Taking the 'Stigma' out of Astigmatism
by David A. Wallace MDAstigmatism is one of those strange terms that most people don't understand, so it sounds intimidating when an eye doctor tells you that you have it. For some, the term is more psychologically upsetting than it is optically troublesome. Some people feel a certain private discomfort, almost as if they think that in some way their eyes are mis-shaped and therefore defective. It doesn't help that prescription contact lenses cost significantly more if astigmatism is present. Let's clear up some of this confusion. What is Astigmatism?
Astigmatism describes optical blur that arises when the curvature of an optical surface (cornea or lens, in the case of the human eye) is not equal in all meridians. On a sphere, curvature is identical everywhere it is measured; therefore there is no astigmatism. Nearsightedness and farsightedness are spherical types of optical imperfection. One example of an astigmatic surface is the side of a donut: The horizontal and vertical curves are different. If a lens were shaped like this, light focused by the horizontal curve would not sharpen at the same point as light focused by the vertical curve. The difference between the two curvatures equals the amount of astigmatism.
 Astigmatism: Blur, Ghosting, Slight Doubling or "Drop-Shadow". © 2002 Robert Meyers Studio. | What are the Symptoms of Astigmatism? Please reference the simulated photo on the right. The optical blurring, ghosting, slight doubling or drop-shadow effects you may, or may not have noticed are caused by having astigmatism. Some people only know they have astigmatism because their eye doctor has measured them for glasses or contacts and has told them they have this condition. How is Astigmatism Treated? Regular astigmatism, accounting for the majority (99%) of astigmatism in the population may be corrected through:
Special contact lenses called 'toric lenses' are prescribed to correct astigmatism. While myopia correcting lenses are spherical and concave, and hyperopia correcting lenses are spherical and convex, astigmatism correcting toric lenses are cylindrical both in shape and in the effect of their optical correction. Unfortunately, they also cost more than standard contact lenses. LASIK eye surgery, when properly rendered with modern lasers, can beautifully correct regular astigmatism, whether or not this is present in combination with nearsightedness or farsightedness. Please activate diagram below to see how astigmatism may be corrected.
Cataract and Clear Lens Replacement patients who have astigmatism can be treated with a toric Intra-Ocular lens (IOL) implant during their cataract surgery to correct pre-existing astigmatism in combination with near or farsightedness. Irregular astigmatism, affecting a small minority, 1% of people, is a more serious condition. This is more challenging to treat and discussed in detail on our High Astigmatism page. Dr. Wallace has performed literally thousands of these types of surgical treatments for astigmatism and will review your case personally and carefully to recommend and treat you with the very best solution for your visual goals. To view our Virtual LASIK Simulator, that demonstrates how different types of laser treatment can correct vision, click the link above or the graphic below: 
Contact our office today at (310) 828-2020 for a free astigmatism correction consultation. The first step to better vision is LA Sight. |