Astigmatism means that your eyes are focusing as though oval shaped, and not perfectly round. As a result, your eyesight can be slightly blurry. Some people may notice this more at a particular distance, but usually it makes things look blurry both at distance and close up
Astigmatism is caused by an unusual curve of the eye’s cornea or lens. When your cornea or lens does not have an even curvature, light rays are not refracted correctly. With astigmatism you experience distorted or blurry vision at nearby and far away distances.
Be aware that astigmatism is very commonplace. Doctors do not understand why corneal shape varies from individual to individual and they do not know the probability of forming astigmatism.
Astigmatism can form after an eye injury, eye disease or surgery.
Uncorrected astigmatism may cause the same symptoms as longsightedness and shortsightedness, or have no symptoms at all, but it may cause someone to struggle with tasks that should be easy.
Astigmatism symptoms may include:
If you have astigmatism, your George & Matilda Eyecare optometrist can help you see more clearly and more comfortably by prescribing glasses or contact lenses to aid your vision. They can also advise on other options such as orthokeratology and laser corrective surgery.
In some cases, the corneas may be very irregular and more advanced management may be necessary to prevent any eyesight loss. This is known as keratoconus.
Speak to your George & Matilda Eyecare optometrist if you have any concerns or questions about your vision or eye health.