What is astigmatism?

Question

i don't know if I spelled it right, but today I was diagnosed with it. What exactly is it. i have to wear glasses all of the time now. i didn't really understand the doctor, or my mom. Could you try a put it simple please!

thank you all, you're answers cleared things up....:)

Answer 1

Astigmatism is correct.

It's a quantity not an object so you don't have "an astigmatism, but "some astigmatism". (Like milk!)

Everyone has astigmatism if you measure eyes accurately enough, but for many it's below the level where it needs incorporating into a spectacle prescription.

All astigmatism is, is needing a stronger Rx in one particular meridian of the eye.
(forget about football shaped eyes, unless you're really good about thinking in 3-d)
Imagine looking at the front of a building.
You might say "it's a sixty foot building" and that could cover its height *and* its width. But if not, you could say
"it's sixty feet wide and twenty feet taller than that"
That's how astigmatism is recorded. The amount by which, in and in which direction, one number does not specify the whole Rx of the eye.

-3.25 DS / -1.25 DC ax 175

If a person with this Rx went for a cheap contact lens of -3.25 sphere only, in the distance a letter E would have its vertical stroke clear, but the horizontal arms would be blurry.

What is needed is some extra power but only in one direction, aligned near the horizontal (ax =axis). In this case -1.25 dioptres to 175 degrees. The last number is just a compass direction, so 175 is no better or worse than 10.

Answer 2

An Astigmatism is when your actual eyeball isn't shaped the right way. A normal eyeball should be round. A person with an Astigmatism has an eye that is more oblong, like a football. Hope I helped. :)

Answer 3

I have it too. You dont need to know all the technical aspects of it. To put it simply, your eyes need glasses now unless you get lasik surgery. Its the reason most people wear glasses. I have it and never wore glasses in my life and now at 25 I have to wear them. It really sucks. It just means its harder to see things now and you are cursed to wear glasses. (I tryed contacts, man do those suck!). It doesnt make my eyes watery or anything too severe. It just makes it hard to see things at a distance. I need glasses if i watch tv or drive and my eyes will hurt if i dont wear them usually but I can still see things normal, they are just harder to see from a distance. They explained that light goes into the eyes like a beam and thats how we see things, if you have astigmatism, since your corneas (the center of your eye that receives that light) are oval shaped, the light doesnt go into the eye straight so it distorts things a little bit. I have a very light version of astigmatism so it can be severe (like the watery vision people are talking about) or light (like just having hard time seeing things at a distance like me).

Answer 4

ur eyes are shaped kind of like footballs. it makes it to where ur vision is blurry kind of watery looking and in some cases causes double vision. like ur looking at something and u start to see two of it. Glasses will help while u wear them. U did spell it right tho. Better than myself. lol. I have been wearing glasses since i was in the second grade, and i am now 27. two of children have the same thing and they now wear glasses.

Answer 5

When an optical system has different foci for rays ithat propagate in two perpendicular planes. It also means that the cornea is oval like a football instead of spherical. A steeper curve and a flatter curve.

Answer 6

it is when your eyeball is not perfectly shaped, but then the light that goes into your eye to let you see things, lands at a different point than the spot its supposed to which means your eye focuses a little bit differently. it is really no big deal,
and if you hate eyeglasses, maybe your parents will let you get some soft lense contacts.

Answer 7

It is when your eyeball is shaped different, kind of like twisted or something like that.
I have it too, no problem, the glasses will just straighten it out.
You spelled it right. It makes things look sort of watery.

Answer 8

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Answer 9

i have the same thing, yep u spelled it right. my doctor told me its basically having two eyeballs that are slightly different shapes. i've had it since i was about 8 (i'm now 30).

Answer 10

My eye doctor told me it's when your eyeballs are shaped like footballs rather than being round - he told me it can be caused from squinting too much...