Astigmatism is a common eye condition that can be caused by the eye not being as round as it should be. Many people have it to a small degree, but it is too small an amount for them to notice in their vision. There are several eye injuries, diseases, and surgeries that can also lead to astigmatism. It's so common that three million Americans every year are diagnosed with this condition. If you are experiencing issues with your vision and you suspect astigmatism, contact SouthWest Eye Care in Bakersfield to schedule an eye exam.
The Shape of the Eye
When an eye is perfectly round, the light that comes into it can be bent evenly so that the patient has good vision. It's more often the case, however, that people have eyes that have more of a football shape. With this football shape, the light gets bent more in one direction than the other. This means that when the patient sees an object, just one portion of it is in focus.
When objects are far away, they often look blurred or slightly wavy. Astigmatism is often found in patients who have either nearsightedness or farsightedness. Each of these eye conditions happens because the eyes create errors in the way they bend light.
Astigmatism Symptoms
It's common for patients with astigmatism to believe they have either farsightedness or nearsightedness because blurry vision is found in both. But with astigmatism, your vision isn't just blurry but also distorted. Objects may appear wavy or distorted in some way. Astigmatism can also give you headaches or eye strain, and it could make you have trouble with your night vision. To test for this condition, the eye doctor can perform a vision exam to measure the curvature of your cornea. This is an important part of an eye exam to see whether you have this condition and how pronounced it is.
Visit Our Eye Care Center in Bakersfield, CA
It's common for astigmatism to begin slowly and become worse over the years so that you don't even notice it for a while. An eye exam performed by a trained eye doctor is needed for a proper diagnosis and treatment options. Call our team at SouthWest Eye Care today at (661) 833-4040 or reach us through our website by using our online contact form.