Astigmatism is an eye condition involving an irregular curve of the eye’s lens or the cornea. Approximately 60% of people have astigmatism to some degree, making it quite common. Despite its prevalence, people often have many questions about astigmatism and how it impacts ocular health.
Here, we’ll answer some of the most common questions on astigmatism to help you better understand and live with this condition:
What Causes Astigmatism?
Astigmatism can be caused by an irregularity in the cornea, the natural lens of the eye, or both. However, this condition is most often caused by the cornea.
What Symptoms Does Astigmatism Cause?
With astigmatism, light is distorted when it penetrates the eye through the cornea. This typically causes blurred vision at a distance and often nearby, too. People with astigmatism may also experience distorted vision, headaches, eyestrain, eye discomfort, and trouble with night vision.
Astigmatism of less than ½ diopter doesn’t typically cause symptoms. But, astigmatism of over 1 diopter will definitely impact the patient’s vision.
How Can I Tell If I Have Astigmatism?
You can find out whether or not you have astigmatism at your regular eye exam. If your optometrist or ophthalmologist diagnoses astigmatism, they can recommend a treatment plan to improve your vision and resolve any other symptoms that you’re experiencing.
How is Astigmatism Treated?
The main treatment for astigmatism includes corrective lenses. You may opt for contact lenses or glasses. However, if you have only very slight astigmatism and aren’t nearsighted or farsighted, you likely won’t need corrective lenses.
Astigmatism can also be corrected in patients with cataracts who undergo cataract surgery. A cataract occurs when the eye’s natural lens becomes cloudy. In cataract surgery, the cloudy lens is removed and replaced with an artificial lens to restore the patient’s vision. If you have astigmatism along with cataracts, you can have astigmatism-correcting lens implants placed in cataract surgery. This will eliminate both the cataract and astigmatism for excellent vision.
Dr. Mahootchi at The Eye Clinic of Florida is one of the top cataract surgeons in the country, with over 25 years of experience in correcting astigmatism. To learn more about astigmatism correction during cataract surgery, schedule a free screening at our office today!