EYE PROBLEMS — ASTIGMATISM
Symptoms
Slight or significant blurred vision at any distance, headaches or eyestrain.
Can accompany nearsightedness and farsightedness.
Normal Vision |
Astigmatism |
Causes
Astigmatism occurs when the cornea is shaped more like an oblong football
than a spherical baseball, which is the normal shape. The oblong shape
causes light rays to focus on two points in the back of your eye, rather
than on just one.
It can rarely be caused by lid swellings such as chalazion, corneal
scars, or by keratoconus.
Treatment Available
Astigmatism can be corrected with the following:
More Information on Astigmatism:
The following articles are in PDF format.
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Commonly Asked Questions:
What will help?
Some patients choose to use glasses or contacts to correct astigmatism.
Other patients choose refractive surgery.
What is refractive surgery?
Refractive surgery is an outpatient surgical procedure, which reshapes
the cornea, in order to reduce or eliminate astigmatism, nearsightedness,
or farsightedness. The names of the procedures used most commonly
today are LASIK, HYPEROPIC LASIK, AK, ALK, AND PRK.
Am I a good candidate for refractive surgery?
Your body and your eyes must be healthy, and your vision prescription
must be stable. A complete examination and consultation with your
eye care professional will help determine the answer to these questions.
It's recommended that you leave your contact lenses off for two weeks
(soft lenses) or three weeks (rigid lenses) prior to this consultation.
Make an appointment
here.
How soon after surgery will I see well?
Each patient is different. Most patients experience a dramatic improvement
8 to 10 hours after the treatment.
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