Astigmatism is a strange concept to come to terms with. I’ve heard one optometrist describing it as having rugby ball-shaped eyes which painted a fairly clear picture but still made it difficult to understand why this would be a problem. Our eyes are delicate things, perfectly balanced in order to take in light that will allow us to see perfectly up to a reasonable distance. However, some of us are born with irregularities or develop them over time and this is basically what astigmatism is. The good news is that there is laser eye surgery for astigmatism.
The odd or incorrect shaping of the cornea can mean that we develop associated visual impairments like being nearsighted or may simply cause the eyes to strain in order to see certain things. Astigmatism basically refers to the fact that light cannot come together in the eye properly because it isn’t being directed in to where it should be going. Light can bounce in at many points, sending the brain mixed signals and affecting vision.
Astigmatism can be a genetic inheritance, passed down from your parents for example. The muscles around the eye are affected by astigmatism and are sometimes trained by using visual aids like glasses. Ideally, you would want to have laser eye surgery for astigmatism in order to experience quality vision and avoid having to wear glasses your whole life. Glasses can become very costly over time, and they are hardly a flattering accessory for a night out on the town.
One of the best laser eye procedures to help eradicate astigmatism is Lasik. This procedure is more technically known as laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis which basically refers to the way in which surgeons use a laser to perfect the process or removing tissue from or reshaping the cornea. This type of surgery is not guaranteed to be one hundred percent effective but it does have an impressive success rate and can either eradicate or reduce astigmatism. This procedure will help light rays to enter and reach concentrated points giving you great vision and ultimately enabling you to see further, closer of more clearly in general.
This can also reduce those pesky headaches and help the muscles around your eyes relax. You also have the option of PRK surgery (photorefractive keratectomy) which is also technically a laser procedure to some extent, but came before the advances of Lasik. You may prefer Lasik, though, because it takes longer for the eyes to heal after surgery and it is a generally a more painful recovery.
If you are considering laser eye surgery for astigmatism, it will take careful planning to decide on the surgeon and facility that you are most comfortable with. Don’t be afraid to take these clinics up on their offers of free consultations. Get a feel for the different surgeons and decide where you feel most comfortable because even though it is an exciting time in your life, it will also be quite a scary experience at first.