If left untreated, astigmatism can cause complications. For example, a lazy eye (amblyopia) can occur when a person has astigmatism in only one eye, or the astigmatism in one eye is worse than the other, and the condition isn't corrected. Additionally, astigmatism can sometimes cause eye strain and headaches.
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.
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.
The smooth surface of the cornea warps when this happens. Keratoconus occurs when your cornea begins to thin and bulge outward in a cone-like shape, resulting in blurry vision and light sensitivity. This condition can slowly progress with time.
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.
In order to be considered Legally Blind, you must have a CORRECTED visual acuity of no more than 20/200. Corrected visual acuity is your vision with corrective lenses- glasses or contact lenses. Most people who are nearsighted or farsighted or have astigmatism are fully correctable to 20/20.
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.
Between . 75 and 2 diopters is considered mild astigmatism. Between 2 and 4 diopters is moderate astigmatism, and 4 or more diopters is considered significant or “bad” astigmatism. Generally, eyes with 1.5 diopters of astigmatism or more require correction.
Astigmatism is a common visual impairment for which many veterans may not realize they could collect disability compensation.
Like eyeglasses, contact lenses can correct most astigmatism. They are available in a variety of types and styles. Contact lenses are also used in a procedure called orthokeratology. In orthokeratology, rigid contact lenses are worn during the night while sleeping until the curvature of the eye evens out.
Astigmatism occurs when either the front surface of the eye (cornea) or the lens inside the eye has mismatched curves. Instead of having one curve like a round ball, the surface is egg-shaped. This causes blurred vision at all distances.
If you've already been diagnosed with astigmatism, you know this condition can cause blurry vision and make it difficult to see at night, especially when driving. If you're seeing beams of light or light halos when driving at night, astigmatism may be the cause—and you should consult your eye doctor.
Astigmatism can cause fatigue if you are concentrating on a visual task (reading, computer use, driving, etc.) for a long period of time. Your focussing system is constantly adjusting, trying to achieve a sharp image which the astigmatic eye cannot produce without optical correction.
Symptoms of astigmatism will grow worse over time
If you have astigmatism, and have not had it corrected it through surgical means, there's a significant chance you'll notice the quality of your vision declining over time. This deterioration can happen slowly…but eventually, it'll become all too difficult to ignore.
Axis – The third number indicates the direction of your astigmatism. For example, an axis of 180 degrees means the astigmatism is horizontal. If your prescription doesn't have a second or third number, you most likely don't have astigmatism.
In those that have symptoms, astigmatism may cause: Blurred or distorted vision, which may cause you to squint. Headaches. Lightheadedness.
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.
According to a 2018 study published in Acta Ophthalmologica, astigmatism remains relatively stable until 50 years of age. After age 60, overall lens curvature increases progressively with each decade of life.
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.
Typically, eye doctors will set their limits to +6 for farsightedness, -12 for nearsightedness, and 6 diopters for astigmatism. However, not all laser strengths are the same, so there's some wiggle room.
The signs of astigmatism and myopia can be similar in that they will both result in blurry or distorted vision. However, myopia occurs when objects far away appear blurred, while astigmatism will also make it more difficult to distinguish certain shapes.
Simply put, if your prescription is -2.5 or lower, this means that you are legally blind. Visual acuity of -2.5 is equivalent to 20/200 vision. Visual acuity of -3.0, for instance, means that you have 20/250 or 20/300 vision. From there, visual acuity of -4.0 means that you have 20/400 vision.
Blindness is also defined as visual acuity of less than 3/60, or corresponding visual field loss to less than 10 degrees, in the better eye with best possible correction.