Treatment options for astigmatism
- Posted on: May 15 2021
Astigmatism is a common imperfection in the curvature of the eye, which causes blurred distance and near vision. If you think you have astigmatism or have been diagnosed with it, you may be wondering what your treatment options are. Read on to learn more about astigmatism.
Symptoms
If you have astigmatism, you likely experience blurred or distorted vision, double vision, eyestrain, headaches, squinting and trouble with night vision. Symptoms may improve or worsen over time.
Causes
The cornea is the transparent layer of tissue on the front of the eye that protects the eye from debris and infection, but it also helps with focusing. If the cornea is irregularly shaped, light rays entering the eye won’t focus properly, resulting in blurred vision.
Heredity plays a big role in the development of astigmatism. Eye injury, disease and surgery may also cause astigmatism.
Diagnosis
It’s important to have regular eye exams to help you stay on top of the health of your eyes. If you are experiencing blurred vision, a comprehensive eye exam will diagnosis the problem. This includes a visual acuity test to check clarity, keratometry to measure the curvature of the cornea, and a refraction test to measure focus. For children who can’t yet read, a retinoscopy may be done.
Treatment
There are many non-surgical and surgical treatment options for astigmatism. Often patients start with more conservative treatment options such as eyeglasses, hard contact lenses and soft contact lenses. LASIK surgery is one of the refractive surgical treatments for astigmatism. Patients who have severe astigmatism may have to wear eyeglasses or contact lenses even after surgery.
Other considerations
Astigmatism is usually easily treatable with eyeglasses or contact lenses. It can worsen over time, which is why it’s important to have regular eye exams.
Left untreated, astigmatism can lead to lazy eye in children, but it doesn’t pose any threats to overall eye health. But the blurred vision, headaches and eye strain are often enough to seek treatment for relief. If you are interested in learning more, schedule your next eye appointment by calling our Everett office at (425) 259-2020.
Posted in: Astigmatism
