What Is Astigmatism?

By Author: rajat ziffytech
Total Articles: 22
Comment this article

Astigmatism is a common eye problem. The problem is caused by imperfections in the curvature of your eyes causing blurred distance or near vision. Normally your corneas and eye lens are smooth and uniformly curved in all directions. Astigmatism is a refractive error caused by the irregular shape of your cornea.

Astigmatism is a common eye problem that can usually occur with myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness). We can diagnose the problem with a simple eye exam.

Astigmatism is a refractive error and is not an eye disease. Your eye has a problem focusing light.

Astigmatism can be because of a congenital defect or can occur when you are older. Some people have a combination of myopia and hyperopia.

Symptoms
Symptoms of astigmatism are:-
• Blurry vision or distorted vision.
• Eye strain or discomfort.
• Squinting your eyes to see clearly.
• Headache
• Difficulty seeing at night.

Book an ophthalmologist in Mumbai if you have any of these symptoms or your vision prevents you from enjoying or interfere with everyday tasks. Children ...
... may not realize they have eye problems you should get your child’s vision tested periodically.

Causes
Astigmatism is caused by asymmetrically shaped corneas. Our eye has two curved surfaces (cornea and lens) that refract light onto your retina. When the cornea and lens are perfectly shaped you get a focused image on your retinas.

Refractive error is caused when either your lens or cornea has mismatched curves. The imperfect refractive images cause blurred images. The blurred vision may be horizontal direction, vertical or diagonal direction.

Astigmatism can be a congenital defect or may develop after an injury or surgery. The condition is not caused or made worse by reading in poor light, sitting too close to the television or squinting.

There are three types of Astigmatism are:-
• Myopic astigmatism is when your cornea has curved too much or your eye is longer than normal. The condition makes distant objects look blurry.
• Hyperopia occurs when your cornea has curved too little or your eye is shorter than normal. The condition makes the near object look blurry.
• Mixed astigmatism occurs when your corneas are irregularly shaped. One eye may have myopia and the other hyperopia.

Diagnosis
The best ophthalmologist in Mumbai will diagnose astigmatism during an eye examination. During the examination, they will check the health of your eyes. They may use the following tests:-
Visual acuity assessment test – you will have to read letters and numbers from a chart.

The Refractive test uses a machine called optical refractor where the ophthalmologist near me tries to find the lens while you read the letter and number chart.

Keratometry helps the ophthalmologist determine the curvature of your cornea.

Treatment
The best ophthalmologist in Mumbai treats mild-to-moderate astigmatism by prescribes eyeglasses or contact lenses. The glasses or contact lenses help to compensate for the uneven curvature of your cornea or lens.

Orthokeratology (ortho-K) a procedure where you wear rigid contact lenses at night to even out the curvature of your eyes. You were the lenses less frequently to maintain the newly corrected shape.

The ophthalmologist near me may suggest a refractive surgery. Small knives or laser is used to reshape the curves of your cornea. Since it is laser surgery, there are some risks associated with the procedures. Discuss the pros and cons with your doctor.

It is important to treat astigmatism as soon as possible. Once diagnosed, you need to visit your ophthalmologist to make sure prescription has not changed.