• Eye is egg or oval shaped, causing light to split into two beams as it enters the eye.
  • Means a person sees things blurred for far and near vision
  • Genetic tendency and can be more prevalent with certain ethnic groups (Hispanic)
  • Moderate to severe is usually at birth, thus the need to an examination between 1-3 yrs.
  • If undetected, at high risk of developing a permanent lazy eye
  • CAN BE EASILY MISSED DURING A SCHOOL VISION SCREENING
  • Can change during adolescence.
  • NOT considered an eye disease, just a normal variation in the shape of your eye; an astigmatic eye is a healthy eye, it just focuses light slightly at two points instead of one.
  • Corrected with Glasses, Contact lenses, or Refractive surgery
Astigmatism  
Picture (graphic) of an astigmatic eye   Picture of eye with normal single focus


What print would like to a person or child with normal vision       
 
What print might look like for a person or child that has anastigmatism.
 
Astigmatism can only be diagnosed through an eye exam


 SYMPTOMS

  • Difficulty focusing objects either at distance or close or both.
  • Tired eyes, Headache, or eyestrain after distance tasks, or reading or computer work
  • Red or watering eyes
  • Poor reading and/or school skills
  • Reluctance to do homework or close vision tasks
  • Squinting

Astigmatism and Children

  • Infancy:
    Large amounts of astigmatism are present at birth and should be addressed within the first year or two of life. Failure to do so could result in poor eye development. This can lead to a lazy eye or amblyopia.

    A lazy eye develops when the eye doesn't receive a clear image to process in the early years of life. When and if a lens is finally placed in front of the eye, the brain can not process the image, thus leaving the vision blurred. is no additional lens available that can provide clear vision. An example would be if you just had a cast removed from your arm for 6 months, your arm would be useless.
  • School age:
    Astigmatism can only be diagnosed through a comprehensive eye/health examination. Astigmatism can often go undetected and its symptoms are very subtle to non-existent. Even though small amounts of astigmatism can be normal, it can adversely effect a child's school performance. Sometimes the only difference between a struggling and a confident student is simply a pair of prescription glasses.



 
 



How is Astigmatism treated?

  • GLASSES:
    As with other refractive errors, corrective lenses are prescribed to help focus light more effectively on the retina. Depending on the degree of astigmatism, glasses may be needed all of the time for clear vision. If the degree of impairment is slight, glasses may be needed only for specific functions as determined during your eye examination.
  • CONTACT LENSES: Click here for more on contacts.
  • REFRACTIVE SURGERY: Not as common, click here for more information on lasik.

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