Astigmatism refers to an abnormality, usually congenital, originating in the curvature of the cornea, which is why blurred images are perceived. People who suffer from it often wear glasses, but it is possible to correct this alteration through surgery.
What Is Astigmatism?
As we mentioned, astigmatism is a defect produced by the curvature of the cornea. It tends to be scratched by the poles, rather than round, giving rise to different curvature radii, which prevents the normal focus of objects, whether they are close or far away. And when the light enters through the cornea, the images are distorted, irremediably affecting the vision.
The blurred perception of the images as a result of this eye disorder is something that happens quite often. A normal cornea has a spherical shape and a transparent layer covers part of the eyeball to protect both the iris and the lens. However, people suffering from astigmatism present the curved cornea, generating a blurred vision.
Astigmatism affects the vision up close and far and does not allow us to visualize in detail the images of everything around us. It is usually the pathology that causes the most visits to the ophthalmologist, being easy to diagnose. In addition, in the mildest cases, no treatment is required.
Astigmatism can only be eliminated by correcting distorted vision by wearing glasses or contact lenses. But laser surgery is a very effective option to end the anomaly.
Adults quickly perceive that their vision is blurred, not so in the case of children, who can complain without understanding very well what happens. However, when it comes to playing sports or progressing in school, it is something that can hurt them. In addition, if we do not correct this defect, astigmatism can end in amblyopia, a problem very common in school-age children in which vision decreases. Normally, the most successful thing is to make them go through ophthalmological controls to detect this and other similar abnormalities.
Causes of Astigmatism
If you’re clear about what astigmatism is, you’re very likely to want to know the causes that explain its appearance. Well, so far it has not been possible to determine the origin of this pathology, although it usually appears from birth (congenital), and is usually related to other eye conditions such as farsightedness and myopia.
Astigmatism can also be acquired through an alteration that changes its morphology, either as a result of trauma, surgical intervention (corneal transplant or cataract surgery), or any other disease.
Symptoms of Astigmatism
Patients suffering from astigmatism see blurred images, are unable to distinguish details, and figures up close or far are perceived to be deformed. Wrong vision causes the patient to suffer dizziness or headaches, as the eye tries to correct the defective vision, forcing the muscles. This situation is only a partial adjustment that leads nowhere, leading to visual tiredness with which the blurred images are reappeared.
A person who has astigmatism may also perceive other symptoms, such as double vision, high sensitivity to light, and visual redness. Either way, the perceived symptoms will vary depending on the level of astigmatism and the age of the affected person. Also, if the defect is associated with hyperopia and myopia, it is common to feel itching, visual fatigue, dizziness, headache, or eye redness.
Types of Astigmatism
To be clearer about what astigmatism is, it is necessary to clarify that this condition can be classified as:
- Simple astigmatism, when appears on an axis.
- Compound astigmatism is when it affects one axis and is associated with another eye disorder (hyperopia and myopia).
- Mixed astigmatism, is when one axis is positioned in front of the retina and another behind.
Similarly, when the cornea presents an irregular form, we talk about corneal astigmatism. However, when the distorted form comes from the lens or lens it is lenticular.
Treatment of Astigmatism
When diagnosing astigmatism, an ophthalmological test is needed, including a refraction test. This type of test will check the absence of a focal point and you will be able to identify whether it is regular (congenital) or irregular astigmatism.
Other techniques used are so-called retinoscopy (valuing the patient’s refraction), keratometry (measurement of several corneal parameters), or topography (3D mop of the cornea).
In addition to these tests, the ophthalmologist should determine the visual acuity of the patient through a basic eye table.
Once the diagnosis has been made, the professional will introduce the most appropriate treatment. As with other eye conditions, it can be dealt with in multiple ways:
- It is possible to correct the flawed vision by wearing glasses.
- For those who consider that the above option is not an aesthetic solution to consider, it is also possible to use contact lenses. However, this alternative requires specific hygiene and regular maintenance.
- Laser surgery is the most practical and permanent option that exists. Its purpose is to correct this pathology so that the patient’s correct vision does not depend on glasses or lenses. However, the cost is higher, and a surgical operation carries certain risks. In addition, it should be borne in mind that the laser can remove this condition or reduce it by a large proportion.
As soon as the patient begins to notice problems in his vision as blurred images, it is necessary to go to a specialist to make a complete diagnosis. If the glasses or contact lenses do not solve the problem, it is advisable to go again to make sure that the lenses are properly graduated or know if, in reality, the diagnosis is another.
Over time, astigmatism can go further, making the patient need a new graduation for their glasses or lenses. On the other hand, in the case of children, if astigmatism is corrected in one eye, it is possible to develop amblyopia.