Astigmatism is a common vision condition that affects many people around the world. It occurs when the cornea or lens of the eye is not perfectly round, causing blurred or distorted vision. In this blog post, we will explore what causes astigmatism, what it is, and how astigmatism is treated.
What Is Astigmatism?
Astigmatism is a common vision problem that simply means the cornea is shaped irregularly. You may think of the cornea as a basketball and when you introduce astigmatism the basketball now looks more like a football. The severity level of the astigmatism determines what treatment route is recommended.
What Causes Astigmatism?
Although most are born with their astigmatism, some people develop it later in life by injury, illness, or surgery. It can increase or decrease over time. Extensive use of your computer, phone, or television cannot cause astigmatism.
How Is Astigmatism Treated?
Astigmatism is typically treated with glasses or contacts. It may be added to your existing prescription or in other cases you may only need the prescription for the astigmatism correction. For those interested in a more permanent solution, laser eye surgery may be an option.
What If I Choose Not to Treat My Astigmatism?
If you allow significant astigmatism to go untreated, it will continue to cause blurred vision and make it difficult for you to fully see the world around you.
Untreated astigmatism in children may also create a “lazy eye” effect, especially if only one eye is impacted or if one eye is impacted worse than the other.
Uncorrected astigmatism may cause headaches and eye strain in adults. If your vision is significantly blurred, you may not be legally able to drive without vision correction.
It is important to schedule annual eye exams and report any vision changes to your doctor right away.
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