Astigmatism is a vision condition caused by refractive error, similar to nearsightedness and farsightedness. An eye with astigmatism isn’t diseased or unhealthy; it simply has trouble focusing light. It’s more common than you’d think as well: about one in three people suffer from this condition. People with astigmatism no longer need to depend on corrective lenses—astigmatism can often be treated with LASIK.
What Is Astigmatism?
In order to understand how astigmatism occurs and exactly how it impacts your vision, let’s cover some basics on how the eye works. In basic terms, light passes through the cornea and is focused by the lens. The focused light hits the retina at the back of the eye and is transmitted to the brain.
Astigmatism is caused by an imperfection in this process – most commonly an oddly shaped cornea. An analogy that’s often used to describe this is to say that the cornea is shaped like a football rather than like a baseball. This causes light to focus in two or more places rather than one, leading to blurry vision at some or all distances. This condition is thought to be inherited, but can also arise as a result of a cornea-damaging eye injury.
When to See a Doctor
Like any vision problem, you should make an appointment with your eye doctor if your vision problems begin to impact negatively your life. Blurry vision can take away from your ability to enjoy your favorite activities and your daily tasks. If you’re noticing your vision makes sports, reading, driving, or any other activities difficult it’s a perfect time to go see an eye doctor.
How is Astigmatism Diagnosed?
In order to diagnose astigmatism, your eye doctor will need to perform a comprehensive eye exam. Your eye doctor will use different specialized instruments to measure how your eye focuses light. If a problem is detected, your doctor may diagnose astigmatism and discuss options for treatment.
Treating Astigmatism with LASIK
Mild and moderate cases of astigmatism are traditionally treated with corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses. Now, laser corrective treatment is capable of permanently correcting astigmatism without the need for corrective lenses. High-precision LASIK technology can reshape the cornea from the problematic “football shape” to the desired “baseball shape”. This refocuses your eye and can usually eliminate astigmatism-related blurry vision in a single session.
The LASIK process can eliminate the need for corrective lenses from your life. Day-to-day activities can be carried out without need for eyeglasses and the hassle of contacts need no longer affect your morning routine. Keep in mind – there may be some patients with severe astigmatism that do not qualify for LASIK surgery.
If you have mild to moderate astigmatism, the specialists at Illinois Eye Center will work with you to change your vision (if you’re determined to be a good candidate) through LASIK.