Astigmatism

Astigmatism

Astigmatism is a frequent medical condition affecting the curvature of the eye that causes blurring of both distant and near vision. Astigmatism can be congenital or can occur as a result of acquired medical conditions.

Symptoms

Symptoms of this condition are as follows:

• blurred and disturbed vision
• difficulty at seeing things at night
• headache
• squinting
• pressure on eye and irritation

Causes

The main cause of astigmatism is the development of refractive error. Refractive error occurs when one of the curvature of your eyes bends more steeply in one direction than another. Astigmatism can corneal or lenticular depending upon the occurrence of mismatch curvatures on cornea or lens respectively. Some other refractive errors are nearsightedness or farsightedness known as myopia or hyperopia respectively.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of this condition depends upon detailed history of the patient and complete eye examination of the patient.

Treatment

Treatment options include:

• Corrective lenses are used to cope up with the condition. Some of them are eyeglasses and contact lenses
• Some refractive surgery are considered which include Laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK), Laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK), Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), Epi-LASIK, Small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE). However, some complications can occur after the surgery like; corneal scarring, halo or starbust around the light and infrequently vision loss.