Astigmatism

Astigmatism is a common eye problem that presents as blurry vision. A thorough eye exam will determine your degree of astigmatism and help develop a treatment plan best suited to your needs.

At Focus Eye Care & Surgery in New York, our board-certified eye specialist, Dr. Neelofar Ghaznawi, is a member of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons. Her extensive training and experience will help you regain sharp vision and better quality of life.

What is astigmatism?

In a normal eye without astigmatism, the cornea, or the clear surface layer of the eye, and the crystalline lens inside the eye are evenly shaped in all directions.

This makes it possible for light to be bent to a single point onto the retina so the images look sharp. The retina is the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eyes that connects to the brain via the optic nerve.

Any distortion in the shape of the cornea and/or lens scatters light rays, causing vision to be out of focus. The result is blurry vision at any distance.

What are the types of astigmatism?

Astigmatism is a refractive error because there is something wrong with how light is bent, or refracted, by the cornea and/or lens. Astigmatism can be:

Corneal – when your cornea is distorted

Lenticular – when the crystalline lens is irregularly shaped

Is your blurry vision worrying you?

Schedule a consultation with Focus Eye Care & Surgery today and get checked for astigmatism by our New York eye specialist.

What are the symptoms of astigmatism apart from blurry vision?

eye strain

headaches

squinting to see clearly

difficulty seeing at night

Other symptoms of astigmatism include:

Can one have astigmatism and not know it?

Yes. Often, people with astigmatism go to an eye doctor because of blurry vision. But some people have astigmatism mild enough to not cause any major symptoms. They are not aware that they could still be seeing more clearly.

This is why it is vital to have regular eye exams. Get your eyesight checked by our New York eye specialist to find out if you have astigmatism.

Children may suffer from astigmatism and not know it because they still have no experience of clear vision. Have children undergo regular eye checkups to ensure that uncorrected astigmatism does not get in the way of their academic and athletic achievements.

How is astigmatism diagnosed?

A comprehensive eye exam will help determine if you have astigmatism. This involves testing your visual acuity, or how well you read letters of different sizes on a chart. The eye doctor would be able to tell how clear your vision is at certain distances.

How is astigmatism treated?

Astigmatism can be corrected by prescription glasses, contact lenses, or laser surgery. Dr. Ghaznawi is a New York cornea surgeon specializing in correcting astigmatism through personalized lens surgery and refractive surgery.

In blade-less laser surgery, the aim is to reshape the cornea or implant an intraocular lens (IOL) where the natural crystalline lens used to be.

Refractive Surgery

This procedure reshapes the cornea so it becomes smooth and symmetrical. In keratoconus, the normal dome-shape of the cornea deforms into a cone. If you have corneal astigmatism, this type of laser surgery may be right for you.

Personalized Lens Surgery

If you have lenticular astigmatism, advanced IOL optics may be better suited. This procedure involves inserting a ‘toric’ implant so the lens achieves a shape that is even with the cornea.

Both laser surgery treatments for astigmatism are done in-office. You are able to go home on the same day.

FAQ

What causes astigmatism to develop?

Astigmatism is usually present at the time of birth. The exact cause of astigmatism has still not been determined, but astigmatism may be acquired after birth as a result of trauma to the eye, infections, surgery, or other eye diseases.

Can astigmatism be permanently treated?

Permanent treatment of astigmatism may be achieved to a certain extent with refractive surgeries that use a laser to reshape the corneal surface. However, such surgeries cannot completely eliminate astigmatism.

How can astigmatism be managed?

Astigmatism can be managed temporarily using contact lenses or cylindrical glasses. For severe astigmatism, rigid contact lenses are better to correct vision. Laser surgery can be a more permanent management option for astigmatism. Laser surgery can correct symptoms associated with astigmatism, such as blurred vision, by reshaping the cornea using a laser.

How does astigmatism affect vision?

Astigmatism is a condition of the eye in which the corneal curvature is not smooth. This irregularity can cause light rays to focus at different points within the eye instead of on the retina, which results in distortion and blurriness in vision.

Can astigmatism make me blind?

Astigmatism is a refractive error of the eye, which causes light to focus at different points instead of on the retina resulting in blurring of vision. However, astigmatism on its own cannot make you go blind.

Does increasing age make astigmatism worse?

With increasing age, your cornea may undergo further changes in shape. This can worsen astigmatism in some cases as the cornea gets more irregular.

Can astigmatism be left untreated?

If astigmatism is left untreated, it can result in unpleasant symptoms such as headache, blurred vision, and eyestrain. If the severity of astigmatism is different between the two eyes, this may also result in a lazy eye.

Does astigmatism require treatment?

Astigmatism results in difficulties in both near and far vision along with symptoms such as headache, eye strain, and blurred vision. Untreated astigmatism can also worsen in some cases, and may even lead to a lazy eye. To manage the symptoms and to avoid worsening of astigmatism, treatment is necessary.

Have you had your eyes checked for astigmatism?

Schedule an appointment with us now to achieve clearer eyesight. Our astigmatism specialist conducts a comprehensive eye exam for accurate diagnosis that will help personalize a treatment plan to improve your vision. With clearer vision comes better quality of life.