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.
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.
Astigmatism is extremely common – many people have some degree of astigmatism. For the majority of people, mild astigmatism does not cause significant vision changes and therefore does not need correction. However, when astigmatism causes blurred or distorted vision, correction is necessary.
Either type of astigmatism can cause blurred vision. Blurred vision may occur more in one direction: horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Astigmatism may be present from birth, or it may develop after an eye injury, disease or surgery.
Wearing glasses can't make astigmatism worse, even if they are the wrong prescription. Astigmatism is caused by the shape of the eye's cornea or lens, and glasses can't change those.
Moderate Astigmatism 1.00 to 2.00 diopters. High Astigmatism 2.00 to 4.00 diopters. Extreme Astigmatism > 4.00 diopters.
Astigmatism is not an eye disease or health problem. While it can cause blurred vision, eye strain, and headaches, particularly after prolonged reading, it does not cause blindness.
It is easily corrected, and although astigmatism can cause your vision to be blurry it rarely causes any permanent damage to the health of your eyes. If you experience blurred vision, headaches or eye strain, having a complete eye exam may lead to a diagnosis and treatment of this easily-dealt-with condition.
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.
People who have about 1.5 or more diopters of astigmatism usually opt to have corrective treatment such as glasses, contacts, or eye surgery.
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.
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.
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.
Eyeglasses and contacts can correct astigmatism, but they cannot change the actual shape of your eye to permanently fix the problem. When you add up the cost of glasses and contacts over the years, a permanent fix for astigmatism with LASIK vision correction surgery can be a cost-effective alternative.
The risk of astigmatism increased with both the total years of exposure and the average daily duration of screen exposure. Our findings suggested that preschoolers who were exposed to screens during early life might have an increased risk of astigmatism.
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.
The results showed that smartphone use while walking for only 30 minutes significantly increased corneal H/V astigmatism, but was not significant for use while sitting (Fig 1, two-way ANOVA repeated measures: experimental conditions X time interaction: F(1, 28) = 8.09, p = 0.008).
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 change over time and get worse, so you might need glasses or contacts eventually, even if you don't at first.
Probably the most important thing to note about astigmatism is that it can worsen due to eye rubbing.
There's no known way to prevent astigmatism. If you're at risk for keratoconus, it's best not to rub your eyes as much as you can.
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.
When we squint it creates the same effect as looking through a pinhole. Basically only a small amount of focused central light rays are allowed into the eye. This prevents the unfocused light rays in the periphery from reaching the retina. The result is better vision.
How Does Astigmatism Affect Your Vision at Night? People with astigmatism often report that it is more difficult to see and focus at night than during the day. The reason for this is that the pupil dilates in low light to allow more light into the eye to see.