Astigmatism is the medical term that means the shape of your eye is more curved than it should be. It's a type of refractive error — an extremely common eye condition that causes blurred vision. Usually, eyes are round, like a baseball. If you have astigmatism, your eye is shaped like a football or the back of a spoon.
Astigmatism makes your eye football-shaped, and it interferes with the eye's ability to focus images. Blurry vision is the main symptom of astigmatism, but the only way to know what's causing your vision problems is a diagnosis from an eye doctor.
Symptoms of astigmatism will grow worse over time
However, there is some good news: astigmatism isn't an eye disease, this change in vision poses no real threat to your overall eye health—it may just make things look even blurrier than they did before.
Astigmatism distorts rays of light in a way that is similar to a funhouse mirror, making objects look wider, taller or thinner than they really are. Astigmatism is very common. In fact, most people have some degree of astigmatism. In most cases, people with astigmatism are born with this condition.
Astigmatism Can Look Shadowy
Caused by the same focal point issue as blurry vision, incorrect eye curvature can make it look like every object has a translucent, ghost-like shadow. Whether a patient sees objects as blurry or shadowy, they certainly do not see with clear vision.
When you have astigmatism, some of the bold lines will look blurrier than others. It may look like some are drawn with a black marker and others are faded. That's because the abnormal curve of your eye makes parts of a picture more or less clear.
With astigmatism, the lens of the eye or the cornea, which is the front surface of the eye, has an irregular curve. This can change the way light passes, or refracts, to your retina, causing blurry, fuzzy, or distorted vision.
Usually astigmatism above 1 degree causes much visual disturbance. If your vision is affected a lot, you should wear glasses to help your eyes not have to adjust too much. For people with low or low myopia, if eye fatigue and dry eyes do not appear but can still see clearly, they do not need to wear glasses regularly.
How common is astigmatism? Astigmatism is a common refractive error, occurring in about 1 in 3 of all people. Astigmatism is often present at birth but it can also develop over time, and most often occurs with myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness).
Most times astigmatism is not a serious eye condition, but causes eye strain and fatigue – impacting school and office performances. However, astigmatism can sometimes hide a sight-threatening eye condition. Astigmatism, like myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness), is a common refractive error.
Glasses or contacts can correct almost all cases of astigmatism. But if you have only a slight astigmatism and no other vision problems, you may not need them. If you have a common level of astigmatism, you'll probably have corrective lenses, like glasses or contacts, or surgery.
Can Glasses Help Astigmatism? Yes, glasses can correct astigmatism and dramatically clarify your eyesight. Glasses for astigmatism are fitted with corrective cylindrical lenses that help to properly refract light onto the retina of the eye.
A significant difference between the prescriptions in each eye — often due to farsightedness but sometimes to nearsightedness or an uneven surface curve of the eye (astigmatism) — can result in lazy eye. Glasses or contact lenses are typically used to correct these refractive problems.
Astigmatism frequently worsens with age. Your cornea can become more irregular due to pressure from your eyelids as they lose muscle tone. Astigmatism generally stays stable until your turn 50. After then, your lens curvature progressively worsens each decade.
If left untreated, astigmatism may cause eyestrain, headaches, and blurry vision. If you have astigmatism you may not see objects in the distance or near without some form of distortion.
Astigmatism is a common visual impairment for which many veterans may not realize they could collect disability compensation.
A: No, if you have astigmatism, it's essential that you wear specialized contact lenses because your condition can worsen if not. Regular contact lenses do not cover your cornea's entirety, which will impair your ability to see even further.
In fact, excessive screen time can even cause digital eye strain, particularly for those with uncorrected astigmatism. Fortunately, blue light blocking lenses can alleviate this discomfort, and make working on your laptop or texting on your phone much more enjoyable.
By doing eye exercises every day, you can improve poor vision due to astigmatism. You don't need to resort to eye surgery or surrender to a lifetime of eyeglasses. There are natural and easy ways to repair your vision yourself. Practice these eye exercises and a few more, and take a daily eye vitamin.
Does astigmatism affect night driving? Driving at night is difficult enough for those with perfect vision — but for people with astigmatism, it can be even more difficult. In low light conditions, the blurry vision associated with astigmatism can become worse.
Can You go Blind with Astigmatism? Astigmatism can lead to reduced vision, but blindness is not a risk. However, it may be difficult for people with astigmatism to read and write without glasses or contacts because of the blurriness in the distance.
Astigmatism can make it seem like you are nearsighted and farsighted at the same time. You can have 20/20 vision and still have astigmatism.