You might have heard of astigmatism but weren't sure about what it really meant and how it is treated. When a patient has astigmatism, it means that they have eyes that have an abnormal shape. They aren't as round as they should be for clear vision. This affects the patient's vision and often means that they need to have corrective lenses. Because of the nature of astigmatism, they may need custom contacts, since regular soft contact lenses generally won't work for this eye condition.

It's common for people to have astigmatism to a slight degree and not have any adverse effects to their vision or need corrective lenses. Some patients, however, have more pronounced astigmatism and need eyeglasses or contact lenses to correct it. If you are experiencing vision issues and suspect it could be astigmatism, contact Athens Family Vision Clinic in Athens, GA.

Who Gets Astigmatism?

When people have astigmatism, it's common for them to be born with the condition. However, there are a few ways that this condition can develop later in life. Getting eye surgery or having certain eye injuries can cause it to develop, as can some eye diseases. When patients have a pronounced degree of this condition, they often need custom contacts when they don't want to wear eyeglasses.

Your Eye Shape

Your eyesight depends a lot on the shape of your eyes. When a patient has a round eyeball, the light that enters it is bent in an even way in different directions. This keeps the patient’s vision good and clear. When a patient has an abnormally shaped eyeball because of astigmatism, the eyes are shaped similarly to a football. This shape causes the light that comes into the eye to be bent unevenly, leaving the vision blurry. Things may also look distorted. It causes you to see an object and have only one area of it to be clear while the rest is distorted or blurred.

Symptoms of Astigmatism

Astigmatism can make things look blurry, but other vision conditions can do that as well. What sets astigmatism apart is that it can distort what you see. The objects you look at may look wavy or have some other type of distortion. You may also have trouble with your night vision. It can be a frustrating eye condition, especially when you need custom contacts to see clearly.

See Our Optometrists in Athens, GA

When you need an eye care appointment, contact Athens Family Vision Clinic to book an eye exam with one of our eye doctors. Whether you need eyeglasses or contact lenses, we can help. Call our Athens office today at (706) 543-3599 or our East Athens office at (706) 850-7101.