Astigmatism may seem like a complicated eye problem, but it merely means that the shape of your eye isn’t entirely round. Almost every person’s eye shape isn’t perfect as well to some degree.
An eyeball has a perfectly round shape when it’s normal. The light penetrates it as it bends evenly. Thus, giving you a crystal-clear view of everything. But if your eye has an irregular shape, then the light bents in a single direction than another. Once that happens, your eye can only focus on one part of the object. But what causes it?
Primary causes of astigmatism
Most people are naturally born with a slight curvature on their eyeballs. Although there’s no exact cause for those with this naturally born condition, some people can acquire astigmatism through an in injury. Some people can also get it through an eye disease as well as surgery.
It can also occur due to keratoconus. It’s a rare eye condition that affects the cornea, making it thinner and cone-shaped. This eye condition can result in a severe level of astigmatism. Thus, causing the person to suffer from poor vision. Wearing onsite prescription eyewear is the best solution to alleviate its effects.
How to diagnose astigmatism
Seeing an optometrist is the best way to know if you have astigmatism. He will perform an eye examination and check for astigmatism measures to see how your eye focus the light. It will also determine the degree of optical lenses that you’ll need to help improve your vision.
Part of the eye examination includes visual acuity and topography. Visual acuity is where you need to read letters on a chart placed at a certain distance while topography is a device that measures the curvature of a person’s cornea.
Another part of the eye examination is refraction. It uses a phoropter to measure how your eyes focus on the light. The optometrist uses an automated device that measures the focusing ability of a person’s eye. Once he already receives the focusing ability of your eye, he will use the data to determine the lenses that will allow the best vision.
The optometrist needs the results to conclude if your condition. He will also use the findings to know the right lens to give you a more comfortable vision.
Treating astigmatism
Most people who have astigmatism commonly requires wearing contacts or glasses to have better eyesight. But there are times when irregular astigmatism can happen which will need you to undergo other forms of procedure.
Aside from corrective glasses, another option to treat astigmatism is through refractive surgery. This treatment helps change the shape of a person’s cornea. There are various types of refractive surgery. That’s why you need your doctor’s advice to choose the one that suits you best.
If you have astigmatism, then it’s best to see your doctor about it. Doing so will help you choose the best treatment that meets your lifestyle and visual needs.