When to Seek Treatment for Astigmatism

Were you excited to get glasses or contacts, thinking blurry vision would be a thing of the past, but then you realized you still had blurriness? You’re not alone.

Approximately one-third of the population has astigmatism, which is an imperfection in the curvature of the eye’s cornea or lens. It can be cone-shaped in one direction or both, causing the front of your eye to be shaped like the narrow end of an egg.

At Ventura Eye Institute in Camarillo, California, our professional team of eye care specialists can provide you with a permanent solution for astigmatism and correct near- or farsightedness at the same time with LASIK laser eye surgery.   

How your eye works

Light enters your eye through the pupil, and refracts or bends as it passes through each layer of your eye structure, from the cornea through the aqueous humor, lens, and vitreous humor. When the refracted light focuses on the retina at the back of the eye, the image is converted into electrical impulses that travel to the brain for decoding.

If your cornea or lens isn’t perfectly smooth and curved, the light won’t refract properly. This causes a distortion in the image sent to the retina. 

The blurry image in turn gets transmitted to the brain, and you’re left with an imperfect picture of the world around you. The result is known as refractive error, and there are two different types of astigmatism that can cause this error.

A misshapen cornea causes corneal astigmatism, while a misshapen lens causes lenticular astigmatism. The cone or egg-shaped part of the eye causes blurred vision above and beyond what may already be caused by near- or farsightedness. 

If you have astigmatism, consider LASIK

Many people who have more than one of these issues think getting glasses will resolve their blurry vision, but corrective lenses can’t correct misshapen eyes. If you’re one of these people, it’s time to think about getting treatment for your astigmatism to resolve the issue for good.

Our team can diagnose astigmatism by closely examining your eyes and evaluating your vision. If you have astigmatism, we can perform laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery and correct the shape of your eye — while simultaneously correcting your near- or farsightedness so you have clear, accurate vision.  

If you have astigmatism, the time to get treated is now. To schedule a LASIK consultation and find out if you’re a good candidate for laser eye surgery, call 805-388-1211 or book an appointment online today.