Few months ago, we wrote down the 6 most common eye conditions. Now we would like to take a closer look at one of them - ASTIGMATISM. Although this eye condition is manifested by impaired visual acuity and a lack of perception of details and contrasts, we often have no idea that it has affected us. Let’s see what astigmatism is.

What is astigmatism?

Astigmatism frequently occurs with other vision problems – such as nearsightedness or farsightedness – and it causes blurred vision. It occurs when the cornea is irregularly shaped or the arch of the lens inside the eye. As a result, vision becomes blurred at any distance and can lead to headaches and eye discomfort. 

Diagnosis of astigmatism

Follow these 4 steps and see if you have astigmatism.

1) Take off your glasses. If you are wearing contact lenses, keep them in your eyes 
2) Close or cover one eye at a time
3) Make sure to maintain a bare minimum distance of 35 centimetres from your screen
4) Take a look at the picture below

TEST 1

RESULTS

With healthy or corrected sight, you should see a series of concentric circles, with a sharp black and white contrast. If you see shades of gray rather than black or white, but it appears uniform all the way around, you should visit your optometrist. If the figure appears to be a single, solid shade of grey, you should really go see an optometrist. 

TEST 2

If you see some of the lines darker or thinner than the rest of them, then you should visit your optometrist as soon as possible. 

DISCLAIMER: Do not use this answer to self-diagnose. You should go and visit an optometrist for a regular diagnosis.

Treatments

Your optometrist can provide eyeglasses or contact lenses that correct astigmatism by altering the way light gets into the eye. Eyerim can provide these special lenses in your prescription glasses - just fill in your cylinder information (cylinder and axis)  from your optometrist’s prescription. Another way of treatment is a non-invasive procedure, in which the patient wears a set of specially-designed rigid contact lenses, which slowly change the shape of the cornea. The next way to treat astigmatism is to undergo laser surgery, but it is a pricey expense.

Astigmatism is one of the curable eye vision illnesses - with laser surgery, special contact lenses or even with prescription glasses. When buying prescription glasses as a treatment on eyerim e-shop, don’t forget to fill in the information about your cylinder and its axes to the order. In case of any questions, contact our friendliest customer service and they will guide you. Last but not least, don’t forget to visit your optometrist once a year.