Having clear vision without additional equipment like contact lenses or eyeglasses is a blessing that is not often discussed widely. In the real world, where your eyes are not perfect, having vision problems is not uncommon.
Refractive errors like astigmatism are one of the most common vision issues dealt with. But what is it and how can LASIK fix astigmatism? Keep reading to learn more.
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.
Do you suspect you or your loved one have astigmatism? Do you want to understand the astigmatism severity scale? You are at the correct spot. Astigmatism is a common eye condition that occurs when the cornea or lens of the eye is not perfectly curved, which affects how light enters your eye. This may cause blurry or distorted vision.
This can result in difficulties focusing on both near and distant objects. Luckily, it can be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or LASIK eye surgery. Recognizing your astigmatism severity helps you manage it efficiently with a suitable treatment option. So, get ready to explore the world of astigmatism. This blog walks you through it all! Continue reading Astigmatism Severity Scale Explained for Better Vision Management
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.
Are you wondering about the distinctions between Keratoconus and Astigmatism? You’ve arrived at the correct link! These two eye disorders are commonly confused with one another, but they are not the same. Understanding the differences between them is critical for accurate diagnosis and treatment.
So, strap in and prepare to plunge into the realm of eye health because you are going to discover the differences between these two in detail in terms of symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment. Let’s get started with Keratoconus vs Astigmatism! Continue reading Keratoconus vs. Astigmatism – What You Need to Know!
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.
Astigmatism is a common vision health concern. It occurs when the cornea or lens of the eye has an irregular shape, which causes blurred or distorted vision. However, you don’t need to worry if you have this eye condition, as it is relatively manageable.
So, can you wear contacts with astigmatism to correct your vision? The simple answer is yes. You can wear contact lenses with astigmatism. However, it is essential to understand the different types of eyewear available for astigmatism and how to choose the right one. Let’s explore more!
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.
Many individuals experience vision problems caused by refractive errors, which are commonly attributed to irregularities in the structures of the eye, such as the cornea, lens, or overall shape. Distinguishing between different refractive errors can be challenging since they often coexist. Among these errors, astigmatism and myopia are two prevalent disorders that can affect the eyes. While they share certain similarities, they also have distinct characteristics that set them apart. Continue reading Astigmatism vs. Myopia – What’s the Difference?
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.
Are you experiencing increasing vision difficulties and wondering what is causing your astigmatism to worsen suddenly? You are not alone! 33% of people in the U.S. have astigmatism and often face vision issues because of this complicated condition. It’s a common eye condition where the cornea or lens isn’t perfectly round.
This means that instead of your eye being nice and spherical, it can take on a football-like shape. It can lead to symptoms like blurry vision, trouble driving at night, headaches, eye pain, and sensitivity to glare. Astigmatism often starts in childhood and can stick with you throughout life.
The good news? Surgery isn’t usually necessary! Most cases of astigmatism can be treated simply with glasses or contact lenses. However, if left untreated, astigmatism could worsen over time. So, if you suspect you might have astigmatism or are experiencing any of these symptoms, consider reaching out to an eye care professional.
In the meantime, are you ready to dive deeper into who’s more likely to encounter astigmatism and what steps you can take to achieve a clearer vision? Let’s explore this intriguing topic together!
Who is at Risk of Astigmatism?
Astigmatism is a common problem, and while it can happen to anyone, there are people with a higher chance of developing it due to certain factors. You are more likely at the risk of astigmatism if you have:
A thin cornea
A family history of astigmatism
A history of eye surgeries. This can include cataracts and other surgeries as well.
Excessive farsightedness (hyperopia)
Extreme nearsightedness (myopia)
There are several effects of this condition, as normal vision differs from how people with astigmatism see. But generally, people who have it have difficulty driving at night.
Not only astigmatism but any refractive error can aggravate with time if left untreated at an early stage. The simultaneous presence of myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is one of the key factors that helps astigmatism progress further.
Therefore, it is recommended to visit your eye specialist at least once a year so you can detect your eye problems at an early stage and prevent worsening astigmatism.
