Astigmatism is a problem that arises due to irregularities in the shape of the transparent curved structure called the cornea, located at the front of the eye, or roughness in the structure of the lens inside the eye. It is a common disease. The incidence increases with age. It is usually treatable. It is more common in people who have a family history of astigmatism and have had previous eye surgery, such as cataract surgery.
How Does the Eye See? What is Astigmatism?
The rays coming into the eye are first refracted in the cornea, a transparent structure that forms the front layer of the eye. These rays then come to the lens in the inner part of the eye and make a second refraction. As a result of all these refractions, the rays fall on the cells that provide vision on the eye and the vision process takes place.
The condition that causes refraction in the cornea and lens parts of the eye is that these two structures have a curved shape. Deformities in the curved structure of the cornea and lens cause the rays not to be refracted properly. Rays that are not refracted properly cannot fall exactly on the cells that provide vision. As a result, vision becomes blurred and the person sees both near and far. This is an astigmatism eye defect.
What Causes Astigmatism?
For proper vision, the curves of both the cornea and the lens (eyepiece) must be compatible with each other. Distortion in the shape of either one causes the rays not to be refracted properly and two different images are formed. Two different images overlap in the retina layer, where the cells that provide vision are located in the eye. This results in blurred vision.
- If astigmatism originates from the cornea, it is called corneal astigmatism.
- There may be refractive errors other than astigmatism.
Hypermetropia, that is, nearsightedness, curvature of the cornea It occurs as a result of being less than normal. The rays fall behind the retina and as a result, close objects are seen blurred.
These disorders may be associated with astigmatism.
What are Astigmatism Symptoms?
Astigmatism symptoms may differ from person to person. Some people may have astigmatism, even though they do not show any symptoms. Common symptoms:
- Blurred, distorted vision
- Feeling of eye fatigue
- Headache
- Difficulty seeing at night
- It can be counted as strabismus.
Children may not be aware of their blurred vision. That's why children; Eye examination should be done at regular intervals during the newborn period, pre-school period and after starting school, and they should be screened for astigmatism and other eye disorders. One of the first evaluations is an eye exam.
Astigmatism test; It is a test to determine how to correct the visual impairment.
In the visual acuity test, your ability to see the letters on a card is tested. Evaluations are made by your doctor, such as from what distance the letters can be seen the farthest, whether the vision is clear or not. With the help of a tool called
Phoropter, lenses of various degrees are placed in front of the eye. It is determined to what degree the patient sees most clearly with the lens. In this way, the degree of astigmatism is determined.
Your doctor measures the curvature of your cornea with a method called keratometer. It is evaluated whether the curvature is suitable for normal.
How to Treat Astigmatism?
There are many different methods used in the treatment of astigmatism.
Glasses: Thanks to the lens it contains, it helps to compensate for the refractive error in the eye. . Lenses, which are prepared depending on the degree of curvature in the cornea or lens, ensure that the rays reach the retina properly. Astigmatism glasses can also be used with additional adjustments for the treatment of myopia and hyperopia.
Lens: Astigmatism can also be treated with lenses. Similar to eyeglasses, it helps to correct uneven refraction through the lens. They provide a sharp and clear vision. They are also preferred by some patients as an aesthetic appearance. In long-term use of lenses, the risk of infection is high in cases where eye and lens care is not done well and cleaning is not provided adequately. Patients who wear lenses should follow the hygiene rules during lens care and lens insertion.
Surgery: The biggest advantage of surgery as a treatment method is that the solution is permanent. By reshaping the cornea with the help of laser, it is aimed to correct the refractive error. This technique, called
LASIK, has been widely used for many years. This method, also known as astigmatism drawing treatment, is advantageous in terms of providing a permanent improvement, although it poses a certain risk like every surgical procedure.
Main complications of the surgical procedure;
- more or less correction of the initial structural problem,
- shadowy vision, dry eye,
- infection,
- scarring on the cornea and rarely It can also be listed as vision loss.
There are patient groups for whom laser treatment is not suitable or in the background. These include:
- Patients aged 18 and under
- People whose visual impairment is still changing (eg patients with age)
- Patients with diabetes as diabetes can worsen visual impairment after surgery
- Pregnant or lactating women as hormonal changes may affect vision tests
- Patients who have problems in the immune system and will have problems in the recovery process after surgery
- Concomitant vision problems such as cataracts and glucoma Patients with
- Surgery are risky if they take certain group drugs such as acute or prednisone.
The most logical method, considering some parameters such as the patient's age, general health status, and compliance with treatment options. is decided. In this whole process, the patient; He should understand the positive and negative aspects of all options, accept the responsibilities of the treatment method he will choose, and be sure that he has chosen the best option for himself with his doctor.
Is Astigmatism Valid?
Astigmatism can be corrected with a successful surgical intervention. With the use of glasses and lenses, the effects in daily life can be eliminated. However, without all these, there is no information that the disease will heal on its own. There are methods based on regularly working the eye muscles in certain ways, known as astigmatism exercises. However, it does not seem possible for these methods to cure astigmatism without the need for treatment.
Does Astigmatism Proceed?
Astigmatism can occur congenitally or acquired later. If the treatment is not done properly, the degree of astigmatism may progress. It can cause amblyopia known as lazy eye. Behaviors such as reading a book in dim light and watching television closely do not cause astigmatism to progress.
Can Astigmatism Be Prevented?
Astigmatism is usually a congenital disease. Therefore, it is impossible to prevent. However, if there are people with astigmatism in your family, it will be beneficial for your child to have regular eye examinations from an early age.
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