When it comes to vision problems, astigmatism is one of the most common as it affects 1 in 3 people in the United States. Astigmatism comes in varying degrees of severity, but the eye specialists at Pacific Eye in San Luis Obispo, Lompoc, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach, and Santa Maria, California, as well as at Optical Concepts in Santa Maria, are equipped to handle most forms of the condition. If you’d like to explore how you can correct your astigmatism for better vision, call Pacific Eye or schedule an appointment online today.
Astigmatism is a very common condition that affects your ability to process light properly because of an irregular shape in your cornea or lens.
Your ability to see clearly is a complex process that involves refracting and focusing light through your eyes. First, your cornea receives light and sends it through your lens. Your lens focuses the light onto your retina, which then sends the information via electrical impulses through your optic nerve to your brain, which translates the information into an image.
If there’s an irregular curvature in your cornea, it affects how this point of entry receives and sends on the information to your lens. There are many degrees of astigmatism and it may be accompanied by other vision problems, such as nearsightedness and farsightedness.
Astigmatism is something you’re generally born with, though it can decrease or increase as you age. In less common cases, it can be a result of an injury to your eye.
The primary symptom of astigmatism is blurry vision, which may be accompanied by:
The degree to which you experience these symptoms depends on the degree of astigmatism.
Your optometrist at Pacific Eye is able to check for astigmatism during a comprehensive eye test using:
If your optometrist diagnoses astigmatism, your treatments options are dictated by the degree of curvature in your cornea. Depending on the severity of your astigmatism, your optometrist may recommend:
Rest assured, your optometrist’s goal is to ensure your good vision, so they work with you to find the best option for your lifestyle and vision goals. Also, since astigmatism often co-occurs with other refractive problems such as nearsightedness or farsightedness, your optometrist finds a solution that best corrects all of your vision problems at once.
To correct your astigmatism, call Pacific Eye or use the online scheduling tool to set up an appointment at one of their six offices in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties today.
Pacific Eye Surgeons has offices in San Luis Obispo, Lompoc, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach, Orcutt, and Santa Maria, California, as well as Optical Concepts in Santa Maria.
