Are You Seeing Blurry? It's Possible You Have an Astigmatism.

Astigmatism is a common phenomenon with an effective correction added to one's glasses or contact lenses, called a cylinder. It occurs when the eye is not a perfect sphere, but rather is more oval shaped.

Astigmatism is very common and is the result of an irregular shape or curvature of a person’s cornea or lens. The cornea is the clear part that covers the surface of the eye and contributes greatly to the visual system. If a person has an astigmatism, it means his eye is not perfectly round, but rather it is more oval shaped. This affects how light focuses on the retina, which is the light sensitive layer at the back of the eye. If you are not seeing clearly or you’re experiencing blurry vision, please schedule an eye exam with your eye doctor who can diagnose and treat an astigmatism.

Diagnosis

Astigmatism is not a serious condition and it is actually quite common so your doctor will let you know if you have it. Checking for astigmatism is an integral part of the routine eye exam. It’s helpful to know if you have an astigmatism because once the eye doctor diagnoses it, it can easily be corrected by adding a special correction called the cylinder into the patient’s prescription for glasses or contact lenses. Once the eye doctor finds an astigmatism then a more suitable prescription can be given to you which will allow you to see more clearly, as an uncorrected astigmatism causes blurry vision.

The eye doctor will check your visual acuity and will do refraction which is the standard method used to find a person’s correct optical correction prescribed in the glasses or contact lenses. The eye doctor may also use devices such as a keratometer or a corneal topographer in order to measure the curvature of your cornea. Corneal topography is especially useful when fitting contact lenses on a patient.

Treatment

There is no way to prevent astigmatism as it is part of the anatomy of the eye, but there are various treatment plans. Astigmatism is treated with glasses that have a cylinder component which is there to specifically correct the astigmatism and allows the light to properly bend on an eye that’s not spherical. Some people who are qualified to wear contact lenses may prefer going that route, but it really depends on the person and their preferences. There are different types of contact lenses for people with astigmatism. A contact lens that has a cylinder in it to correct an astigmatism is called a toric lens.

There is a very special type of contact lens, called orthokeratology (ortho-k for short) which acts like a retainer and temporarily corrects refractive errors. People sleep with their ortho-k lenses which reshape their cornea during the night. Upon awakening, the lenses are removed and the person is able to see clearly for most of the duration of the day. This is a temporary vision correction as the person needs to wear these lenses every night in order to maintain the effect the next day. Once the ortho-k lenses are no longer used, the vision goes back to its original state.

A permanent method for correcting astigmatism is laser eye surgery, also known as refractive surgery. For example, LASIK is a procedure which reshapes the cornea to correct astigmatism and/ or other refractive errors. Please schedule a consultation with your eye doctor to find out if you’re a qualified candidate for refractive surgery and to figure out the best treatment plan for your needs.

Common Questions

What are symptoms of astigmatism?

Some people won’t experience any symptoms, while others could have any of the following: Blurry, distorted and/or a fuzzy type of vision Eyestrain or irritation Difficulty with night vision Squinting Headaches

What are the different types of astigmatism?

The most common type of astigmatism is found in the cornea. This occurs when the cornea is shaped more like a football, as opposed to a round soccer ball. The other kind of astigmatism is found in the natural lens inside the eye and is known as lenticular astigmatism. This type of lens has certain kinds of distortions which prevent proper vision. People with lenticular astigmatism often have a regular shaped cornea, but it’s possible to have irregularities in the lens and cornea.

Can I get lasik for astigmatism?

In most cases, LASIK can completely correct astigmatism, and the results are permanent. However LASIK may not be recommended for people with high astigmatism. When a patient is seen for a LASIK evaluation their eyes are examined using a corneal topographer, this enables the eye doctor to determine if the patient is a good fit for LASIK eye surgery. While astigmatism may sound scary, it is simply a refractive error like nearsightedness or farsightedness, which can be corrected by LASIK surgery. For LASIK surgery, highly accurate lasers are used to reshape the cornea, which results in a more symmetrical front surface of the eye, eliminating astigmatism-related vision problems.

Are You Seeing Blurry? It's Possible You Have an Astigmatism.

Summary

Astigmatism is a common component of some people’s optical correction, as a result of an irregular shape or curvature of the cornea or lens. If you are experiencing blurry vision or any other symptoms, please schedule an eye exam so that you can find out if you have an astigmatism and be provided with the proper correction.

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I haven't actually used the optometrist side, so my review is limited to the vision therapy offered. This office was recommended by my occupational therapist for the treatment of my double vision following a stroke.

Claire A.
Love this location. I had a brain injury accident from day one one. All the team make you feel you still important and hope in the horizon after when the medical system fell you miserably. Dr. Ikeda very professional and very understanding about your issue. Two tombs up.

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My husband and I were immediately impressed with Dr Ikeda. I was hit by a car while cycling which caused broken bones and three brain injuries. The brain injuries caused double vision. Dr. Ikeda examined my eyes and got me started on vision therapy with his occupational therapist who specializes in vision therapy. She (Chris) is absolutely great. I am impressed with the array of tools used to help recover my binocular vision. I am doing things I never thought were possible (balance boards etc). Chris pushes me and keeps me motivated. I really enjoy my sessions with her. The office staff is always friendly and they have a wonderful appointment reminder tool that makes it easy to keep my calendar up to date. I am happy the rehab center at Little Co. of Mary recommended them!!

Teresa S.
The Vision Therapy is handled in a separate office through a different door from the shared waiting room. Chris, the vision therapist, has a wide and varied assortment of tools, equipment and resources to best evaluate and treat most vision issues. After just a few visits, my double vision became easier to control, using exercises developed during the therapy process. It was time well-spent.

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I have been coming here since I can remember. I love it here. The staff is so amazing and nice. They explain everything they gonna do and never make you feel rushed. Dr. Ikeda has always been my doctor and I would never want another one. He is the doctor for my whole family and is always asking how everyone is doing. I am also so crazy about picking out my frames and have to try so many and each person who helps me take the time and lets me try them all on. I would never want to go anywhere else! I definitely would recommend this office to anyone looking for a great eye doctor.

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