What Is Astigmatism and How Is It Corrected?
If you’ve been experiencing blurry vision, halos around lights at night, and headaches, you might have a specific vision problem called astigmatism. Here’s what to know about astigmatism, its treatments, and how optometrist Dr. Arthur A. Medina Jr. of Medina Eye Care in San Antonio, TX, can help.
Astigmatism: What to Know
Astigmatism is a common vision disorder in children and adults and a leading cause of blurry vision. The condition occurs when the cornea becomes football-shaped instead of spherical, changing how it refracts light. With astigmatism, things become blurred or fuzzy at a distance and up close.
Squinting briefly improves visibility by changing the shape of the cornea, but it’s not a long-term solution. Astigmatism needs to be diagnosed by an optometrist, who can provide various options to treat your condition.
How Astigmatism Is Corrected
Glasses are the most common way to correct astigmatism. They focus light onto the retina - precisely where it needs to be for clear vision.
Contact lenses can also correct astigmatism, but not all contacts will work for all patients: you may go through some trial and error before finding the right lenses. There are also different types of contacts to choose from:
- Toric contact lenses are soft contact lenses with tiny “weights” at the bottom to prevent the lens from spinning around on the eye. This weight helps keep the prescription in the right place, which is necessary for correcting astigmatism.
- Hard contact lenses physically reshape the cornea so that vision becomes clear. When worn, the hard glass surface pushes the cornea into a shape that allows light to refract accurately onto the retina. Hard contacts are often worn overnight and removed in the morning, allowing the cornea to retain its new shape throughout the day.
Book Your Appointment with Our San Antonio, TX, Optometrist Today
If you’re experiencing distorted vision that gets better when you squint and gets worse at night, it’s probably time to see your optometrist. They can diagnose astigmatism and offer a variety of glasses and contact lenses to help correct the issue.
Don’t delay your journey to clear vision. Call Medina Eye Care of San Antonio, TX, at (210) 225-4141 today to book your appointment with Dr. Medina. You can also complete our online appointment request form.