im just wondering,I have an astigmatism and i figured it out when the optometrist told me today...but how can you tell if you have an astigmatism?
2007-12-02 10:32:39 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Optical
You can't, always... I've had patients with quite marked astigmatism who didn't know they had a problem.
Strictly, it's not "an astigmatism" but just "astigmatism": a quantity, not an object.
It's only a variation on short or long sight, not a peculiar condition or disease.
It might show for example if you looked carefully at a letter E, where you might find that though the vertical stroke was clear, the horizontal lines were blurred. Correcting this with a simple spherical lens wouldn't help, because if the horizontals were clear, the vertical would be blurred.
(The direction doesn't have to be horizontal and vertical: it can be more diagonal. The third number in a spectacle presctiption for an eye specifies this inclination in degrees)
You would not always spot this for yourself becase often the eye can make an adjusting muscular effort, leaving no apparent astigmatism, but a degree of general blur.
It's easy to demonstate astigmatism in a consuting room: ask about it the next time you're being examined.
2007-12-02 12:29:20 · answer #1 · answered by Pedestal 42 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The optometrist who answered before me had a good answer, but I figured I'd answer that might make a little more sense (at least to me).
Astigmatism occurs when the cornea (the movie screen of your eye) is oval-shaped instead of round. When the cornea is round, light goes into the eye perfectly and you can see great (as far as that part of you vision goes). When the cornea is oval-shaped, light hits your eye above or below the cornea, causing your vision to be blurry. If you have astigmatism as bad as I do, you should be able to tell, but there's a good chance you won't know for sure.
2007-12-02 15:23:10 · answer #2 · answered by JennY! 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have mild astigmatism in one eye and for me, what happens is that I see some objects that are slightly doubled and I see stars or halos coming out of lights.
2007-12-02 11:54:13 · answer #3 · answered by RoVale 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1
2016-06-19 12:32:11 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well so do I
1. Everything got blurry and fuzzy, couldn't really focus so I had to hold things up close to my face.
2. I had plenty of eye exercises but nothing worked.
3. It keeps getting worse every year for me. Thinking of getting lasik but ain't sure yet.
2007-12-02 10:42:25 · answer #5 · answered by Anastasia G 1 · 0⤊ 3⤋
If things seem blurry or out of focus when you look at them. Also, there are tests online you can take ... google it!
2007-12-02 10:35:47 · answer #6 · answered by oceanblue 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The only way I know is for the eye doctor to tell you. I have it also...
2007-12-02 10:41:21 · answer #7 · answered by Nothingusefullearnedinschool 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