Regular eye check-ups screen for astigmatism and can help to address blurry vision.
If you’ve ever noticed that street signs always look a little bit fuzzy no matter whether you’re up close or far away, or if driving at night is frustrating because every light and reflection has a halo or a glare, you may have experienced astigmatism first hand.
Astigmatism is a very common vision condition where the lens inside your eye, or the front of the eye (cornea) has an irregular curve. Rather than a cornea or lens shaped like a basketball, it is shaped more like a football. This means that light doesn’t quite focus on the back of the eye (retina) so everything has a blur at any distance, near or far. Astigmatism isn’t a disease, it’s a focusing error, also known as a refractive error, similar to nearsightedness or farsightedness.
How Common is Astigmatism?
One in three Americans has astigmatism, and it is one of the most common reasons that people need glasses or contacts. Many people have such a mild form of the condition that it goes unnoticed. As eyes age, the shape of the eye changes slightly and can cause or increase astigmatism. By the time people reach the age of 70, two out of three have some amount of astigmatism.
What Are the Causes?
The most common reason for astigmatism is genetic. Many people have the more “football shaped” cornea or lens from birth. If a parent has astigmatism, it is more likely that their children have it, too.
Since age affects the overall shape of the eye, astigmatism can form later in life. As the shape of the eye changes from more evenly round like a basketball to the irregular round shape of a football, age-related astigmatism shows up.
Eye injuries or a rare condition called Keratoconus (a thinning and bulging of the cornea) can sometimes also cause astigmatism. However, eyestrain does not cause astigmatism. You cannot develop the condition from reading in dim light, sitting too close to the TV, or using too many screens. While these activities strain the eyes, they cannot change the shape of the eye.
What Are the Symptoms?
If you have a mild astigmatism, you may not have any symptoms at all. Here are a few that may show up when astigmatism is present:
- Blurry or distorted vision at every distance, not just one distance such as near or far
- Difficulty with seeing detail, like the words on a menu or letters on a road sign
- Squinting to make details look clearer
- Struggling to see at night due to glare and ‘halos’ around lights
- Frequent feeling of “tired eyes” or eye strain
- Headaches in the front of the head just above the eyes after reading or screentime
Children may not realize, or be able to communicate, that their vision is off because it is “normal” to their everyday experience. If you notice your child squinting, rubbing their eyes frequently, or holding things close to their face, it is worth scheduling an eye exam for them.
Heritage Vision Plans offers benefits that cover your whole family. Connecting to a provider that can examine your child’s vision has never been easier than with our provider search tool.
Eye Exams for Astigmatism
Your eye doctor diagnoses astigmatism at a regular eye exam. Checking for astigmatism is routine, painless, and done at any eye exam visit. There is no need for a special appointment, eye doctors check for astigmatism every time.
What are Treatment Options?
Astigmatism is highly treatable. The most common options include:
- Glasses: eyeglasses are the most common treatment for astigmatism. The glasses prescription is designed to compensate for the fact that your cornea or the lens of your eye isn’t perfectly round.
- Contacts: Yes, you can use contact lenses even with astigmatism. Toric contact lenses are specifically developed for astigmatism. These lenses are designed with an inner and outer curve that corrects focus. Your eye doctor will recommend the best type of contact lenses based on how high your astigmatism is, but modern Toric contact lenses are widely available and comfortable.
- Surgery: there are surgical options to correct astigmatism in severe cases, but it is usually unnecessary. If your eye doctor does recommend LASIK, Heritage offers additional benefits you can access.
Consistent Eye Exams Protect Your Vision
Astigmatism can develop over time. Eyes change as people age, and a slightly irregular curve can become more pronounced, causing astigmatism to show more symptoms. Making time for regular eye exams keeps your prescription up to date so that your glasses or contacts are correcting astigmatism fully, which reduces eye strain and maintains sharp, clear vision. If you’ve experienced any increased blurriness or headaches, make sure to bring it up during your next eye exam. And if it has been more than a year since your last exam, get one on the calendar right away!
Caring for Your Eyes with Heritage
Heritage is focused on delivering the best care available to protect your vision. We proudly connect our members with a nation-wide network of vetted providers. For our Heritage family members, you can find an eye doctor through our Provider Search tool. If you are new to Heritage we offer individual and family plans that make top-of-the-line care more accessible than ever. Our goal is to keep your eyes healthy and your vision clear.