Why Is Astigmatism Dangerous?

You often have headaches and get tired quickly?
Perhaps you have astigmatism and you should just go to the eye doctor.

It just so happens that the modern life is associated with tremendous stress on eyesight. Constant eye strain often results in headaches, exhaustion, not to mention red eyes, inflamed eyelids and so on. And if we cannot allow ourselves to work less (e.g. sit at the computer, drive the car, read), then we can at least give thought to the causes of our health problems. And one of such possible causes is astigmatism.

What is Astigmatism?

Astigmatism is a common vision condition that causes blurred or distorted vision at all distances (objects “stretch” horizontally or vertically).
This is because light rays passing through the cornea do not focus properly onto the retina. In fact, in order for the light rays to focus to a single spot, the cornea and lens must be smooth and curved equally in all directions. However, there are no absolutely perfect forms in nature, which means that in some people the cornea has a more rounded shape like the surface of a football, while in others it will be oval, more like a rugby ball, and the more oval the cornea is, the more severe astigmatism becomes.

Simply put, visual problems created by astigmatism are the result of an irregular shape of the cornea (rarely of the curvature of the lens).

According to statistics, every fourth person on this planet has astigmatism. At the same time, one often fails to notice a small degree of astigmatism. Accustomed to seeing slightly distorted images, such people are not even aware of having vision problems. Moreover, the people with astigmatism have reduced visual acuity (like shortsighted people, sometimes they have to squint to see distant objects clearly), they see worse in low light, for example, in the dusk or at night. Their stereoscopic vision may also be affected. If you drive, do think about it!

Very often astigmatism manifests itself during childhood – in this case it is very important to diagnose this condition in time and select the right vision correction option. Otherwise, it may lead to irreversible vision loss, strabismus and other eye problems.

If adults have astigmatism and have not had it corrected, their eyes get tired in situations of intense focus. This will lead to the development of asthenopia – ocular fatigue. As a result, such person is bothered by headaches, red and tired eyes. Naturally, all this negatively affects their general condition and working capacity.

Certain types of astigmatism can cause eyelid inflammation. All this shows that astigmatism should be corrected – even if it is small and insignificant.

But remember that only the ophthalmologist can diagnose, determine a type of astigmatism and its degree, and that the correct diagnosis requires the use of special high-precision equipment!

Types of Astigmatism Correction

Most often, astigmatism is corrected with special eyeglasses (with cylindrical lenses) or toric contact lenses.
The toric contact lenses for astigmatism are soft lenses made of a highly breathable material so that the cornea could obtain the oxygen it requires for metabolism from the surrounding air. They have the special surface, which allows to restore the natural spherical shape of the cornea and focus the light on the retina.

In case of astigmatism, corrective contact lenses have some considerable advantages over glasses. First of all, the contact lenses do not distort space and a distance between objects. Secondly, patients with high astigmatism can`t sometimes tolerate the eyeglasses since wearing them may provoke eye pain and dizziness. And finally, the toric contact lenses provide better peripheral vision than the eyeglasses, which is especially important if you are driving.

In this regard, the toric contact lenses are considered the most common way to correct astigmatism, but it is an eye doctor who should decide on an individual method of vision correction for each patient.

At our Okomedikas Clinic you can always undergo a comprehensive eye examination using advanced equipment and get a detailed expert advice. When choosing a method of correcting your astigmatism, the ophthalmologist will take into account the individual characteristics of your eye, your way of life and will recommend you the most suitable option.