Astigmatism: what is this disease, its causes, symptoms and treatment
Astigmatism: what it is, causes, types. Treatment of astigmatism
Astigmatism translated from Latin means the absence of one focal point. The disease is most often diagnosed against the background of reduced visual acuity.
Astigmatism: what it is
This refraction anomaly can occur when the cornea or eye lens are irregularly shaped. If you imagine an ideal eyeball, then both the cornea and the eye lens are absolutely spherical, therefore, there is no astigmatism. Regretfully, ideal eyes do not exist in nature. That is why astigmatism is a frequent occurrence. Patients may complain of seeing double when looking with each eye separately.
Causes of astigmatism
One of the main causes of development of astigmatism is a hereditary factor. Ophthalmologists insist on an early examination of a child if at least one of the parents has a history of astigmatism. If we are talking about acquired astigmatism, then it can be provoked by:
- cicatricial corneal changes;
- eye injuries;
- surgical interventions on the eyeball;
- keratitis (corneal inflammation);
- dystrophic changes in the eyeball;
- inflammatory diseases of the eyelids accompanied by edema and induration.
It is possible to determine the type of astigmatism by checking visual acuity and refraction on a wide pupil. There are myopic and hypermetropic types of astigmatism. Sometimes it is additionally combined with myopia or hypermetropia.
If astigmatism is congenital, it is detected in early childhood. A child may not make any complaints. Parents may notice that the child has begun to squint, lean over the pictures while drawing, close one eye or turn his head while watching TV.
Adults have more typical complaints:
- blurred picture, seeing objects and symbols double;
- regular headaches;
- discomfort (feeling of heaviness and compression) in the supraorbital ridges during visual load characterized by rapid eye fatigue, the feeling of gritty eyes.
When the above complaints appear, you should visit an ophthalmologist and undergo an examination. A doctor will determine if a patient has astigmatism and will recommend the correction with glasses or contact lenses. It is needed in order to correct the optical irregularities of the eyeball and enable the eye to see and function well. What to choose, lenses or glasses, in case of astigmatism? The answer should be given by a specialist. It is important to remember that any correction improves visual acuity and lightens the visual load, but does not eliminate astigmatism.
There are other techniques of vision correction and therapy
Laser correction of astigmatism is the most common. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis using local anesthesia. An improvement in visual acuity is noted already 2 hours after the medical manipulation, and full recovery takes 5 to 7 days.
A surgery on the eyes in case of astigmatism involves the patient’s compliance with certain rules of the rehabilitation period. Prolonged visual loads, sports, thermal procedures are forbidden. Such restrictions can be applied for about a month.
Astigmatism in childhood is important to detect and correct as early as possible. If this is not done, amblyopia can occur, which is the condition (possibly irreversible) when the eye cannot provide good visual acuity, despite the complete correction with glasses or lenses.
Article author: Natalia Kubrak
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