Astigmatism - How Severe is Yours?

22 May 2013

Astigmatism is a Greek word meaning "not like a dot". The name of this refractive error comes from the fact that astigmatic people can see dots like a line.
 
This is true for moderate to severe astigmatism, since a survey of normal eyes shows that almost every human eye has a baseline corneal astigmatism of at least 0.25 to 0.50 diopters- in other words a small bit of mild astigmatism is very common and needs no treatment at all.
 
Astigmatism exceeding 1 dioptre is about 20%-30% among the general population, and does need treatment. Optilase offer a free consultation to patients to see if they may be a good candidate for Laser Eye Surgery in order to treat astigmatism and any accompanying refractive errors, in order to eliminate dependence on corrective eyewear.

Oddly-Shaped Cornea causes Vision Problems

In order to have clear vision, the cornea has to have a smooth surface and curvature; ideally a perfect sphere.
 
In people who have astigmatism, natural corneal curvature is distorted in a meridian (egg shape). This distorted corneal meridian(s) scatter(s) light rays. In other words, an astigmatic eye bends light rays different at different meridians, resulting in many images with many focal points (inability to focus on a single plane).

Blurry Vision all the Time

This causes blurry, ghosted, or smeary-looking vision. If you examine the image focused by an astigmatic eye on its retina, you may notice many superposed off-focus images on a well-focused image. The eye behaves like a dodgy camera and it can be quite exhausting for the sufferer. Of course, people with astigmatism have a constant blur for both near and distant vision.
 
Sometimes astigmatism may not stem from the cornea but from the lens or from other refractive media in the eye- this isn’t very common and will easily be diagnosed either by your own eye doctor is you wear corrective eyewear, or by the Optilase team if you haven’t been diagnosed before.

Different Degrees of Severity

The severity of astigmatism can be classified as follows:
 
Mild Astigmatism < 1.00 dioptre   Moderate Astigmatism 1.00 to 2.00 dioptres   Severe Astigmatism 2.00 to 3.00 dioptres   Extreme Astigmatism > 3.00 dioptres
 
Astigmatic people may suffer from headaches, tired eyes and sensitivity to bright lights. Sometimes, like near-sighted people, they may squint in order to improve their vision.
 
Just call Optilase on +353 1 223 8821 to book a free consultation, and see if you might be a candidate for Laser Eye Surgery, to say goodbye to your astigmatism and your corrective eyewear for ever.

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Patient Reviews

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Monica mc mahon
April 15, 2024

From beginning to End of my procedure with Optilase, I was treated personally and professionally. The surgery, true aftercare was smooth and efficient and I can only say it was the perfect choice for us . I highly recommend Optilase.

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Roxanne Bartolome
April 15, 2024

I recently had the PRK procedure a month ago. It's been life changing to be able to see clearly after wearing glasses for 20 years. My vision was not 20/20 after surgery since I had PRK and I was first scared that it won't get better. But give it time and patience and it will improve. Optilase was superb on aftercare and the team during the surgery really took care of me. I'm so happy ❤️ Thank you Optilase!

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Lin Walsh
April 12, 2024

Omg i thought about having lens replacement for 2 years , i just wish i did it then , I’m absolutely delighted with my eyes now , i am only 3 weeks over it and cant believe how wonderful it is to see everything so clear , i nearly want to tell everyone who wears glasses to do this , if i had known sooner how painless this op is i would have booked in immediately , Everyone in my Clinic were fantastic so friendly , just do it you certainly wont regret it , also the aftercare is amazing .

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Susan Sutton
April 8, 2024

Staff are all very nice and procedure was painless and quick

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David Hill
April 8, 2024

Delighted with my experience at Optilase. Professional staff who looked after me from start to finish. Procedure itself was very quick. A big thanks to the whole team.

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Aoife Mckenna
April 8, 2024

Absolutely delighted with the results of my surgery. I wish I done it years ago

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Denise Carroll
April 8, 2024

Does what it say, corrects your vision! Very fast and professional service.

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jessica daiana
April 8, 2024

Great price for excellent service. All staff was very professional and welcoming, great results and good aftercare

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gary Malone
April 6, 2024

Best thing I ever done ,👍

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Catriona Brady
April 1, 2024

Fantastic experience throughout, from consultation to aftercare. Professional, welcoming and calming staff. Appointments and procedure were easy and relaxed and the overall result was excellent. Aftercare was also great, nothing was ever a hassle.

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Rebecca Walsh
March 29, 2024

Worth the money. Staff guide you step by step to relax you through the surgery. Recommend

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Mark O'Keeffe
March 28, 2024

I found the whole process very professional and very well organised. They also assisted in the documentation process very easy. They were also very good to help in arranging the reference process too. If I was make one small comment is they need to add a prescription painkiller to the process. Although the after experience was exactly what was expected it could been managed better with a stronger pain relief. Other than that I have recommended 3 people to get the procedure from Optilase, all of which had a great experience. I would highly recommend Optilase for vision correction and the long term benefits have changed my life.

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