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Often, the reason a person experiences blurry and distorted 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 and treat astigmatism.
Refractive errors are a group of conditions that affect how light refracts when entering the eye. Astigmatism is a common type of refractive error, like hyperopia, myopia, and presbyopia. Astigmatism eye disease distorts vision at both distance and near. It is often present in combination with myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness).
Symptoms of astigmatism can be, but are not limited to:
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.
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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 are eligible for LASIK for astigmatism eye surgery. Although rare, patients who have levels of astigmatism that are beyond the recommended treatment parameters, would be disqualified from having LASIK refractive 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 for astigmatism is another excellent refractive surgery option. 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 and see if you qualify.
Your doctor can give you a prescription that will include your level of astigmatism. Your glasses or contacts will then correct for any refractive error you may have, including astigmatism.
Astigmatism can develop slowly and almost unnoticeably in some people, and in others it may progress more quickly and severely as they age. Astigmatism is caused by an irregular shape of the cornea or the lens of the eye. For optimal vision, light needs to enter the eye and fall on the retina in a single focal point. When you have an astigmatism, the light will fall in two separate spots, creating two focal points and causing blurred vision and distortion of images.
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. In individuals with farsighted astigmatism, the 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.
Astigmatism is a common condition, but certain factors may put you at a higher risk for this eye condition. If you have a family history of astigmatism, you should convey this to your eye doctor, as this highly increases the likelihood that you may have astigmatism as well. You may also develop astigmatism if you already have a refractive error or other vision problems.
Factors that increase the risk for astigmatism include:
How is astigmatism diagnosed? A comprehensive eye exam will test for a number of things including diagnosing astigmatism. Your eye doctor will use the following tests to diagnose astigmatism and how to best treat it:
Visual acuity measures the eye’s ability to see details from a distance. This vision test will require you to read letters from a chart to determine how well you can discern detailed shapes from far away.
For a refraction test, your eye doctor will use an instrument called a lensometer to find the right corrective lenses for you. The doctor will try corrective lenses of different strengths until you are able to see the chart clearly.
Keratotomy refers to the curvature of the cornea, which can determine the degree of astigmatism. Your eye doctor will use an instrument called a keratometer to measure this.
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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.
Interested in getting rid of your astigmatism for good? Call us to schedule your complimentary consultation today.
312-444-1111Schedule Consultation
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.
Astigmatism is extremely common, about a third of the population has some form of astigmatic vision. With the proper corrective lenses, you can easily address blurred vision resulting from astigmatism.
Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent astigmatism. While preventing astigmatism is impossible, getting an annual eye exam will ensure that you can manage any eye condition that you may have, and monitor any changes in your level of astigmatism.
If you’ve ever looked at your glasses prescription, you’ve seen what looks like a table with different numbers. Your astigmatism is also indicated, measured in diopters, and listed in the “cylinder” and “axis” columns. The cylinder column on the prescription tells you how strong your astigmatism is, while the axis column tells your eye doctor exactly where the astigmatism is on your cornea. 1.5 is considered a high enough diopter value that you will need corrective lenses for astigmatism. A diopter of 0 means you do not have astigmatism.
