Astigmatism

Index

  1. What is astigmatism?
  2. Prognosis
  3. Symptoms
  4. Medical tests to diagnose astigmatism
  5. Causes
  6. Prevention
  7. Treatment
  8. Who treats astigmatism?

What is astigmatism?

Astigmatism is an ocular defect or imperfection in the curvature of the cornea or in the structure of the lens of the eye, characterized by a different refraction between two ocular meridians, which prevents the sharp focus of objects.

The cornea acts as a lens through which light passes and is focused on the retina. So if the surface of the cornea is not regular in its curvatures, astigmatism occurs because the light rays are not refracted correctly.

According to the degree of astigmatism, there are three types of astigmatism:

  • Low (from 0.25 diopters to less than 1).
  • Medium (from 1 diopter to less than 3).
  • High (greater than or equal to 3 diopters).

Prognosis of the disease

In virtually all cases, astigmatism can be operated on and thus completely corrected.

Symptoms of astigmatism

The most obvious symptom is not seeing clearly, i.e. distorted or blurred vision at any distance, but it is accompanied by:

  • Headaches
  • Visual fatigue
  • Squinting to see
  • Difficulty driving at night

Lack of sharpness is one of the signs of astigmatism.

Medical tests for astigmatism

Astigmatism can be diagnosed by giving the patient a complete eye examination, including a refraction test.

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If the patient, whether a child or adult, cannot have the standard refraction test, the specialist may order an ophthalmoscopy, a test that measures refraction through reflected light.

What are the causes of astigmatism?

Astigmatism may have a genetic origin and appear together with certain corneal pathologies, such as keratoconus. It may also be due to trauma or certain surgical procedures.

Can it be prevented?

It is not possible to prevent astigmatism, but it can be detected through a complete ophthalmologic examination and corrected conservatively or surgically.

Treatments for astigmatism

Depending on the degree of astigmatism, it can be treated in different ways:

  • Glasses.
  • Contact lenses.
  • Refractive surgery, which reduces or even eliminates the need to use the two previous techniques. The most common techniques are PRK and Lasik.

Which specialist treats it?

The specialist who deals with astigmatism is the specialist in Ophthalmology.