What Is Astigmatism
What is it?
Astigmatism comes about when the front end portion of the eye, the cornea, is not a regular symmetric moonlike shape. Rather, its mold is rather like that of the back of a spoon - longer in one fashion than another. Because the cornea is an jagged form, the eye can’t focus light passing through it sharply on to the back of the eye or retina. So vision is hazy at all distances.
What causes it?
As the eye forms in the womb, diverse components specify the shape of it, including inherited genetic factors and nurture. Apparently these elements can cause an crooked curvature of the cornea, although the exact cause isn’t known.
Who’s affected?
Most people have a slight astigmatism
Astigmatism is not unusual and is normally present when a person is born. Most people have a unimportant astigmatism - it’s exceptional for the cornea to have developed in a perfectly symmetrical style. But in mild cases, the eye can adjust to focus light adequately.
In many examples of astigmatism the individual also has different optical problems such as short-sightedness or long-sightedness. Two-thirds of people with short-sightedness also have significant astigmatism.
What are the symptoms?
In severe astigmatism, vision is hazy or distorted whether the individual is reading close up or looking further into the distance.
In milder cases the individual may complain their vision is hazy at certain distances, that they’ve tired or dry eyes, that it is a struggle to focus or read, or that they’ve headaches, especially when trying to focus.
How is it diagnosed?
Astigmatism should be diagnosed by a specified optometrist, ophthalmic surgeon or eye specialist. A full optometric examination should be done to assess the degree and extent of the problem.
Teeny children, who may not be able to deal with the optometrist’s questions about what they can see, can be assessed using a test called retinoscopy that involves reflected light.
What’s the treatment?
By and large, astigmatism can be corrected by wearing properly fitted glasses or contact lenses.
Milder astigmatism may not need treatment unless the individual is doing a job that puts intensive demands on the eyes, for example, computer work.
In some cases, astigmatism can be corrected by an operation called refractive surgery, which reshapes the cornea.
For some people another option is laser treatment. If you are considering this form of therapy, ensure that you speak to your surgeon about the good and bad points before you make your decision.
