Visiting an optometric eye care center solves the issues you’ve been having with astigmatism. Why? Find several essential facts below that speak about astigmatism.
7 Facts About Astigmatism
1. Astigmatism: Refractive Error
The cornea and lens focus light rays on the retina – this happens when the eyes are normal. But in astigmatism, the image’s focal point is in front and beyond the retina. As a result, both near and far objects appear blurred due to uneven focusing of light to the back of the eye.
This eye condition is characterized by an imperfect shape of the cornea or on the shape of our eye’s lens. As a rule, the lens and the cornea are curved and smooth. It’s like saying they are shaped in equally if measured from all directions.
A perfectly normal cornea directs light rays back to the retina easily. If they are shaped otherwise, proper refraction of the light rays is not possible; hence, referring to astigmatism as a refractive error.
Characteristics of Types of Astigmatism
Corneal astigmatism: Irregularly shaped cornea
Lenticular astigmatism: Distorted shaped lens
2. Why it Lowers Confidence Levels in Patients
While it’s right to say that astigmatism is just a common eye problem, left untreated, it leads patients to lose confidence within themselves.
Children tend to lose interest in achieving more school or in sports due to distorted vision and other irregular eye conditions. On the other hand, adults also tend to experience the same but on a peer-to-peer level and they usually experience low morale not just in the workplace but even in private lives.
3. Detection
To know if you have astigmatism, you should be experiencing the following symptoms:
Eyestrain
Squinting
Headaches
Blurred or distorted vision at any distance
Difficulty seeing things at night, especially when driving
With these symptoms at hand, you should be visiting the nearest optometric eye care center to undergo a routine eye exam the soonest possible time. If you are using prescription glasses or contacts, ask for a new prescription from your eye doctor.
4. Causes
Some people are born with certain degrees of astigmatism. They can have this eye condition alongside other refractive errors such as hyperopia or myopia. Other patients would never find out about the issue until the condition is aggravated by age.
Younger children may not be aware of the symptoms unless parents may see for themselves that their kids are not performing well in school or joining in outdoor activities. Children are not good at observing how their eyes perform. They will just notice that they can’t see clearly and some distant or very near images appear would appear as unusual.
5. Optometric Eye Care Center Diagnosis
The best way to know if you have astigmatism is to visit a top optometrist in Mississauga. Completing a dilated eye exam in Mississauga optometry center makes way for accurate diagnosis of your eye condition. So, why wait for you to stumble in front of a crowd when you can have your eyes checked to see if they are functioning effectively?
6. Risk Factors
It is said that both young children and adults can be affected by astigmatism. Nevertheless, changes may not be noticeable for the younger patients like when the effect is just a mild one. Therefore, eye examinations done regularly can help monitor the eyes of the patients whether young or old.
7. Treatment
Treatments for astigmatism vary depending on the type of lifestyle a patient embraces. A choice between wearing contact lenses or eyeglasses may be decided by patients themselves. It is also a good idea to undergo refractive surgery to alter the cornea’s shape permanently.
Helpful Insights:
Eyeglasses: This is the simplest way of treating this eye condition. Eyeglasses could be the cheapest option but take note that other patients would rather wear designer eyeglass frames than those that are sold dirt cheap.
The main point is if they purchase cheaper frames, the lifespan is short. In the long run, they’d be spending more money as they keep on changing from one frame to another. Another point of argument is the type of lens. Of course, having been prescribed with a monovision lens is cheaper than that of the double vision type.
Contact Lenses: These are highly preferred by people with active lifestyles. There is more freedom as there are no obstructions in front of the eyes. There’s also nothing to worry about the eyeglass falling down while doing tasks that requires mobility like indulging in sports activities.
Contacts provide a wider focus and a more accurate refraction. The only thing you have to worry about is getting it fitted by the right professional. Contact lens fitting should be done by experts.
Refractive Surgery: The purpose of this type of surgery is to reshape or shall we say, “re-landscape” the cornea on a permanent level. Reshaping it leads to regaining focusing power of your eyes resulting to improved eyesight.
Visiting a seasoned optometrist at your nearby optometric eye care center is a good idea. You can get professional advice regarding the types of refractive surgeries available and one that is most appropriate for your eye condition.