Astigmatism is a problem caused by the curvature of your cornea. This makes it harder for your eye to focus light onto your retina, which distorts and blurs your vision. Toric contact lenses are a simple solution for astigmatism, which is not too severe.
With astigmatism, the light will be refracted differently in one meridian than the other, causing the light and the focal point it reaches to be distorted. Light is evenly refracted across all of the eye's meridians in a healthy eye. An astigmatic cornea distorts light beams, producing focus spots in front of and/or behind the retina.
Vision becomes cloudy and fuzzy as a result, which can occasionally be uncomfortable. If untreated, astigmatism can result in headaches and eye pain. Good alternatives include toric eyeglasses and contact lenses. Astigmatism comes in two flavors: regular and irregular.
When you have normal astigmatism, the cornea of your eye is more curved in one direction than the other. The primary meridians of your eye are 90 degrees apart and perpendicular to one another. However, uneven Astigmatism develops when the eye's surface curvature is not constant. It may bend several times or get steeper as it falls.
In addition, depending on the difficulties it causes with vision, astigmatism might be one of three types:
- One or both of the main meridians of the eye are shortsighted in myopic astigmatism.
- One or both of the main meridians of the eye are long-sighted in hyperopic astigmatism.
- One of the main meridians of the eye is shortsighted, while the other is longsighted, which is known as mixed astigmatism.
Why Does Astigmatism Occur?
Two varieties of astigmatism exist:
- A flawed corneal structure is the cause of corneal astigmatism.
- Lenticular astigmatism occurs when the lens is made improperly.
On average, astigmatic people's eyes typically resemble rugby balls rather than footballs because they frequently have an unevenly shaped cornea or lens at birth. Astigmatism, however, has also been seen to develop or deteriorate as people age.
Even though the exact cause has not yet been identified by specialists, genetic factors are likely involved. Your likelihood of having astigmatism later in life is significantly increased if anyone in your family has it.
Astigmatism can also result from:
- Corneal surface modification during eye surgery
- The cornea may change shape as a result of the
- Eye disorders keratoconus and keratoglobus.
- Issues that could impact the eyelids and distort the cornea include a big stye or a clogged oil gland.
How to Test Your Astigmatism?
An optician can quickly diagnose astigmatism, a common disease of the eyes. This test employs several techniques to assess the eye's ability to concentrate light. Your visual acuity will initially be evaluated using a letter chart to ascertain how sharp your vision is. Your eyes will then be placed in front of a variety of lenses so you can assess how well they focus.
The lenses that are prescribed for contact lenses or eyeglasses will provide you with the clearest eyesight. The next step is to utilize a Keratometer to measure the cornea's curvature; if needed, corneal topography can be performed to provide an even more thorough analysis of your eye's surface.
What Could Astigmatic Individuals See?
The vertical and horizontal meridians in your eye could affect how you see differently if you have astigmatism. When the vertical meridian is steeper, staring at vertical lines will impair your vision. Direct astigmatism is what is meant by this.
However, if your horizontal meridian, which is also referred to as indirect astigmatism, is harmed, your eyes won't be able to focus on horizontal lines, which will once again cause blurry vision.
What Exactly Qualifies As High Astigmatism?
The numbers on your prescription for contact lenses or glasses indicate whether you have high astigmatism. In general, the stronger your astigmatism is, the higher the axis and cylinder numbers on your prescription are.
Does Astigmatism Affect How People See Light?
The degree of astigmatism a person has may affect how they perceive light. Your cornea is shaped like a rugby ball if you have astigmatism, which causes light to bend unevenly and cause visual distortion.
In addition to impaired vision, astigmatism can also result in several other unpleasant and occasionally painful symptoms.
These include:
- Headaches
- Eye weariness, particularly behind the eyes
- Irritation in the eyes
- Darkness and blindness
Some people may have astigmatism even if they don't exhibit any of these symptoms. It's essential to undergo regular eye checkups to prevent placing your eyes under excessive strain. To rule out astigmatism as a potential cause, you should also speak with your doctor or an optometrist if you have any of these symptoms.
Why Does Astigmatism Get Worse At Night?
Astigmatism is worse at night or in low light because your eyes widen to receive more light, which increases the likelihood of glares, haloes, and fuzzy or distorted vision. It's critical to find out if it's safe for you to drive at night from your eye doctor because streetlights and taillights could appear hazy.
What Worsens Astigmatism?
Wearing corrective contact lenses or spectacles won't make a difference if your astigmatism gets worse over time. There isn't enough solid data to support the idea that urban legends like reading in the dark, rubbing your eyes, or watching television while seated too closely exacerbate astigmatism. But if astigmatism isn't treated, symptoms like headaches, exhaustion, and eye strain could worsen.
Can You Wear Regular Contacts if You Have Astigmatism?
Toric contact lenses are often the most practical and efficient technique to treat astigmatism as compared to costly corrective surgery. They differ from ordinary contact lenses in that they are torus-shaped rather than spherical, more resembling a slice of a ring doughnut than a portion of a football.
Because of this, they are adaptive and flexible, which enables your eyes to focus on light and generate undistorted vision. Myopia (short-sightedness) and/or hyperopia (farsightedness) in diverse degrees can be treated using toric lenses thanks to their distinct powers at various meridians (invisible lines across the diameter). This is another difference between toric contact lenses and regular lenses.
Other contact lenses often have a single power throughout their entire length. Toric contacts can also rotate into position due to their unique design, aligning the meridians of power with the meridians of your eyes that require vision correction.
Rigid gas permeable lenses that are toric can only be used to correct irregular astigmatism; toric contact lenses are normally soft lenses. You may discover lenses for your wearing needs, whether you're looking for daily disposables, two-week contacts, monthly lenses, or, shortly, colored contact lenses, thanks to the large variety of toric lenses that are available on the market.
Does Astigmatism Get Worse With Age?
Age may make astigmatism worse, though this isn't always the case. Direct astigmatism usually turns into indirect astigmatism as people age. As we age, the pressure that our eyelids normally apply on the cornea decreases, and as a result, the steepness of the vertical meridian curve also decreases. Direct astigmatism turns to indirect astigmatism, which may progressively worsen, as the horizontal meridian curve gets worse.
Conclusion
Since astigmatism has little effect on your vision, a mild case may go unnoticed. However, this may ultimately lead to migraines, poor night vision, eye pain, and perhaps some vision impairment. Therefore, if you frequently have any of these symptoms, consult an optometrist.