Astigmatism Explained
The refractive eye error of astigmatism is little understood by many despite the majority of glasses wearers suffering from the condition.
It is believed as many as one in three people suffer from the common eye problem, so just what is astigmatism and why does it occur?
Characteristics of Astigmatism
Astigmatism is seen as a relatively minor condition compared to some, but this doesn’t mean that a sufferer is any less inhibited by it. The condition is characterised by an abnormally shaped cornea which in those with healthy eyes is perfectly curved like a tennis ball shape, leading to blurred vision, headaches and excessive squinting which require prescription glasses to manage symptoms.
There are varying types of astigmatism, including myopic where the principal meridians of the eye, as in the dimensions of the front of the eye or eyes, are nearsighted. Hyperopic astigmatism is characterised by farsightedness in overall depth and degree of the eye, while a mixture of both meridians in each eye can also occur.
Much like near or farsightedness, the condition is not an eye health problem as such, due to the error relating only to how the eye manages lighting conditions. The problems occurs when a correct lighting image cannot be created as light hits various focus points on the retina rather than the usual one focus point, becoming the primary reason why it becomes increasingly difficult to focus on many objects.
Who is Likely to Suffer from the Condition?
The reason why many aren’t really aware of the prevalence of astigmatism initially is that it often becomes increasingly problematic with age, although it can be apparent from birth, while the symptoms of mild astigmatism can actually be left untreated without notable loss of clarity in vision.
Seeing in fine detail is a problem for those with the eye complaint, with modern prescription glasses correcting the condition through the use of lenses which adjust to the abnormal curvature within the eye of the sufferer by the use of a cylindrical lens.
How can it be Treated and Diagnosed?
An eye exam is the most straightforward way of determining near or farsightedness, with the results determining the prevalence of either by grading the diopter levels in the eye, in which the power of the lens determines whether a person is nearsighted (negative number) or farsighted (positive number).
Increased diopter levels at either end of the spectrum will require correct prescription glasses for the varying levels and shaping of the eye as a result of the retinoscopy test of shining a light into your eye and issuing a series of lenses will have been experienced by most that have been into opticians before, although recent automated methods are seeing the test become somewhat dated.