What to Know About Astigmatism

During a routine optometry appointment with our eye doctor at Dr. Rigney Eye Care + Eyewear, serving Owasso and the nearby region, we'll test you for astigmatism—an issue that can cause blurry vision both up close and far away. Let's take a moment to learn more about this issue. 

General Information

Astigmatism is an issue that occurs when your eye doesn't have a normal curvature. Rather than being round like a ball, if you have astigmatism, your eye has a curvature that's more similar to a football. As a result, when light enters your eye, it won't shine on the retina as it should. Instead, the light will enter your eye and be scattered, causing blurry vision. It can affect both your near and far vision.

Symptoms

Some people may have astigmatism at birth. However, in other cases, a person may develop it during childhood or as a young adult. Keep in mind that it can worsen over time.

Symptoms and signs of this issue include:

    • Blurred or distorted vision

    • Headaches

    • Difficulty with night vision

    • Eyestrain or discomfort

    • Squinting

Diagnosing

Our optometrist will conduct a test during your routine eye exam. Your eye doctor will typically perform this test after the visual acuity test. For this one, you'll be shown two pictures. You'll need to pick which one looks clearer. There'll be a series of images so your practitioner can check you for astigmatism at different meridians in your eye. To determine a prescription for your eyewear, we'll use the results of both of these tests.

Treatment

The go-to treatment for astigmatism is contacts or glasses that can correct your blurry vision. In mild cases, a standard pair of contacts will work just fine. In the more serious cases, though, you'll need to have specialized contacts, well, at least we'll recommend them.

These contacts are either specialized ones for astigmatism or toric lenses. The contacts have a special shape and different focusing powers at different orientations. These contacts may also be weighted so they remain in one place and can continuously correct your vision.

Eyeglasses may provide you with better vision correction in more serious cases. We recommend if you'd like contacts that you have both glasses and contacts. Another treatment option you have is laser eye surgery, which we can see if you qualify for and provide you with a referral for.

Contact Dr. Rigney Eye Care + Eyewear in Owasso, OK

Dr. Rigney Eye Care + Eyewear, serving Owasso and the neighboring communities, has an optometry specialist who can help if you have astigmatism. We can help you find the treatment option that's right for you. Contact us today for an appointment by calling 918-272-3937.