Focus your eyes on a specific object for 20 seconds. Then, slowly move your eyes clockwise in circles. By relaxing the rectus muscles, you reduce the stress placed on the cornea and restore muscle balance around the eyes.
Eye massages are an effective and relaxing way to reduce strain for those suffering from astigmatism. This exercise is effective because it helps restore the shape of the lens as astigmatism is when the lens has been distorted.
One natural way to treat astigmatism is to be aware of your head tilting. If you're tilting to one side, try tilting your head in the opposite direction of what feels most comfortable. It will feel uncomfortable at first. Your muscles are used to doing the wrong thing and need retraining.
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.
“Astigmatism can be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses, and refractive surgery — like LASIK. It also can be corrected during cataract surgery,” Gary Heiting, OD, an optometrist and senior editor at All About Vision tells WebMD Connect to Care.
Can astigmatism go away on its own? Astigmatism will not go away on its own. It will either stay the same or get worse with age. While this reality can seem daunting, the good news is that it can be easily corrected.
Astigmatism surgery
Having surgery is the only way to permanently correct astigmatism. However, your type and degree of astigmatism, corneal thickness, age and other eye conditions are all factors in whether surgery is the best option — and if so, which type of surgery.
There are actually indications that stress of the eye can cause, or more often worsen, the condition and that eliminating these stressors can improve astigmatism of the eye. There are two different types of astigmatism: regular and irregular.
What causes astigmatism? Astigmatism happens when your cornea or lens has a different shape than normal. The shape makes light bend differently as it enters your eye, causing a refractive error. Doctors don't know what causes astigmatism, and there's no way to prevent it.
Astigmatism is a type of refractive error caused when either the cornea or the lens has mismatched curves. This makes vision blurry because there are two image points.
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.
In most cases, very young children “outgrow” astigmatism; however, the likelihood of outgrowing astigmatism decreases after ages 5 to 6. After the age of 25, astigmatism will typically stay the same. It can also gradually worsen with age or due to other eye conditions.
Astigmatism does not always require the use of glasses. A person can have slight astigmatism and still see clearly. Similar to the rest of the body, the eyes change over time, so regular eye checks with your local optometrist are of importance.
Worsening astigmatism can be treated with corrective lenses and surgical procedures like LASIK or lense replacement. Talk to your doctor to find the best option for you.
If you have astigmatism, light that enters your eye is bent more than it should be. The light can't properly focus on your retina. This means only parts of an object you're looking at are in focus. That uneven focus makes objects look blurry or wavy.
The amount of astigmatism (visual distortion) that is caused by an irregularly shaped cornea. If this box is empty, it means that there is no astigmatism and your eyes are perfectly spherical. A low number like 0.25 means your eyes are not quite round and a higher number like 3.00 means your eyes are quite oval.
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).
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.
Astigmatism can make your vision blurry and particularly affect your night vision. You may notice that lights look fuzzy, streaky, or surrounded by haloes at night, which can make driving difficult.
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.
One vitamin that is really good for astigmatism is vitamin A. Some great natural sources for vitamin A include dark green vegetables (such as spinach), sweet potatoes, carrots, and winter squash. Eating a diet rich in these vegetables will ensure you are getting enough vitamin A for your daily needs.
Probably the most important thing to note about astigmatism is that it can worsen due to eye rubbing.
People with diabetes commonly develop lenticular astigmatism because high blood sugar levels can cause the lens to change shape. The process usually develops slowly and is generally detected when the patient starts receiving treatment for the diabetes.