If you are struggling with blurry, distorted, or double vision, chances are you have been experiencing symptoms of astigmatism.
Astigmatism occurs when the cornea bends sideways, causing the focus of light to be not straight on. This causes distortions in your vision and makes it harder to tell what you are looking at or where you are going.
With that said, there are three symptoms of astigmatism that you can look out for that’ll make your life much easier.
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What Is Astigmatism?
Astigmatism is a curvature in the eyeball that doesn’t represent the traditional shape. Most eyes are almost spherical, but eyes with astigmatism resemble an oval shape. This causes discomfort as well as a blurred vision for those with the condition.
This shape can sit in the eye socket differently in every individual and with curvature at different parts of the eyeball, so every individual’s astigmatism is unique to them. If you think you have astigmatism, you should undergo prk for astigmatism or you can take an astigmatism test at qualified opticians such as PFGoptics.
Signs You Have an Astigmatism
Three main astigmatism symptoms exist in almost all cases. These are eyestrain, headaches, and blurry or distorted vision.
Eyestrain
Eyestrain is one of the most common symptoms of astigmatism. Like with impaired eyesight, untreated astigmatism causes the eye muscles to overwork, thus causing eye strain.
In today’s society, where people’s screen time is higher than ever, it can be hard to pin down without a professional opinion. So if you know your eye strain isn’t caused by excessive screen time, then it’s worth booking in to get your eyes checked.
Headaches
The headaches that come with astigmatism often result from the eye strain itself, overworking the eye muscles in everyday life. The eye strain itself causes muscles to become fatigued, which is a common cause of headaches.
Blurry or Distorted Vision
Blurry or Distorted Vision is most often a sign of astigmatism, as the shape of the eye is bending the lens. Astigmatism is caused by the cornea being shaped in a more oval than round manner, and this causes light to enter the eye at different angles. The result is blurry vision, as it seems as if you can see things twice.
Blurred vision can also contribute to the headache mentioned above. When it’s hard to focus on something, it’s taking you longer to do things that require vision, such as reading and driving, causing your eyes to get tired, which can lead to stress headaches.
How Astigmatism Is Treated
Most will be offered custom-prescribed glasses or contact lenses to alleviate the symptoms of astigmatism. These are known as soft lenses, as they are flexible and fit softly around the cornea to correct it.
You should also be aware that some types of eye surgery can reduce astigmatism symptoms. These include corneal refractive procedures, such as LASIK and PRK, and also cataract-removal surgery.
Know the Symptoms of an Astigmatism
If your eyes are suffering from symptoms of astigmatism, such as astigmatism-induced blurs and distortions, it may be time to get your eyes checked.
In the meantime, you can do things like taking breaks when reading and limiting screen time to help ease the symptoms.
Check our other articles for more top health tips!
