Astigmatism

The best way to keep your eyes healthy is to partner with an experienced optometrist and have routine comprehensive eye examinations. At the office of Evanston Eyecare, our team of eye care professionals provides the highest quality of care to monitor the ongoing health of your eyes as well as diagnose and correct any refractive errors or treat other issues affecting your vision.

One common problem that can affect visual acuity is astigmatism. Astigmatism is a visual impairment that is caused by slight irregularities in the shape of the eye. Normally the human eye is spherical in shape and when light enters the eye, it refracts evenly to create a clear view of the object. With astigmatism the eye is shaped more like a football or the back of a spoon. When light enters an eye with astigmatism it is refracted more towards one direction than the other, which allows only part of the object to be in focus. This refraction error makes objects appear blurry. Astigmatism can be present at birth or can  develop later as the result of functional issues. With uncorrected astigmatism, you may experience symptoms such as blurry vision and headaches, eyestrain and fatigue. In some cases, astigmatism may also be accompanied by nearsightedness or farsightedness. And, for the very reason that astigmatism may become worse as you get older, it’s essential to have your eyes checked whenever you feel there has been a change in your vision.

As skilled and experienced providers of vision care, we provide prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses, which correct refractive errors so that you can enjoy the benefits of clear, crisp vision. While mild astigmatism may not need any treatment at all, you may still require corrective lenses. That’s because astigmatism often accompanies nearsightedness or farsightedness. Corrective eyeglass lenses and contact lenses can correct multiple refractive errors at once. For people with astigmatism, special toric contact lenses that have greater light bending power in one direction than the other may be used. In some cases, another means of treating astigmatism that can be effective is a refractive or laser surgery, where the shape of the cornea is changed to make it more spherical.

If you have any of the symptoms of astigmatism or you feel that your vision has changed lately call our office for an appointment.

At the office of Evanston Eyecare, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality of skilled and compassionate care. For more information on our office and the many services that we provide, give us a call today.

By Evanston Eyecare

October 26, 2020