Beyond Blurry Vision: Understanding Astigmatism And Your Vision

The eyes are a very complicated part of our body. Our eyes are two small points of perception that serve as the windows to our whole body, which allows us to view the world around us. Having sight is a gift, however something we cannot take for granted. There are many common eye conditions that alter the way people see, including astigmatism. Having astigmatism is not rare, however it can cause negative impacts on lives and create problems. Thankfully, astigmatism has been studied greatly by doctors. The following blog talks about astigmatism, its causes, dangers, impacts, and ways to prevent it!

What is Astigmatism?

In simple terms, astigmatism is an imperfection in the curvature of the eye’s cornea or lens. This imperfection in the eye shape causes blurred vision. A normal eye is evenly rounded like a basketball, but with astigmatism it is like a football. The three main types of astigmatism are corneal, lenticular, and retinal. Corneal astigmatism occurs if your cornea has mismatched curves. Lenticular astigmatism occurs if your lens has mismatched curves. Retinal astigmatism occurs when there are mismatched imperfections within the retina. With every type of astigmatism, both near and far vision is blurry. Nearsightedness or Myopia (a refractive error that makes far away objects look blurry), occurs when the cornea is curved too much, or the eye is longer than usual. Instead of being focused precisely on the retina, light is focused in front of the retina, making distant objects seem blurry. Farsightedness or Hyperopia (a refractive error that makes close objects look blurry), occurs when the cornea is curved too little, or the eye is shorter than usual. The effect is the opposite of nearsightedness. When the eye is in a relaxed state, light never comes to a focus at the back of the eye, making nearby objects seem blurry. Having astigmatism is very common, about 33% of people (1 in 3 people) suffer from astigmatism. People with astigmatism has a global prevalence of 14.9% in children and 40.4% in adults. A study from ScienceDirect shows that astigmatism is more commonly found in men.

Roots and Causes

Although astigmatism is very common, doctors don't know why the shape of the cornea or lens varies from person to person. However, they do know the risk of getting astigmatism is inherited, common after eye injuries, and increases with aging. It is a myth that reading in low light or sitting very close to the television causes astigmatism or makes it worse, but that is not true. Another factor that can increase the chance of astigmatism is putting pressure on the eye. Too much pressure on the eye can result from aggressive blinking, extensive eye rubbing, or fluid not draining. The pressure overtime will alter the shape of the eye causing an astigmatism that can eventually worsen if the pressure is consistent. Most people with blurry vision think they have bad eyesight and don’t realize they have astigmatism. Although, this situation could be much more severe, astigmatism can continue to get worse if not treated correctly.

How to Prevent it

With astigmatism being so common and known in today’s medical society, there are many ways to prevent and limit the severity of the situation. Some of the many ways to correct astigmatism can be natural or done artificially.

·      Eye Exercises- Certain eye exercises have been promoted by some as a way to correct astigmatism by focusing eye movements and blinking to cause contraction and relaxation of the eye muscles, relieving tension on the eye and averting exaggeration of the optical curvature.

·      Contact Lenses- Wearing contact lenses is known to help with conditions of astigmatism. Standard soft contact lenses aren’t effective for correcting an astigmatism, but rigid gas-permeable contact lenses can be a viable option for people with an astigmatism. Rigid gas-permeable contact lenses maintain their regular shape when they’re over your cornea, allowing them to make up for the cornea’s irregular shape and make your vision sharper.

·      Glasses- Specific kinds of glasses are commonly used to correct astigmatism. These corrective lenses have a unique design that compensates for the irregular shape of the eye, allowing light to focus correctly on the retina. Glasses for astigmatism have a cylindrical lens that corrects the uneven curvature of the cornea or lens. However, contact lenses tend to have better results because they are right up against the eye.

