One of the more common types of eye defects, astigmatism is a refractive error, one that is separate from both near sightedness and far sightedness, that causes blurriness in vision and is one of the main reasons people go to see an Irish optician. Although the precise cause of astigmatism is unknown, it is thought that many are present from birth. If you have recently been diagnosed with astigmatism, here is a little bit of background about what you are dealing with and what you can expect moving forward.
How and why?
The eye works by refracting, or bending, light from the front of the eye, the cornea, to the back of the eye to a focal point on the retina. If the eye is working correctly, there is one focus point where the light comes together, however, if you have an astigmatism your eye is not shaped properly causing more than one focal point in the retina, resulting in blurriness.
There are several types of astigmatisms. Because they are caused when the eye is not perfectly round, your particular astigmatism will usually fall into a few different groups depending on how your eye is shaped.
How to correct it?
Most often a simple eye test in Ireland will be able to identify and treat the problem easily. A correct prescription will rectify the blurriness you experience through either glasses or contact lenses. If corrective lenses do not not sound like something you want to experience, there is a form of corrective surgery that can usually reshape the eye so that it will refract light properly.
Will it get better?
It depends. As you move into your 50s your eyelids tend to relax a bit and not hold as tight against the eye. This can cause the shape of your eye to change, meaning that your astigmatism was caused by the eye being too tall, rather than too wide, your vision could get better. If, however, the shape of your eye either doesn’t change or your astigmatism is not because your eye is too tall, your vision might not change and could possibly even get worse over time.
Are there other complications to worry about?
By overworking the eye that is normal, if left untreated an astigmatism could lead to a lazy eye, a very serious problem that is harder to correct as a person gets older. It is therefore imperative that you diagnose and work to correct the problem as soon as possible.