subject: Symptoms And Treatments Of Astigmatism [print this page] As a vision anomaly, astigmatism can cause blurry vision. This common vision problem occurs in many people in different degrees. A slight form of astigmatism hardly affects eyesight and requires no medical treatment at all. However, severe forms of astigmatism can cause many consequences such as distorted vision, general eye discomfort and even headache.
Blurry vision always results from either incorrectly shaped cornea or a lens with abnormal curvatures. Both of the two abnormalities can cause blurry vision, because they prevent the lens from directly focusing the light on the retina. Although blurry vision is one of the most common symptoms of astigmatism, causes of astigmatism are still unclear. Some children are born with this vision problem, which may either deteriorate or become better as a child matures.
People with astigmatism need to see an eye doctor for a comprehensive optometric examination. Currently, the most common treatment for astigmatism is eyewear, including eyeglasses and contact lenses. These lenses should be made with proper prescription of a specific patient.
A procedure named orthokeratology can also be used to treat astigmatism. This painless procedure requires a patient to wear a series of specially designed rigid gas permeable contact lenses for a certain period. As time passes by, the curvature of the cornea can be gradually reshaped. This process is comparable to crooked-tooth correction through wearing braces.
Some types of astigmatism can be cured by laser surgery, which removes a small amount of eye tissues. In this way, the corneal surface can also be reshaped. In detail, a highly focused laser beam will be applied to the corneal surface.
Actually there is a wide selection of astigmatism treatments. With a careful consultation with an eye specialist, the patient can usually receive a most suitable treatment.
