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Often, the reason a person experiences blurry and distored vision is because they have an astigmatism. Eye astigmatism is a common refractive error that affects approximately 33 percent of the US population. Luckily, there are many ways in which you can correct astigmatism.
How common is astigmatism? 70 percent of all prescriptions written include some level of astigmatism correction. Corneal astigmatism occurs when the curvature of the cornea is uneven.
Think of the cornea as a clear dome over the surface of the eye, in people with astigmatism eye shape, the cornea is shaped more like an egg or a football. The irregular shape of the cornea results in light bending and hitting the retina, at the back of the eye, in an irregular way. Astigmatism vision is often the culprit of poor night vision. Astigmatism often occurs along with other refractive errors such as myopia and hyperopia.
A Refractive Lens Exchange can help patients who have:
Astigmatism can develop slowly and almost imperceptibly in some people, and in others it may get more severe as they get older. Astigmatism vs. normal vision has to do with the way light bends into the eye and is projected onto the retina. In a person with normal vision, the evenly shaped cornea focuses light into a single point on the retina, producing a crisp clear image. A person that has astigmatism has an unevenly shaped cornea resulting in light and images hitting multiple points on the retina, causing blurred vision.
Now that you know astigmatism is to blame for your blurry vision, you probably are wondering how to fix astigmatism? Is astigmatism surgery an option? Am I a candidate?
Many people who have astigmatism can be treated with LASIK eye surgery. Although rare, patients who have levels of astigmatism that are beyond the recommended treatment parameters, would be disqualified from having LASIK surgery. The exact shape of the cornea is an important factor in the qualification for laser eye surgery astigmatism. The best way to determine if LASIK is the right treatment for your astigmatism is to talk to your doctor, and to schedule a consultation to discuss treatment options.
PRK is another excellent surgical option to treat astigmatism. Much like the LASIK procedure, the success of the procedure will depend on the exact level of astigmatism the patient has. To determine if PRK is the right laser eye surgery for your level of astigmatism, you should schedule a consultation with your eye doctor to see if you qualify.
There are 2 non-surgical options to treat astigmatism if surgery is not an option for you. The first is simply to wear glasses. Your doctor can give you a prescription that includes your level of astigmatism, your glasses will then correct for any refractive error you may have, including astigmatism. The second option is to be fitted properly for contact lenses. There are many brands and contacts for astigmatism. Your doctor will recommend the best type and brand for your specific level of astigmatism.
If you are ready to attain clear vision with laser eye surgery for astigmatism, The Kraff Eye Institute is the right choice for you! With over 30 years of experience correcting all levels of refractive error, including astigmatism, you can feel confident that you will achieve the highest level of success utilizing the most up to date and safest technology available.
Astigmatism can be present along with farsighted vision and nearsighted vision. When an individual has nearsighted astigmatism, light is focused in front of the retina resulting in blurred vision for objects that are far away. This combined with the irregular or, football shape of an astigmatic cornea, will cause further blurriness and distortion. Individuals with farsighted astigmatism, light entering the eye focuses behind the retina causing near objects to look blurry. When combined with the irregular shape of an astigmatic cornea, vision will be very blurry and distorted.
Hyperopic astigmatism occurs in individuals that are farsighted, and also have an astigmatic refractive error.
Myopic astigmatism occurs in individuals that are nearsighted, and also have an astigmatic refractive error.
Mixed astigmatism is astigmatism in an eye that is both nearsighted and farsighted, light hits both in front of and behind the retina.
You may be wondering, how do you diagnose astigmatism? Is there an astigmatism test? The most accurate way to diagnose astigmatism is to see your eye doctor for a thorough eye exam. During your exam, you should report any symptoms you may be having, including: blurred vision, eye strain, headaches, squinting, and poor night vision. After a refraction, or vision test, your doctor will be able to tell you if you have astigmatism, and if it's causing your blurred vision.
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The cost of surgery to correct for astigmatism will depend on the type of surgery your doctor recommends. Your doctor will recommend the procedure that is the safest, and most effective for your type of astigmatism. The average cost of laser eye surgery can range from $1900 to $2800 per eye, depending on the procedure your doctor recommends.
Kraff Eye Institute has researched the best credit options and is proud to announce a partnership with CareCredit, America’s The Kraff Eye Institute offers convenient financing options through Care Credit. The current agreement is 18 months, same as cash. You can discuss financing through Care Credit at any time from your consultation day to the day before surgery.
*The Kraff Eye Institute does not have any say in who is approved for financing and who is not. Care Credit is not part of the Kraff Eye Institute.
With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Colman Kraff is committed to providing the safest and most effective treatment options for his patients. Dr. Kraff remains at the forefront of laser eye surgery, utilizing the most up to date technology. Our patients achieve a high level of success while having the confidence that all safety measures are up to date.
Astigmatism causes blurry distorted vision that is often more prominent at dark or in low light settings. Individuals with astigmatism often experience headaches and suffer from eye strain.
Astigmatism is thought to be hereditary. If you have astigmatism it is likely your children will have it also. So if you're wondering if astigmatism is hereditary, the simple answer is yes.
Astigmatism generally stays relatively stable until individuals are closer to 50 years old. At that time, the cornea and the lens of the eye can gradually change in shape, causing astigmatism to worsen. Although astigmatic changes can occur over time, it's still very treatable.
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