Do You Have Astigmatism but Just Aren’t Aware of It?
When you drive at night, the tail light from the car in front of you should appear clear and somewhat sharp, not with long, stretched lines. But if the latter was what you are experiencing constantly, you may have an eye condition called astigmatism. Some people might have astigmatism vision but just did not realize it is actually not a normal eye condition.
Having blurry vision at any distance is quite typical. Everyone has it somehow. It just comes in a variety of degrees on people, each of which impacts vision differently. You may have gotten it as a result of eye disease, eye injury, eye surgery, or inheritance.
The level of astigmatism will become worse as you grow older or keep rubbing your eyes but it will never cause someone to go blind. It is not a disease or serious eye problem. It is a condition where the cornea of the eye is shaped irregularly, seemingly like a rugby ball instead of a perfectly round ball – hence, creating vision issues.
Types of Astigmatism
The two primary types of astigmatism are corneal and lenticular. Corneal astigmatism, as the name implies, occurs when the cornea of your eye has irregular curvatures. Most of the time, astigmatism comes from the cornea. While lenticular astigmatism occurs when you have an irregular curvature of the lens in your eyeball.
Symptoms of Astigmatism
Different people will show different symptoms. Some people with astigmatism do not show any symptoms at all. But for those who show, these are the symptoms astigmatism might have:
- The vision that is blurry, fuzzy, or distorted, whether up close or far away
- Having difficulty seeing clearly at night
- Headaches
- Eyestrain
- Squinting eyes to see clearly
- Shadowing of images
A worried adult may feel concerned when they are experiencing these symptoms. But children, on the other hand, are not. It is quite difficult to diagnose astigmatism in children because they may not complain about blurred vision and this often goes untreated. So the next best approach is to consult your child’s healthcare professional if your children complain of frequent headaches or vision problems. Normally you are at high risk of getting astigmatism if:
- You have a family history of astigmatism or other eye problem
- Your cornea is scarred or has thinned
- Your vision is blurry at a distance because you are excessively nearsighted
- Your eyesight is blurry up close because you are long-sightedness
- You have had some types of eye surgery, say, cataract surgery.
If you or your child have any of these symptoms, consult VISTA, an eye specialist centre in Kuala Lumpur, for expert care and a comprehensive eye exam.
Treatment of Astigmatism
Mild astigmatism may not require any cure or treatment. But if your astigmatism is serious, your doctor will first assess your eye condition and propose either corrective lenses or refractive eye surgeries as treatment.
1. Corrective Lenses
The most common and least invasive way to treat astigmatism is by using corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses as prescribed by your eye care professional. It is the least invasive treatment for astigmatism.
2. Ortho-K Lenses
Also known as orthokeratology, corneal molding, or corneal reshaping, Ortho-K treatment uses rigid contact lenses to temporarily correct the irregular curvature of your cornea. You will need to wear the lenses while you sleep and remove them during the day for a limited period.
Wearing these lenses will temporarily reshape your cornea to allow clear vision. This means your vision will return to its previous state over the course of the day when you stop wearing them. So, it is advisable to put them on every night to have clear vision during the day.
3. Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) Lenses
GP contact lenses are rigid lenses made of durable plastics that allow oxygen to pass through the lens. They are unlike the traditional soft lenses that do not allow as much oxygen to reach the cornea. These lenses are ideal for people with high astigmatism and provide superior vision quality.
4. LASIK Eye Surgery
Your eye care specialist may recommend laser eye surgery, such as LASIK eye surgery in Malaysia depending on the severity of your astigmatism. The surgery includes reshaping your cornea with lasers to permanently cure your astigmatism. This is the most commonly performed surgical intervention for astigmatism correction.
5. Toric Implantable Collamer Lens (Toric ICL)
This treatment is used to correct astigmatism completely in one single surgical procedure. The procedure is relatively simple, quick, and painless while the recovery process is short and quick too. For patients with a high level of astigmatism, Toric ICL should be the safe and effective refractive treatment option to go.
Final Say
Astigmatism is a pretty common eye condition that most people have. Even so, with the right treatment, your vision will not be compromised by it. Like any operation, laser eye surgery for astigmatism has its advantages and carries some risks which you should consult with your eye care specialist before making a decision. Schedule an appointment with one of the best eye doctors in Malaysia or visit our eye specialist in KL if you are experiencing any of the astigmatism symptoms and get a proper consultation.