There can be a number of reasons leading to your astigmatism getting worse. During your appointments, your eye doctor will monitor the following factors:
Ageing: Your vision may be impacted as you age due to changes in the curvature of your cornea and lens.
Eye Injuries: Corneal abnormalities brought on by eye damage might exacerbate astigmatism.
Family History: You may be more susceptible to increasing symptoms if astigmatism runs in your family.
Keratoconus: This disorder distorts vision by causing the cornea to weaken and swell gradually.
Corneal Scarring: Astigmatism may worsen because of abnormalities caused by corneal scarring.
Corneal Thinning: Your vision may deteriorate if your cornea thins, changing its curve and form.
By Birth: Some people are born with an irregularly shaped cornea, predisposing them to astigmatism.
High Nearsightedness (Myopia): Severe myopia can increase the likelihood of astigmatism worsening.
High Farsightedness (Hyperopia): Similarly, extreme hyperopia can contribute to vision changes over time.
Post-surgery Complications: Surgeries on the eye can sometimes lead to changes in corneal shape, affecting astigmatism.
Remember, identifying the causes of your astigmatism is the first step in addressing it. So, be sure to consult with your eye care professional regularly! There are many therapy alternatives available. With specialty contact lenses, refractive surgery, or corrective lenses, your eye doctor can assist you.
How to Take Care of Your Astigmatic Eyes
Even though most individuals are born with astigmatism, you can significantly enhance the health of your eyesight by adopting certain lifestyle and eye care practices. You can keep your eyes happy and healthy by following these helpful tips:
Lessen Eye Strain: Make it a habit to avoid using screens for long periods. One way to reduce eye strain is to keep a safe distance from devices such as phones, tablets, and computers.
Keep Your Eyes Safe: Wearing glasses or contact lenses can help you see better and protect your vision. Make sure you are taking the right prescription for the best results.
Avoid Rubbing Your Eyes: Resist the urge to rub your eyes. This could change your cornea’s shape and make your astigmatism worse.
Employ Corrective Lenses: Wear any corrective lenses that your physician has recommended. They can prevent unnecessary eye strain and improve your overall vision.
Schedule Regular Eye Exams: Don’t underestimate the importance of routinely visiting your eye doctor. They can help you monitor the health of your eyes and adjust your medications as needed.
By following these simple yet effective methods, you can maintain excellent eye health and make the most of your time with astigmatism. Remember that improved eye health now can lead to improved eyesight later!
Regular eye exams play a vital role in identifying and treating astigmatism promptly, allowing for early intervention.
Your journey towards a clearer and healthier vision can start right now. Schedule an eye exam at Insight Vision Center and take the first step toward reclaiming your visual clarity!
In conclusion, astigmatism is a widespread vision issue that affects many individuals, often leading to blurred vision and discomfort. Understanding what causes astigmatism and its symptoms can empower you to take proactive steps in managing your eye health.
If you suspect you have astigmatism or simply haven’t had an eye exam in a while, reach out to your eye care professional. Your vision is worth it!
As mentioned earlier, astigmatism can get severe as you age. The corneas in your eye become highly irregular. When you go to your eye specialist, you might notice that the prescriptions frequently keep changing, leading to different eye exams.
Regular use of gadgets like laptops and smartphones can cause eye strain, which can make the symptoms of astigmatism worse. You may be all too familiar with this sensation if you have ever experienced discomfort following an extended period of screen time.
The good news is that astigmatism can be resolved permanently! Your cornea can be efficiently reshaped with laser operations like LASIK or PRK. These procedures enhance your vision and reduce the need for glasses or contact lenses in day-to-day activities.
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.
Astigmatism is the imperfection of the cornea’s curvature or lens. The cornea is the transparent layer on the outside of the eye that transmits and focuses the entry of the light into the eye.
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.
It’s not every day that you see people talking about interesting facts about eyesight. But how much do you know about your eye health? There are some who are blessed with perfect 20/20 vision, while others are completely blind. But what about people with certain eye conditions? How can you tell if you have poor vision at all?
