What Can I Expect With Astigmatism Treatment?
January 4th, 2022
Is your vision blurry? Have you noticed that colors aren’t as clear or vibrant as they once were?
Even with a new prescription and new glasses? If you’re experiencing these symptoms, you may have astigmatism.
Although that may sound concerning, there are treatments for astigmatism. Keep reading to learn what you can expect from astigmatism treatment!
What Is Astigmatism?
Astigmatism is an eye condition that causes your vision to become blurry. It’s common in adults, and children can have it as well.
Astigmatism occurs when your cornea, the clear covering of your eye, has an irregular shape. This jagged shape causes light entering your eye to scatter inside it.
The result is that it doesn’t reach your retina in one focused stream of light. Your retina cannot send that light as a coherent image to your brain when that happens. And you’re left with blurry vision.
A corneal issue like astigmatism is a refractive error. It has this name because the shape of your cornea affects how your eye bends or refracts light.
Other refractive errors include myopia or nearsightedness and hyperopia or farsightedness. It’s not uncommon to have astigmatism and one of the other two refractive errors simultaneously.
You can develop astigmatism due to an eye injury or even eye surgery. But it’s also possible that it’s hereditary, and you’ve carried the gene for it since birth.
Another possible cause of astigmatism is keratoconus. Keratoconus is a rare eye condition that thins your cornea and makes it cone-shaped over time.
Symptoms of astigmatism include blurred vision, headaches, and eye discomfort. But the only way to know for sure if you have it is to get an eye exam.
LASIK Treatment for Astigmatism
If you’ve gotten diagnosed with astigmatism, you can begin to explore treatment options. The most common fixes for astigmatism are glasses and contact lenses.
Both these visual aids can focus light for your cornea. But, they require daily maintenance and create slight aberrations in your eyesight.
If your vision has remained stable for a year or two and you want to get rid of your glasses, then you may want to consider LASIK. LASIK can correct astigmatism as well as nearsightedness and farsightedness.
It is a permanent vision correction procedure. It fixes your astigmatism by reshaping your cornea so it can focus light.
You can then see more clearly without glasses or contacts. If your corneas are thick enough and you are in good health, LASIK may be an excellent option for you.
What Happens During LASIK?
During LASIK, a small amount of tissue gets removed from your cornea. To alter the shape of your cornea, your surgeon needs to access the thick middle layer called the stroma.
To reach it, they need to create a tiny flap with your epithelium, the outer layer of your cornea. If your cornea isn’t thick enough for this flap, you cannot get LASIK.
If you cannot get LASIK, your eye doctor may recommend a LASIK alternative like PRK. PRK is also ideal if you also suffer from dry eyes.
What Happens After LASIK?
Expect a reasonably quick recovery after LASIK. You’ll need to rest your eyes for a couple of days while they heal, but you may notice some immediate results.
Your eyes will be sore, itchy, and sensitive to light for the first twenty-four hours after LASIK. But you should be able to return to normal activities by the next day.
However, it will take three to six months for your eyes to heal completely. Your eye doctor will guide you through your LASIK recovery.
Would you like to get rid of your astigmatism? Schedule a LASIK consultation at Laser Eye Center in Decatur, AL!
