Astigmatism is not uncommon. This condition occurs due to irregularity in the shape of the cornea. Naturally, the cornea is round in shape. But in this condition the shape is oval. The irregular shape of the cornea prevents the light from focusing correctly on the retina, resulting in blurry vision.
Astigmatism can increase or decrease with changes in the curvature of the lens. This change usually starts once you grow and can occur before the naturally occurring cataracts. However, most refractive errors are easily treatable with contact lenses, glasses or corrective eye surgery.
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Diagnosis of Astigmatism
Experienced eye specialists like https://www.personaleyes.com.au/ use various tests to determine how clearly you can see distances and how your eyes focus. The examination may include:
- Visual Acuity: Your doctor will ask you to read letters on a chart placed at some distance. The result is given as a fraction such as 20/40. The numerator is standardized testing distance while the denominator is the size of the smallest letter read. It means that a person should be within 20 feet to read a letter seen from 40 feet. 20/20 is a normal vision.
- Keratometry/topography: It measures the curvature of the cornea by focusing light on the cornea and measuring its reflection. Corneal topography is an advanced technology that generates a contour map of the cornea, which gives more details about the cornea’s shape.
- Refraction: The doctor uses a phoropter to put a series of lenses in front of your eyes. Then, he measures how these lenses focus the light through a retinoscope. It helps him evaluate the approximate focusing capacity of the eyes.
Symptoms of Astigmatism
Mild astigmatism does not result in blurry vision. But, when accompanied by myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness), it leads to symptoms like difficulty seeing at a distance, blurred closeup, strained eyes, headaches, starbursts at night.
Corrective eye surgery is an excellent option to correct astigmatism. If you’ve had astigmatism for a while, you will know how it feels. With the help of corrective laser surgery, you can let go of the lenses and the glasses you’ve been wearing for ages to get free vision. Laser surgery is a popular treatment for astigmatism.
How Can Laser Surgery Help In Astigmatism Treatment?
Laser eye surgery can help fix astigmatism. The full form of laser is light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation which is a straightforward and quick process.
A pre-programmed laser removes the corneal tissues to correct the cornea shape. This helps the cornea to get back to its natural round shape. Once the shape is corrected, the light focuses properly on the retina, giving you a clearer vision.
Laser surgery has its benefits. This surgery is straightforward and can be completed within a few minutes. The recovery time is less, and you experience minimum discomfort post-operation. You can get back to your work and other activities within weeks. It is considered safe and seems to have no side-effects.
For all kinds of laser treatments, you can trust experienced eye surgeons and get the best advice depending on your condition.
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