Answering 3 Common Questions About Astigmatism

Dr. Steven Soong of Bright Vision Optometry answers 3 common questions about astigmatism.

If you have astigmatism, or know someone that has astigmatism, watch this video to learn more about this mysterious eye condition.

1. What is astigmatism?

Astigmatism is a common imperfection in the eye's curvature which causes blurred vision for both far and near objects.

Squinting, distorted vision especially at night, eyestrain, ghosting or hazy vision and headaches are some signs you may have astigmatism.

Now keep in mind, these signs are very similar to nearsightedness. In fact it’s common to have astigmatism with nearsightedness. It’s also common to have astigmatism with farsightedness as well. With that said, there are some people out there with just astigmatism and no associated nearsightedness or farsightedness.

2. What causes astigmatism?

To understand the cause of astigmatism, let's do a quick eye anatomy lesson. We'll use this soccer ball and football for demonstration.

Let's pretend these differently shaped balls represent the cornea or the very front surface of your eyes.

As you can see, the soccer ball has an evenly round surface, which is just like an eye ball without astigmatism. Compared to the soccer ball, the surface of this football is uneven, or asymmetrical which is similar to the surface of an eye with astigmatism.

Take a look at the difference in shape between a soccer ball (no astigmatism) and a football (astigmatism). This is why some doctors will explain astigmatism as having football shaped eyes.

Still confused? Think about astigmatism this way....it's like having 2 different amounts of prescription in just one eye due to the uneven shape of the eye.

3. Can astigmatism be cured?

Like nearsightedness and farsightedness, astigmatism can be easily "corrected" with prescription glasses or contact lenses.

However, if you are looking for a permanent "cure" for astigmatism then you are looking at laser eye surgery.

“Laser” “pew pew”

In most cases, laser eye surgery such as LASIK and PRK can fully correct astigmatism and to some degree, the effects are permanent.

With that said, if you do have a high amount of astigmatism, you may not be a good candidate for surgery. Be sure to talk to ME or an eyecare provider to find out if you are a good candidate for surgery first!

So the word astigmatism sounds terrible. It sounds like a scary eye condition to have but if you have astigmatism hopefully this will make you feel better. Having an astigmatism is actually quite common and generally speaking very treatable with glasses, contacts or even laser eye surgery.

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Bright Vision Optometry is an optometry office located in Chino Hills, CA 91709. We are a family owned practice serving the families of Chino Hills, Chino, Pomona, Eastvale, Diamond Bar and Walnut.

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