Astigmatism is a condition affecting the refraction of the eye. When light hits these small errors in the lens or the cornea it can cause impairments in vision. This blurred vision is often the reason why most people seek out an eye professional.
What exactly is astigmatism?
The eye acts like a window, allowing surrounding light in through the cornea and lens. In an ideal eye, light passes through the curves of the cornea and lens, eventually hitting the retina in the back of the eye in a single beam. With patients who have astigmatism, the lens or the cornea is not evenly curved, but instead is oblong in shape. The oblong curvature of the eye refracts the light back to the retina into multiple beams of light, instead of one single connected beam. These multiple beams of light on the retina create a blurred image, and the patient suffers from distorted or blurred vision.
What causes the condition?
The cause of this condition is not known. Often times, the condition is present at birth, and it is very common, so common that many patients have the condition and do not know it. It is not until the distorted vision gets to a point of aggravation that patients discover they have astigmatism. Nearsightedness and farsightedness often accompany the condition. Abnormal curvature of the eye has also been seen in patients who are recovering from certain types of eye surgery, such as cataract removal, causing the condition in an eye that was not impaired before.
Examination
Astigmatism's presence is determined with a simple eye exam. Refraction tests will determine if the eye is abnormally curved. An optometrist can perform this test to determine the severity of the condition.
Treatments
Most times the condition is tolerable. Milder forms may require glasses to help correct light refraction and strengthen the finer details of vision; others may require no correction at all. For more extreme cases, patients may require surgery to correct the shape of the cornea to help with light refraction. The surgery will also correct the nearsightedness or the farsightedness from which the patient also suffers.
Regular Eye Exams
Whether you have astigmatism or not, it is important to have your eyes examined regularly by an optometrist. Adults should visit an eye doctor a minimum of once every two years, and senior citizens should have their eyes checked annually. Children should also have regular eye exams on the schedule their doctor recommends.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7167568
Add Comment