How Do I Know if I Have Astigmatism?

woman-eye-strainAre you noticing objects looking a bit blurry or wavy without glasses or contact lenses? Have you been experiencing headaches, eye strain, or sensitivity to light? How is your vision when you are reading or working on the computer – do your eyes get tired or are you feeling any discomfort? Do the words look slanted or “off” in some way? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you may have astigmatism. This condition is extraordinarily common, and it is something that a thorough eye exam can typically diagnose.

If you have astigmatism, it is not cause for great worry. In fact, it is one of the most treatable eye conditions that you can have, and Dr. Helga Pizio offers numerous advanced options here at New Eyes that can reduce the symptoms and give you much better vision.

To see as clearly as possible, rays of light need to be focused properly on the eye’s nerve tissue called “retina” which is like the film in a camera. If the cornea or the eye’s natural lens is irregularly shaped, this can have an effect on how light is focused through to the retina and ultimately causes vision problems at any range of distance. A normal cornea and natural lens are essentially spherical in shape like a basketball, whereas an eye that is affected by astigmatism takes the shape of a sideways oval or a football. This oval shape distorts images and creates blurriness.

Many people (if not most people) have some degree of astigmatism; however, more severe levels of astigmatism can cause a variety of symptoms that make it difficult to see clearly and ultimately have a negative impact on your vision. A simple eye exam can determine your level of astigmatism and the treatment options that are best for your needs. Those options can include standard eyeglasses or contact lenses, a laser procedure such as LASIK , or PRK , to reshape the cornea and better refract light, and intraocular lenses (IOLs). Patients who have cataracts in addition to astigmatism can often benefit from a procedure known as femtosecond laser Limbal Relaxing Incisions (LRI’s) during the cataract operation.

The important thing to remember is that astigmatism can often be treated effectively – you do not have to suffer with blurry vision in most cases. If you think you may have astigmatism, an eye exam with one of the doctors at New Eyes can evaluate your vision situation and come up with the best solution customized to your visual needs.

Check out our video blog to hear Dr. Pizio talk more about astigmatism, and find answers to some frequently asked questions about astigmatism here. If you have questions, or if you would like to schedule a consultation and eye evaluation at New Eyes , please contact us today.