Are you sick of driving at night time, feeling as though you need to put your sunglasses on to stop the glare from the headlights of passing cars? Did you know that the lights starring isn’t actually normal? Seriously, not everyone sees them that way.
What could be happening?
Let’s talk about astigmatism! Not to be confused with “stigmata” - no really, if had a dollar for every time I heard this fun little mistake, I wouldn’t need to work another day! Astigmatism most commonly refers to the shape of the cornea (the transparent surface of your eye) and we in the optical world often describe it as “the front of your eye is shaped more like a football than a soccer ball”. You may also hear it called "cone shaped" or simply "irregular shaped". Essentially, this odd shape changes the way light travels through your eye and makes the image you see fuzzy and generally not as clear as it's meant to be.
This is not the ONLY reason your vision may not be 100% but it is very common and also, in many cases very easy to correct. Other symptoms to look out for (pun very much intended) include eye fatigue, squinting, headaches, issues with depth perception and bright light sensitivity.
The images below demonstrate how the "cone shaped" cornea stops the light from coming through the eye and focusing on one, neat point on the retina and instead splits it off into multiple focal points.
Will it get worse if I don't correct it?
As with most health related issues, early detection is preferable. Leaving your vision uncorrected may lead to bigger issues down the track, especially in children, however the simple answer when talking about uncorrected astigmatism is no. Leaving astigmatism uncorrected will not make your eyes "worse" but it will most likely lead to headaches, eye strain and potentially even make it harder for you to focus on concentrating tasks (like work, reading etc) because you are putting more effort to simple seeing clearly.
Also squinting can lead to wrinkles and nobody needs to age prematurely if they don't have to, right?
What can I do to fix it?
Well the good news is, there are many ways to improve your vision and they all start with an eye test - they are painless and only take around 30 minutes. Whether you prefer glasses, contact lenses or LASIK eye surgery, your optometrist will be able to give you the options and advice that best suits your needs. Opting for glasses is the least invasive way to take your vision from blurry to high definition, and it gives you a great opportunity to change up your look with a funky new frame! We love to help people express themselves through their eyewear and can always find something to tick all the boxes for you.
If you ever have any concerns about your vision, get in touch with us to book an appointment. You can click HERE to be directed to our online booking page, call us on 07 3447 0447 or come by the store to have a chat with the team.