Imagine driving down a dimly lit road at night and seeing lights that seem to stretch out in unusual ways. For people with astigmatism, this is a common occurrence that can not only be frustrating but also potentially dangerous. Astigmatism lights appear streaky, blurry, or haloed, and this can severely impair your ability to drive safely at night. So what exactly is astigmatism, and how can you take measures to ensure that your night driving experience is as safe as possible?
In this article, we’ll explore the answers to these questions and provide you with some practical tips to help you drive safely with astigmatism.
Astigmatism vs Normal – How do people with Astigmatism see?
People with astigmatism see differently than those with normal vision. They may experience blurry or distorted vision at all distances, which can make it difficult to read, drive, or perform other activities that require clear vision. In particular, people with astigmatism often have difficulty with night driving due to the glare of oncoming headlights.
Astigmatism can cause images to appear stretched, skewed, or tilted, which can make it hard to identify shapes or read letters on a page. People with astigmatism may also experience eye strain, headaches, or eye fatigue as their eyes work harder to compensate for the vision problem. The severity of astigmatism varies from person to person. In some cases, it may be so mild that it doesn’t require treatment, while in others, it may cause significant vision problems.
What Does Astigmatism Look Like?
Astigmatism lights – Halos, fuzzy vision & streaky lights cause issues with driving at night with astigmatism
Due to Astigmatism, the misshapen cornea or lens doesn’t allow proper light intake in your eyes. This common refractive error results in light getting scattered instead of focusing on your retina, potentially causing blurred vision. Therefore, if you have astigmatism, you need to squint your eyes more. You may also find yourself reducing the glare of the things in front of you whenever possible.
And the interesting part is that people born with astigmatism may never know this difference until someone points that out to them. But if you are amongst those who developed astigmatism over time, you will gradually, if not instantly, know that something is wrong with your vision. It’s easy to spot the difference between astigmatism vision vs. normal vision.
Astigmatism lights notoriously appear
hazy with holes
with excessive glare
streaky
blurry or fuzzy
That Viral Tweet from 2019 illustrating how people with astigmatism see – How accurate is it?
This Twitter post from 2019 spread like wildfire and fuelled responses from around the world. It made people question their eyesight. It depicted what vision with astigmatism looks like vs vision without astigmatism.
Astigmatism is when the cornea is slightly curved rather than completely round.
With astigmatism, light focuses on several points of the retina rather just one point. This is what people with Astigmatisms vs without. pic.twitter.com/RXWWayFBRJ
In the first image, the light from the brake lights and traffic signs appear distorted, stretching into a wide, starburst shape. This indicated what astigmatism vision looks like. In the second image, the lights coming off of the traffic light appear softer and have a halo shape, which represents clear vision.
This tweet gathered over 80,000 reactions and led many to suspect they had undiagnosed astigmatism. Most of the people who reacted thought the image on the left was a representation of perfect vision, and the results shocked them. Some people with glasses thought the distorted vision was actually a normal condition.
However, journalists from BuzzFeed clarified with the eye doctors, that there is no single image that can accurately represent astigmatism or diagnose its presence. Only a qualified optometrist or ophthalmologist can diagnose astigmatism. The image in the tweet could be attributed to common causes like glare or dry eyes. The main message here is to avoid self-diagnosing based on online information or images and instead, seek professional advice from an eye doctor to receive the appropriate treatment for your eyes.
Driving at Night With Astigmatism
By now, you may understand what astigmatism vision looks like at night if the processing of lights is so distorted normally. Yes, astigmatism gets pretty much worse at night. Specifically, it’s scary to drive at night with astigmatism.
Unlike daytime, there is more darkness all around at night. So naturally, your pupils dilate to allow more light inside the eye. But with astigmatism, more light means more glare. The traffic lights, street lights, and headlights of other vehicles help people with normal vision navigate the roads at night. However, astigmatism vision can make it harder to distinguish between different types of light sources mentioned above. This can make driving at night particularly challenging for people with astigmatism.
Now you know the different effects of astigmatism at night vs. normal daytime. It’s much worse and more confusing during the night. In the next section, let’s deep dive into the solution for people driving with astigmatism at night. Keep reading if you are one of them!
