What Are the Treatments for Astigmatism?

Astigmatism is the result of an abnormal curvature of the cornea of the eye. It is common and easily treatable eye condition that causes blurred vision at any distance. The cornea, which is the front surface of the eye, is normally smooth and even in all directions. When you have astigmatism, this curvature is uneven with areas that are flatter and deeper. You have several treatment options available to you.
  1. Treatment Goals

    • The goal of treatment is to improve the uneven curvature that it causing your blurred vision. You can either wear corrective lenses or get certain surgical procedure known as refractive surgery, which reshapes the surface of the cornea.

    Contact Lenses

    • Contact lenses address corneal astigmatism. They come in a variety of forms including hard, soft, extended wear, disposable, rigid gas permeable and bifocal. Each kind has its good and bad points, and your doctor can help you determine the treatment best for you.

      A procedure known as orthokeratology requires you to wear rigid lenses several hours a day until the curvature gets better. As it improves you reduce the amount of time you wear the lenses to maintain the new shape. Your eyes will go back to the uneven shape if you stop using the lenses altogether.

    Eye Glasses

    • If you do not want to use contact lenses, you can wear eyeglasses. Similarly to contact lenses, eye glasses will help improve your vision by compensating for the improper curvature.

    LASIK Surgery

    • LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis ) surgery involves the use of a keratome, which makes a thin, circular cut into the cornea. He might also use cutting laser to make the incision. After the incision, he will use a excimer laser to reshape the cornea; this laser does not produce heat. The procedure takes about 15 minutes per eye.

    LASEK Surgery

    • LASEK (laser-assisted subepithelial keratomileusis) surgery is similar to LASIK but in this procedure, a much thinner layer of the cornea is peeled back. This makes your eye less likely to suffer damage during an injury. This is a good option for people who have thin corneas or for those involved in jobs or sports that increase the chances of an eye injury. This procedure is also about 15 minutes per eye.

    Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK)

    • A PRK procedure requires the removal of the outer protective layer of the cornea. Next, an excimer laser changes the irregular curvature of the cornea.

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