Astigmatism is an optical condition which leads to blurred vision due to inability of the eye to focus a sharper image on retina. In a recently conducted study among American children, it was determined that more than 28 % of the participants had Astigmatism of 1 Diopter. The study also had some interesting ethnic data where it concluded that American Asian and American Hispanic children suffer more from this optical condition than whites and Afro-Americans.
There are many reasons that lead to occurrence of Astigmatism and in this article we will briefly describe forms, symptoms, conditions, precautions and treatment.
Symptoms of Astigmatism:
Astigmatism is known for causing blurred vision or distorted imaging to some extent at all distances. However it is worth noticing here that it’s not necessary for both eyes to undergo Astigmatism at the same time. Blurred imaging and distorted vision caused by Astigmatism, if left uncorrected, leads to massive optical strain followed by headaches.
Forms of Astigmatism And Treatment:
There are two major forms for Astigmatism. The first form of this optical condition is called regular Astigmatism and arises due to malfunction of cornea / crystalline lens. The irregular Astigmatism occurs due to a corneal scar. The regular form of Astigmatism is usually cured by deploying “toric” lens whereas the irregular can’t be cured by oral lens procedure. These two forms of Astigmatism have been further divided into three distinct types namely: Myopic Astigmatism, Hyperopic Astigmatism and Mixed Astigmatism.
Mayopic Astigmatism: In this form, the principal meridians of effected eye are near sighted.
Mixed Astigmatism: In this condition, one principle meridian of the effected eye is nearsighted while the other is farsighted.
Hyperopic Astigmatism: This sort of Astigmatism occurs when the effected eye has both farsighted principal meridians.
Currently the science of treating eye disorders is very advanced and ophthalmologists have devised different tests to determine the presence of Astigmatism. Usually the standard eye examination followed by a detailed refraction test is required to determine if a person is suffering from Astigmatism. Mild forms of Astigmatism are usually left alone without any treatment for self recovery. In severe cases, glasses and contact lenses are prescribed to help get rid of this condition. In some cases, however, Laser Surgery is done to manually tinker with cornea surface in order to remove Astigmatism related defects.
Preventing Measures:
In order to stay away from Astigmatism, it is important that you visit the eye doctor regularly. A visit of eye health practitioner is must if you think you aren’t able to see correctly and are experiencing nearsightedness, blurred vision, uneven vision or farsightedness. It is important that even if a slight trace of Astigmatism is detected while your routine optical checkup, you should sign up for treatment straight away. Usually if first signs of this disease show up, then it’s probably in mild stages and will be corrected following doctor’s advice. However if your eye practitioner prescribes a laser surgery, then you must consult with your family, friends and you family doctor before signing up.