When You Optometrist Says You

Have Astigmatism Don’t Start

Planning an Eye Funeral

Often patients who have changed to a new optometrist find themselves being alarmed when told they have astigmatism. Frequently it is the first time they are aware of a new eye condition and it is cause for concern. In most cases, their eye doctor did not mention they had astigmatism in years past, probably because it was a low amount. On occasion, the patient believes they are being told they have a stigmata and are even more upset.

Astigmatism can be caused by curvature on the corneal tissue on the front of the eye, or by the curvature and light bending power of the lens inside the eye. About 2/3 of astigmatism is caused by unequal curves on the corneal tissue on the front of the eye. Normally, this is regular astigmatism meaning there are two different curvatures that follow a smooth pattern. It can best be visualized as an eye that is shaped like a tennis ball being squeezed on top and bottom to produce two different curvatures. Irregular astigmatism does occur in some eye diseases like kerataconus and occasionally after corrective eye LASIK surgery and corneal transplants. This is a form of astigmatism you should be concerned about. It is more like the shape of a potato with dips, valleys, and hills representing the curvature. Obviously it is hard to grind a corrective lens to this shape and often gas permeable rigid contact lenses are required to achieve crisp vision. New alternatives today include the SynergEyes contact lenses that have a soft contact lens skirt surrounding a rigid gas permeable center. Since the human tears have the same light bending capacity (index of refraction) as the cornea, when the tears fill in between the contact lens and the eye a new smooth surface is produced. If you have irregular astigmatism ask your optometrist about the new options available to see clearly.

Astigmatism is common in moderately high amounts in infants and toddlers. It often self corrects. Your optometrist may want to closely follow your child’s vision and delay eyeglasses for a few years. If the astigmatism is judged to be too high by your eye doctor or persists past the first few years of childhood, it needs to be corrected with prescription eyeglasses.

In some cases when a very young child is incapable of wearing glasses contact lenses may be used

Children may be fit with contact lenses for astigmatism that can be worn for 30 days without removing, or with daily disposable contact lenses that are removed every day by the parent. Large amounts of uncorrected astigmatism can result in a lazy eye. This can result in permanent vision loss, and with high astigmatism in both eyes it could result in bilateral loss of acuity. With proper treatment by your optometrist this is a completely preventable type of partial blindness.

Once you aware you have astigmatism there is no need for panic. You probably have had it for a number of years. Most of the population has at least some small amount of astigmatism. In most cases it changes very slowly over time. Over the course of a lifetime you will blink your eyes millions of cycles. The pressure exerted by the eyelid as it rubs across the cornea over years of blinking probably contributes to very slow changes in astigmatism. While there is no evidence supporting my theory, I do believe that tilting your head and paper along with other postural and ergonomic factors cause a slight blurring of your vision at an angle that can cause astigmatism to develop or change. Blurred images to the retina tissue inside the eye are known to cause near sightedness. Large degrees of astigmatism are found in several Native American populations, especially in the four corners area bordering Colorado. These are genetic passed on through the generations.

In most cases there is no alarm needed if you find out you have astigmatism. It will probably show only small changes over long periods of time, and in many cases stabilizes for years. When in doubt call your optometrist back and explain your concerns.

Welcome to Dr Kisling-Fort Collins Eye Doctors Choice Website. Our vision is to be the premier resource for answers about your eye symptoms and eye problems. You can use the search box to find answers to questions about your eyes. You will find articles on contact lenses, dry eyes, glaucoma, eye nutrition pinkeye ad other eye diseases.

There is also information about eye examinations, eyeglasses, prescription eye glasses for different conditions;nearsightedness,farsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia.

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If there is a topic you would like more information on please feel free to leave a request in the comment box. Thank you for visiting our website and we hope we can become your partner in preventative eyecare for a lifetime of healthy eyesight!

As we age so do our eyes so it is important to take precautions to avoid certain eye problems. A common eye problem that accompanies aging is  macular degeneration. This eye problem is caused by deterioration of the retinal tissues lining the back of the eye. This is a chronic eye disease with a multitude of evolving forms of treatment. It can give a person blurry vision and blind spots, and involves the central area of vision only. Unfortunately, this small area called the macula is vital for all detailed vision functions including reading. Since most of the retina remains healthy magnification aids can often be used to extend reading images onto the remaining healthy tissue. There are two different kinds of macular degeneration, the dry form and the wet form. The dry form of macular degeneration is less sight threatening and precedes development of wet macular degeneration.

Once macular degeneration transforms into the wet variety it can progress rapidly and cause serious vision complications. This can give you visual distortions such as seeing straight lines being crooked or wavy in appearance. You may notice objects looking very small or being farther away then they really are. You may notice loss of your central vision with blurry spots.

Evidence for nutritional intervention in preventing and treating macular degeneration continues to grow. Low dietary intake of the carotenids lutein and zeaxanthin are associated with an increased risk of age-related macular degeneration and may retard the development and progression of macular degeneration. Lutein and zeaxanthin have high levels   in Broccoli, corn, squash,peas,  and  green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale. Foods with a high glycemic index (sugar rich simple carbohydrate foods that raise blood sugar rapidly) also increase the risk of macular degeneration -eating oatmeal may be good for more than just your heart. Vitamin deficiencies of E,D,and C seem to increase the risk of macular degeneration but vitamin A, especially in smokers may increase your risk for macular degeneration. Omega-3 fatty acids found in cold water fish contain docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and may act in a preventative manner for macular degeneration.Coenzyme Q10 and acetyl-L-carnitine supplementation is a potential early intervention. UV and blue light increase risk for macular degeneration so sunwear should start early for children.

If you have dry macular degeneration you may notice blurriness in the words that you read, less color in certain objects and have a harder time recognizing peoples faces. Your vision may start to seem hazy and you will have the need for brighter light. With both kinds of macular degeneration, it may only effect one of the eyes. Sometimes people don’t realize that they have it with the eye that does not have it making up for the eye that is effected.

Another problem with your eyes as you age is cataracts. Cataracts cloud the eye and are a common type of eye problem. There are three basic types of cataracts that you should be aware of which are nuclear sclerosis, cortical and sub-capsular. The nuclear sclerosis cataract forms throughout the lens as a gradual darkening and discoloration. A sub-capsular cataract is at the back of the lens close to the line of sight and may cause vision loss much faster than other types of cataracts. Cortical cataracts start in the cortex of the lens. If you have a cataract you should not be overly concerned, they can be successfully removed by having outpatient surgery and are one of the most successful surgical procedures done today. Artificial lenses are implanted, often with no stitches involved in an outpatient procedure.

Another eye problem you may encounter as you grow older is called dry eye syndrome. As we age, we do not produce as many tears as before. It is known to cause discomfort and pain and can result in serious vision loss in more extreme cases. Treatment is available with a multitude of options. You do not have to suffer from the chronic burning and stinging that accompanies dry eyes. If should have your eyes dilated every one to two years by your optometrist to check for these eye problems and other diseases that can compromise your vision irreversibly. Prevention is the best gift you can give your family and yourself.

David H. Kisling, O.D., A.B.D.A.
Fort Collins Eye Doctors

Fort Collins Contact Lens

Vision Service Plan Provider