astigmatism, and the other for myopia, which in most cases accompany astigmatism. Furthermore, toric lenses have mechanisms to keep the lens steady on your eye when movement or blinking is involved. Extreme clarity is also offered by toric contact lenses, as these are unable to rotate on the eye.

There are lenses that can decrease your eye’s spherical aberration, which goes alongside myopia and astigmatism. Those who need better and clearer vision—when toric lenses aren’t preferred—can use these lenses.

If you have mild astigmatism, a regular spherical RGP or spherical soft lens can be suitable. When you wear an RGP, your cornea will do some of the fixing for your mild astigmatism. This means that, to some point, it will naturally conform to the shape of the lens.

On the other hand, soft contact lenses may be fitted to your eye with higher-powered spherical soft lenses. However, this varies from one individual to another. Because of this, you may need to go through many fittings before finding the right one.

With the incredible functions of the toric contact lens, you may expect it to be limited when it comes to aesthetics and convenience. However, there are now toric contact lenses that are disposable, colored, and multifocal.

How do I care for contact lenses designed for astigmatism?

Contact lenses designed for astigmatism requires just about the same type of care when it comes to regular contact lenses. Before handling or cleaning your contacts, always wash, rinse and dry your hands well. When cleaning, use products specifically designed for the kind of contact lenses you have. Or better yet, follow the instructions given to you by your eye care professional. When you’re done using your lenses, take them out before you sleep to prevent infection. Finally, replace lenses when required.

This is not to be taken as medical advice. Visit an eye care professional if you’re thinking of correcting your astigmatism with contact lenses.

What is astigmatism?

Astigmatism is a visual impairment that causes you to see fine details with difficulty. For example, lines and other shapes may look to you as slanted, bent, or slightly distorted. Patients oftentimes complain about astigmatism as seeing things accompanied by blurriness.

When you have astigmatism, the cornea in your eye is shaped more like a football than a round sphere. Most corneas that are astigmatic consist of one steeper curve and a flatter one. In this case, the light tends to focus more on one point in the eye, which in turn causes you to see with a blurred vision.

It is indicated in research studies that one in three people experience astigmatism. Furthermore, it has been found that astigmatism gets worse as we get older. Some individuals have mild astigmatism, which is often unnoticed. On the other hand, higher levels of astigmatism causes blurred vision that is obvious. Astigmatism often causes one to feel tired, experience headaches, or squint a lot. Whether you are nearsighted or farsighted, chances are you also have astigmatism.

How is astigmatism diagnosed?

There are many tests available today that can be used to diagnose astigmatism. Ophthalmologists and optometrists usually conduct eye examinations. A common eye examination used to determine astigmatism is the visual acuity test. This test analyses the focusing power of the eye at various distances. This means that the refractive error of the eye is being measured. A keratometer, corneal topographer, phoropter or autrefractor may be used during an eye examination.

How is astigmatism treated?

Oftentimes wearing contact lenses or spectacles can treat astigmatism. Toric lenses are especially made for those with astigmatism and has a cylinder that focuses light with increased clarity. Spectacles that are used to treat astigmatism have lenses that have different radii of curvature in different planes, as in cylindrical lenses.

Surgical correction is a more radical option. Individuals diagnosed with astigmatism can undergo corneal modification. They can also undergo a procedure called laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, commonly known as LASIK surgery. In this procedure, a flap is cut through the top part of the cornea, where a laser eliminates corneal tissue before the flap is placed back to its original position. Another procedure is the astigmatic keratotomy, where incisions are made on the steepest curves of the cornea.

The information in this article should not be taken as medical advice. If you think you have astigmatism and need visual correction with any of the treatments mentioned, visit your healthcare provider.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astigmatism

http://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/astigmatism_diagnosis.htm

http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/a/astigmatism/prevalence.htm

http://www.stlukeseye.com/Conditions/Astigmatism.asp

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/astigmatism