Eye astigmatism is a common condition that affects the vision. When a person has an eye astigmatism, his cornea is irregularly curved and the condition is called a refractive error. Most people have some level of astigmatism, and it often requires no treatment. When there is a high amount of curvature, however, treatment is necessary.
Astigmatism can affect people at any age. It may even go undetected at first and then be discovered during a routine eye exam. This is because it can grow worse with time. Frequently, school-age children have astigmatism that isn't detected right away. It may be discovered as it worsens.
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To understand how eye astigmatism works, it helps to consider the normal shape of the eye. Usually, an eye is shaped like a sphere. With this shape, the eye refracts light evenly, and clear vision is the result. A person with astigmatism, however, is more likely to have a football-shaped eye. With this shape, entering light is unevenly refracted, and the vision is obstructed.
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To a person with eye astigmatism, objects may appear blurry, no matter how close or far away they are. A person with this condition may experience headaches and eyestrain as well. An eye examination can reveal whether or not a person has eye astigmatism. Often, the condition is found along with other types of vision problems. For example, people with eye astigmatism may also be nearsighted or farsighted.
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A person's level of eye astigmatism can increase over time. For this reason, yearly eye exams by an optometrist or ophthalmologist are required. Treatment may vary, depending on the amount of astigmatism a person has. A person with only a slightly irregular corneal curvature may not even need corrective lenses. However, a person with a significant amount of astigmatism will likely need corrective lenses, which can be either glasses or contact lenses.
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A person with this visual condition will need special corrective lenses that are called toric lenses; they bend light more in one particular direction, correcting astigmatism. Some people may opt for refractive surgery instead of corrective lenses. Such surgery can alter the shape of a person's cornea, fixing eye astigmatism permanently. There are several types of refractive surgery that may help a person with this condition, including laser eye surgery. Each person may be better suited to a different type of eye surgery, and an optometrist or ophthalmologist is qualified to evaluate a patient and suggest one.
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