Blurred Vision Near and Far Away - You may have Astigmatism

If you haven’t seen an eye care professional and find the objects both near and far away are blurry; you probably have astigmatism. It’s an extremely common condition – many people have a mild astigmatism without even realising it.

Astigmatism happens when the cornea, the clear part at the front of the eye, isn’t spherical; but instead is curved like a rugby ball or the back of a spoon.

This causes problems with vision, because the cornea’s job is to ‘refract’ or bend light entering the eye, projecting it evenly onto the retina on the back wall of the eye to form a clear image. If the cornea is unevenly shaped, the image is blurry.

The Astigmatic Eye

Astigmatism can come in combination with nearsightedness and farsightedness. Because of its asymmetrical curvature, the astigmatic eye focuses light correctly along one axis, but incorrectly along the other.

Light entering the eye is not focused on a single point on the retina, so objects both near and far become blurred or distorted- it’s like seeing everything through a pane of wavy glass.

Symptoms of Astigmatism

Common symptoms of astigmatism include:

• Objects both near and far appear blurred
• Inability to read small print
• Constant squinting of the eyes
• Fatigue or eyestrain

Treatments for Astigmatism

Since astigmatism occurs from the uneven distribution of light rays, it's corrected when light rays are focused on a single plane. This is done in a number of ways:

• Eye Glasses
• Contact Lenses
• Laser Eye Surgery

Laser eye surgery uses a computer controlled laser to reshape the cornea so it can focus light evenly, eliminating the blurring of objects at near and far distances.

Free Consultation for Laser Eye Surgery

Optilase laser eye clinics across the country offer a free consultation to patients so they can find out if they are a good candidate for surgery to correct astigmatism; leaving them free of dependence on corrective eyewear.

To book a consultation, call Optilase on +353 1 223 8821.