·      Surgery- Refractive surgery improves vision and reduces the need for eyeglasses or contact lenses. An eye surgeon uses a laser beam to reshape the curves of the cornea, which corrects the refractive error. There are two main types of surgery commonly done to improve astigmatism. Laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis, known as LASIK (an eye surgeon makes a thin, hinged flap in the cornea, then uses an excimer laser to sculpt the shape of the cornea and then repositions the flap). Photorefractive keratectomy, known as PRK (the surgeon removes the epithelium. It will grow back naturally, conforming to the cornea's new shape)

How do People With Astigmatism See

Blurred vision is the most common astigmatism symptom. It also makes it hard to see details on objects, like the words printed on a menu or letters on a road sign in the distance. A majority of people tend to see glares or halos around lights, especially at night. The severity of astigmatism varies for each person, meaning people who have astigmatism can see things differently. Nighttime is when most people notice their astigmatism. Lights look almost like fireworks because of the halo.

Dangers

Many dangers of astigmatism aren’t directly done to the body. Astigmatism isn’t harmful or painful, however there are many dangerous situations connected to having astigmatism. Driving is a great example. With traffic lights, car lights, and signs everywhere, driving can be extremely dangerous. Due to how astigmatism refracts light inside your eyes, the light from headlights or traffic lights causes blurriness and glaring in. At night, where the low ambient light contrasts with the bright flashes of other cars, this problem is worsened. It can be extremely difficult to see things clearly and have the ability to make important decisions.

Authors Opinion

Fun Fact! I have astigmatism in both of my eyes! As I was writing this blog, I was very interested in learning more about a condition that I personally suffer from. My experience from day-to-day life is normal in my perspective, interestingly enough, I didn’t even realize the halos around the traffic lights were abnormal until my eye doctor told me. Having astigmatism isn’t painful, more annoying than anything. I never realized how common this condition was, and it is “great” to know that I’m not alone. Friendly reminder to go get your eyes checked!

Staff, Mayo Clinic. “Astigmatism.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 5 Oct. 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/astigmatism/symptoms-causes/syc-20353835

Boyd, Kierstan. “What Is Astigmatism? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment.” Edited by Brenda Pagan-Duran and David Turbert, American Academy of Ophthalmology, 1 Oct. 2024, https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-astigmatism

“Astigmatism: Symptoms, Tests & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic, 1 May 2024, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8576-astigmatism

“Facts about Astigmatism.” Family Eye Care Professionals, 22 Jan. 2022, https://www.familyeyecarepros.com/731264-facts-about-astigmatism/#:~:text=Astigmatism%20occurs%20when%20your%20corneas,reason%20your%20vision%20is%20blurry

Mandr. “Astigmatism vs. Normal Eyesight: What It Looks Like.” Eyesight Associates, 16 Jan. 2024, https://www.eyesightassociates.com/blog/astigmatism-vs-normal-eyesight-what-it-looks-like/?post_type=blog_post

True Eye Experts. “Tips to See Better: Driving at Night with Astigmatism.” True Eye Experts, 9 Nov. 2023, https://trueeye.com/driving-at-night-with-astigmatism/#:~:text=Due%20to%20how%20astigmatism%20refracts,an%20already%20tricky%20endeavor%20dangerous

“Wearing Contacts with Astigmatism: What You Should Know.” Wearing Contacts With Astigmatism: What You Should Know: Smart Eye Care: Ophthalmologists, https://www.smarteyecare.nyc/blog/wearing-contacts-with-astigmatism-what-you-should-know

Author links open overlay panelKen Hayashi MD, Ken Hayashi, MD, and Tatsuhiko Sato MD PurposeTo compare corneal astigmatism and shape between male and female eyes in relationship to age.SettingHayashi Eye Hospital. “Sex-Related Differences in Corneal Astigmatism and Shape with Age.” Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery, No longer published by Elsevier, 1 Aug. 2018, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0886335018305145#:~:text=Ninn%2DPederson12%20revealed%20that,in%20younger%20men%20and%20women.