Simply put, astigmatism means your eye is shaped more like a rugby ball than a football, so light is refracted from more than one point into the eye. As a result, images appear blurry and people with astigmatism may find it difficult to read text or see fine details in objects both near and far. Kelly Eekhout, optometrist at Spec-Savers The Marc in Johannesburg, South Afica explains.
Astigmatism is not unusual. In fact, about three in 10 South Africans have some degree of astigmatism. No one knows its exact origin, but heredity appears to be the leading cause, or it can be triggered by trauma to the eye.
Astigmatism requires some form of correction to achieve clear vision and that most forms of regular astigmatism blurriness are fortunately easily correctable.
If you’re having trouble seeing near and far objects clearly or suffer from frequent headaches, visit your optometrist for an eye examination. With a few quick and painless tests, your optometrist can assess whether you have the disorder and what steps should be taken to correct the problem.”
If your optometrist diagnoses astigmatism, you will have two options to correct it: prescriptive spectacles or contact lenses, which are available in varieties:
Photo by Dollar Gill on Unsplash
Toric
Soft contact lenses with different levels of refraction that align with individual meridians of the eye, enabling precise vision corrections. They also have a thicker zone at the bottom to keep them from rotating while in the eye.
Gas Permeable
Rigid lenses with a uniform shape that essentially replaces the refraction effect of the cornea.
Hybrid
Lenses that are rigid in the centre for higher visual clarity, but soft at the edges for more comfort.
Keep in mind, when it comes to vision correction for astigmatism, all choices aren’t equal. For example, if you’re over 40 you may need multifocal or bifocal lenses.
This makes the cornea more symmetrical and can correct moderate astigmatism permanently. Alternatively, an opthalmologist can implant a toric intraocular lens (IOL) in the eye to correct astigmatism and remove a cataract at the same time.
The bottom line
Everybody’s vision is different, which means every form of astigmatism has a unique impact. This means you need to pay extra attention to the fit and function of your eyeglasses or contact lenses.
We recommend only considering surgery when you’ve researched the topic thoroughly and discussed the options with your optometrist. They will review all available treatment options with you with the goal of developing clear, comfortable, and efficient vision,”
Who Is The Author?
Kelly Eekhout
After graduating from the University of Johannesburg with a Bachelor of Optometry in 2015, Kelly worked as an independent optometrist for a few years and lived abroad in Spain before joining Spec-Savers South Africa in 2018. She became the senior optometrist and managing director of Spec-Savers, The Marc, later that year.
In 2019, she completed a Business Management course through Varsity College and now has the privilege of leading a compassionate and hard-working team. One day she hopes to rediscover her love for travel but until then she likes to spend downtime focusing on her fitness and learning more about food and wine. She continues to have a deep passion for optometry, with a particular interest in ocular pathology.
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