While some people may not even notice they have astigmatism, others may suffer from blurry vision, headaches, or strained eyes. For these, an ophthalmologist will recommend corrective lenses or surgery. Each case is different, and your eye doctor is there to help you find the best solution for your eyes.
Understanding Astigmatism
Astigmatism is a very common refractory eye condition in which either the lense or the cornea is shaped incorrectly. A perfect eyeball is completely spherical, like a globe. Eyes with astigmatism have irregularly shaped corneas (corneal astigmatism) or lenses (lenticular astigmatism), resulting in a football shape instead. The light that enters the eye does not bend correctly, so the eye cannot focus on a single point, and the object of interest appears blurry.
Astigmatism can be myopic (things are only clear up close), hyperopic (things are only clear far away), or a combination of both. Additionally, astigmatism is either regular or irregular, when the problem comes from scarring on the cornea due to injury or surgery, or a thinning cornea, such as that caused by keratoconus.
Corrective Lenses
Corrective lenses can be either contacts or glasses. Since many cases of astigmatism occur alongside myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness), corrective lenses may already be necessary, but in some cases it is astigmatism causing the near- or farsightedness. Following a complete eye check up, involving both a visual exam and tests to see how well the eyes can view images as a pair and at varying distances, your eye doctor can provide a specific prescription.
If the astigmatism is irregular, very specific contacts, called rigid gas permeable contact lenses, must be used. These lenses allow more oxygen to reach the eye while the contacts are in, which makes the eyes healthier overall.
Surgery
Refractory or laser eye surgery is an increasingly popular permanent alternative to having to wear glasses or contacts every day. The shape of the eye is changed to allow light to enter and break properly, alleviating the astigmatism. Optical surgery to correct myopia or hyperopia is different, and if these conditions occur in tandem, that must be taken into account. However, if the astigmatism is very severe, it is possible surgery will not be an option.
