Lenticular Astigmatism: Get the Facts

Signs and Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of lenticular astigmatism generally show themselves as every other vision problem does. This is seen in headaches and eye irritation that may develop as a result of strain from squinting or trying to interpret images that are seen in an unclear manner.

Since many of these signs are consistent with the signs shown for other vision problems, further testing will be needed and the two types of astigmatism will be tested for. One type of astigmatism is the result of the cornea being misshapen in some manner. Lenticular astigmatism, however, is called so due to the misshapen lens that causes the astigmatism.

Causes

There is no known single cause for this medical issue, though it is thought to develop as the person gets older and the eye develops. People may inherit a likelihood of developing this problem, but do not inherit the problem itself. Those who have medical issues such as diabetes that may change the shape of the eye may be at increased risk for developing this issue.

Treatment

For years now people have been having corrective surgery to repair vision issues such as nearsightedness and farsightedness. It has not been until recent years, however, that it has been possible to undergo corrective surgery to repair an astigmatism. It is not always necessary to go to these lengths and in truth, if the astigmatism is the only issue and does not cause other vision or health problems such as headaches, no treatment may be necessary at all.

The most common form of treatment is corrective lenses. These may need to be worn if one is also farsighted or nearsighted. The difference is that the corrective lenses for astigmatism use an entirely different type of lens called a toric lens. The toric lens has a unique shape that gives it the ability to bend more light at one end of the spectrum than do the normal lenses worn for correcting vision problems. The toric lens may also be used in contact lenses, a form of corrective eye wear that is worn directly on the eye.

If the astigmatism is severe enough, the lenses may be adjusted throughout time. The reason for this is that the strength of the lenses may be difficult for the person to adapt to as they may make the floor seem to tilt and cause other visual disturbances. Therefore, the patient has a periodically increased prescription so that they are able to get used to the strength of the lens over time rather than all at once.

References: Eyerobics.com