Ask-a Health Professional AHPISNI (715) 732-2101 3003 Cleveland Avenue Marinette, WI Andrew Congdon, O.D. Doctor of Optometry OINSIGHT VISION CENTER Question: What is Astigmatism and how does it affect your vision? A: Normal comea Comea ith astigmatism Lots of people have astigmatism, but what is it and how does it affect your vision? It may be a surprise, but everybody in the world has some level of astigmatism. If you have The only thing that astigmatism does to been told you have it, that only means your vision is make it blurry. If you're a that it is significant enough to require contact lens wearer with astigmatism, correction with glasses. It is estimated often you will need contacts that correct that around 50% of people have some for the curvature. These contacts are level of astigmatism that requires the Shaped to match the curves of the cornea correction to be added into the glasses prescription. So what is astigmatism? to be able to correct the vision. There are different disorders that cause a large difference in curvature of the The front part of the eye is called the comea. Keratoconus is a connective tissue cornea. Essentially, astigmatism is a disorder that causes the cornea to bulge, description of the cornea's shape. If the creating a large amount of astigmatism. curve going up and down is different Often, people with keratoconus need than left to right on the cornea, we call it specialty contacts in order to see well. If you have an injury to the eye, it can astigmatism. You can think of the shape cause scaring and change the shape of of different sports balls to get a better the cornea inducing astigmatism. For visual of what astigmatism looks like. the most part however, people will just A softball is round in every direction, develop astigmatism as they age. you can pick up the ball no matter Astigmatism can be corrected with LASIK, what way you grab it. Alternatively, a glasses, or contacts. Every time you have football is more round in one direction an eye exam, your eye care provider will as compared to the other. You cannot check to see if you have it or not. If you pick up a football the long way with one look at your glasses prescription, you can hand because it is too flat. This is how tell if you have astigmatism. If there are astigmatism looks in the eye. Your eye is three numbers for each eye, then you have not football shaped, but the curve going some degree of it. The second number one way is different than the curve that tells you the degree of severity of the astigmatism. Example: -1.00-1.25 x180 runs the opposite way. If you have any questions about This cartoon from the National Eye astigmatism, feel free to contact your eye Institute illustrates this: care provider. Ask-a Health Professional AHPISNI (715) 732-2101 3003 Cleveland Avenue Marinette, WI Andrew Congdon, O.D. Doctor of Optometry OINSIGHT VISION CENTER Question: What is Astigmatism and how does it affect your vision? A: Normal comea Comea ith astigmatism Lots of people have astigmatism, but what is it and how does it affect your vision? It may be a surprise, but everybody in the world has some level of astigmatism. If you have The only thing that astigmatism does to been told you have it, that only means your vision is make it blurry. If you're a that it is significant enough to require contact lens wearer with astigmatism, correction with glasses. It is estimated often you will need contacts that correct that around 50% of people have some for the curvature. These contacts are level of astigmatism that requires the Shaped to match the curves of the cornea correction to be added into the glasses prescription. So what is astigmatism? to be able to correct the vision. There are different disorders that cause a large difference in curvature of the The front part of the eye is called the comea. Keratoconus is a connective tissue cornea. Essentially, astigmatism is a disorder that causes the cornea to bulge, description of the cornea's shape. If the creating a large amount of astigmatism. curve going up and down is different Often, people with keratoconus need than left to right on the cornea, we call it specialty contacts in order to see well. If you have an injury to the eye, it can astigmatism. You can think of the shape cause scaring and change the shape of of different sports balls to get a better the cornea inducing astigmatism. For visual of what astigmatism looks like. the most part however, people will just A softball is round in every direction, develop astigmatism as they age. you can pick up the ball no matter Astigmatism can be corrected with LASIK, what way you grab it. Alternatively, a glasses, or contacts. Every time you have football is more round in one direction an eye exam, your eye care provider will as compared to the other. You cannot check to see if you have it or not. If you pick up a football the long way with one look at your glasses prescription, you can hand because it is too flat. This is how tell if you have astigmatism. If there are astigmatism looks in the eye. Your eye is three numbers for each eye, then you have not football shaped, but the curve going some degree of it. The second number one way is different than the curve that tells you the degree of severity of the astigmatism. Example: -1.00-1.25 x180 runs the opposite way. If you have any questions about This cartoon from the National Eye astigmatism, feel free to contact your eye Institute illustrates this: care provider.