Astigmatism
I love to speak to many of our customers who are interested in prescription TEYES but I have come to realise that most people not only do not really understand their prescription (see our last blog 1st April 2019 in case you missed it) but find some of the terms that opticians use confusing as well. Almost everyone who has had an eye test will have heard the word Astigmatism but from what a lot of our customers say they don’t really understand what it means. Astigmatism is more common than most people think and so if you have either a mild or severe case I hope you will find the following useful in understanding your sight.
Astigmatism Explained
Most people’s eyes are round like a football and light focusses on one area of the retina (the thin layer of tissue that lines the back of the eye). If you have astigmatism your eye is shaped a bit like a rugby ball. This means that the light focusses on more than one area of the retina so your vision is distorted (you may find it difficult to tell ‘N’ from ‘H’, for instance) or blurry.
Who is affected by astigmatism?
Like long-sight or short-sight, astigmatism is caused by the shape and size of your eye. It is very common and is easily corrected with glasses or contact lenses.
What are the symptoms of astigmatism?
Astigmatism can cause blurred vision, headaches and eyestrain (you may notice this after concentrating for a long time – on a computer, for example). Astigmatism normally occurs alongside short sight or long sight.
How do you treat astigmatism?
Astigmatism is a type of refractive error, and is corrected with glasses, or contact lenses to enable you to see clearly. If your astigmatism changes or you are having it corrected for the first time, you may find your glasses feel strange at first, whilst your brain gets used to seeing things with the astigmatism corrected
(Information provided by The College of Optometrists)
