What Is Astigmatism?

Known as a type of refractive error, astigmatism negatively impacts everyday life as a result of blurry or distorted vision. This is a common eye condition affecting many people in the UK, and can be easily treated with glasses and contact lenses. Alternatively, permanent change can be achieved with help of refractive surgery, including laser, refractive lens exchange and ICL/Implantable Collamer/Contact Lens.

What Is Astigmatism?

Astigmatism is a defect in the structure of the eye, causing the rays of light to not converge to a point upon the retina, creating refractive error. It can be caused by irregular curvature of the cornea (corneal astigmatism) or due to abnormalities in the lens of the eye (lenticular astigmatism). A perfectly regular cornea and a functioning round lens will allow light to pass through to the retina correctly. With astigmatism, the lens is more oval, or the cornea is curved more steeply like a rugby ball, meaning that light does not reach the retina properly, resulting in blurred or distorted vision, both distant and near.

Astigmatism can often be diagnosed alongside other refractive error conditions, such as Myopia and Hyperopia. It prevails in some 30 – 60% of adults in Europe and Asia. People of all ages can be affected by astigmatism. Children with astigmatism symptoms should be diagnosed early as it can severely impact their performance in school and restrict their overall achievements.

Astigmatism Symptoms

Several symptoms can help you identify whether you or your child are suffering from astigmatism. These include:

• Headaches
• Blurred, doubled or otherwise impaired vision
• Difficulty driving at night
• Eye strain, which will be most noticeable when focusing closely on something, such as a computer screen or reading a book
• Squinting

As many of these symptoms can co-relate with other eye conditions, like Myopia and Hyperopia, it is necessary to see an optician as soon as possible and undergo a complete eye examination to determine your diagnosis.

Driving At Night With Astigmatism

The blurred vision associated with astigmatism can become worse at night. There are several issues associated with this, but driving at night is likely to pose the most problems. Therefore, it is crucial to seek a formal diagnosis and treatment for astigmatism if you have concerns about your vision.

People with astigmatism tend to experience their symptoms worsening at night or in low lighting due to pupils’ natural tendency to dilate, allowing more light to enter. But for those with astigmatism, this means that more peripheral light is let in, increasing the cause of glares and halos, especially around street lights and headlights.

What Causes Astigmatism?

It is not known what causes astigmatism, but genetics play a big factor.  As hereditary conditions are often passed from generation to generation, it is a good idea to have your children tested so that you can give them the proper treatment and avoid the condition from developing further.

Since astigmatism is genetically related, it is often present at birth, however, it can also develop later in life. It can occur due to trauma or injury to the eye. In some cases, it can result from a condition that affects the cornea shape and curvature and is called keratoconus, causing the clear tissue of the cornea to thin and bulge out.

Types Of Astigmatism

There are two main types of astigmatism. The first is corneal astigmatism, which is caused by a defect in the cornea, while a defect in the lens causes lenticular astigmatism. 

Corneal astigmatism is the most common type, when corneal curvature is steeper in one direction than in other, causing a refractive error. Whereas people with lenticular astigmatism may have normally shaped corneas, but the lens’s curvature is more steep, meaning that light cannot reach the retina correctly.

Does Astigmatism Get Worse?

Like many other conditions that affect the eyes, astigmatism may get progressively worse over time, hence it is crucial to manage the condition effectively to ensure it doesn’t significantly interfere with your daily life. However, if left untreated in some cases can lead to developing Amblyopia (lazy eye) if astigmatism is present in one eye only from childhood.

Having regular check-ups with a specialist to monitor the progression of your astigmatism is recommended.

Fortunately, astigmatism is not usually an indicator of any more serious underlying eye condition and can be effectively managed by using the correct prescription spectacles or contact lenses. You should talk to a specialist to find out the treatment options that will work best for you.

Can Astigmatism Be Cured?

There are various treatment options available for people with astigmatism. The type of treatment your optician can recommend will depend on the severity of the condition. The most common ways to treat astigmatism are prescription glasses, contact lenses, and refractive eye surgery.

Glasses are the most common form of treatment for astigmatism. It is usually the first treatment option offered to patients. The glasses offered to people with astigmatism will have special cylindrical lenses that help to compensate for refractive error caused by astigmatism, although contact lenses can provide a wider field of vision.

Refractive eye surgery like LASIK can permanently eliminate the need to wear corrective lenses and glasses by reshaping the cornea of the eye, hence it remains one of the most effective and popular treatment options. However, as with other elective surgeries, it may carry greater risks than non-invasive treatment options. Because of this, various factors such as eye health, refractive status, and lifestyle are considered to determine the right treatment.

Laser Eye Surgery For Astigmatism

To qualify for laser eye surgery to correct your astigmatism, you will need to be over 18 and have a stable prescription over a two years period. Additionally, depending on the health of the cornea, you can be advised to choose the appropriate laser treatment. Here at Eye Clinic London, we offer two types of laser eye surgery that can help correct astigmatism: LASIK and PRK. 

To find out more about which laser eye surgery technique is more suitable, please read our article on PRK Vs LASIK.

For patients with higher prescriptions, thinner cornea, or those with  DRY EYE and other eye conditions that are not suitable for laser surgery, astigmatism can still be corrected with Implantable Collamer Lenses ICL.

The condition can also be treated during cataract surgery in older people with astigmatism. This is achieved by removing an old lens and replacing it with a toric intraocular lens implant.

If you want to find out more about refractive eye surgery and the incredible benefits, it can have for people with astigmatism, get in touch with one of our experts here at Eye Clinic London.