Solutions for Safely Driving at Night With Astigmatism
Your eye doctor will agree that the following solutions help combat astigmatism lights at night while driving.
Get Your Vision Corrected
Getting your vision corrected is essential since most critical decisions made by drivers are based on sight. Many drivers aren’t aware of the relationship between good vision and good driving, especially if you drive at night.
There are two vision correction options to make life easy for you. The first one is glasses. It’s a proven solution for astigmatism at night. Otherwise, you can get toric lenses. However, you may need some time to get used to them. Schedule an eye exam with your eye doctor and figure out what works best for you.
Wear Anti-Reflector Glasses
If you choose good old glasses to address astigmatism at night, get the anti-reflector glasses. They are much less likely to intensify glare than other corrective lenses. They can also help cut down on poor vision in low light, helping manage refractive errors and making it easier for you to drive at night.
If you are already comfortable with wearing glasses, try the anti-reflector ones and know the difference.
Use Contact Moisturizing Drops
Having to deal with painful, irritated eyes while driving can be not only annoying but also dangerous. Toric lenses for astigmatism often result in dry eyes. Driving at night can also result in a glare that reflects off the dry, irregular surface of the cornea.
If you wear contact lenses to correct astigmatism, use contact moisturizing drops to prevent drying your toric lenses.
Get a LASIK Eye Surgery
LASIK eye surgery refers to laser eye surgery and vision correction. It’s considered the permanent solution to the everyday annoyances of dealing with corrective lenses when you have astigmatism.
With a quick recovery rate, LASIK eye surgery can save you money on the annual costs of glasses and contact lenses. And more importantly, it will help you with a better vision to allow you to drive safely.
Say goodbye to blurry, distorted vision—schedule your free LASIK consultation today!
Additional Tips That May Help With Your Astigmatism Night Driving
Adjust your headlights: Make sure your headlights are properly aligned and aimed, as misaligned headlights can make it harder to see while driving at night.
Clean your windshield and headlights: Dirt and grime on your windshield and headlights can cause glare and reduce visibility. Regularly clean both to ensure optimal visibility.
Reduce interior lights: Bright interior lights can reflect on your windshield and make it difficult to see. Dim your dashboard lights and avoid using your phone or other bright devices while driving.
Slow down: Driving at a slower speed can give you more time to react to unexpected situations and reduce the risk of accidents.
Take breaks: If you feel tired or have blurry vision, take a break and rest your eyes. This can help reduce eye strain and improve your ability to see while driving.
Parting Words
Driving at night with astigmatism is a severe life hazard. Therefore, you must not only do your own vision analysis. You also must show these pictures to your family members and loved ones to check which image they identify with.
The issue of astigmatism lights can easily be resolved with solutions like glasses, toric lenses, and LASIK eye surgery. Also, an eye exam is important not just to correct astigmatism vision but it is to safeguard your overall health and wellness.
If you have untreated astigmatism, lights may appear streaky, hazy, haloed, or ringed by a starburst pattern. This can have a significant negative impact on your night driving abilities and make it challenging to see well in low light.
Astigmatism patients may be sensitive to light, especially in a bright environment. This is because astigmatism can make it uncomfortable and sensitive for the eyes to focus on light. However, not everyone who has astigmatism suffers from light sensitivity, as it might differ based on the person's particular condition.
Starbursts around lights can be a common symptom of astigmatism or other vision issues, caused by the irregular shape of the cornea or lens in the eye. For an accurate diagnosis and treatment, it's crucial to visit an eye doctor.
Astigmatism can be corrected by Lasik. However, it is crucial to consult with an ophthalmologist to find out if you are a suitable candidate for the procedure.
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.
Most people with astigmatism are born this way. It’s a natural condition. In rare cases, astigmatism can result from an eye injury or surgery. Astigmatism stems from a bend in the cornea in a way that distorts light.
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.
Most people have some degree of astigmatism and yet some so many people are still confused and may miss out on signs of astigmatism. Here are some common facts about astigmatism the symptoms you should look out for and the steps you can take to treat them.
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.
