What is astigmatism?
Astigmatism is a refractive error that causes blurred and distorted vision, both near and far vision, and that manifests itself when images are focused on several points on the retina. In contrast, in emmetropic (non-prescription) eyes, images focus on a single point on the retina.
People who suffer from astigmatism are characterized by alterations in their corneal curvature, that is, their cornea has an irregular curvature, instead of being symmetrical.
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This visual anomaly does not always occur in isolation, as it is often associated with myopia or hyperopia.
Like nearsightedness and farsightedness, astigmatism can be genetically determined. It may also occur after trauma, injury, or illness, or as a consequence of eye surgery.
Astigmatism is the third most common visual problem among Spaniards (behind myopia and presbyopia or eyestrain), since more than a quarter of the population suffers from it.
NORMAL EYE
ASTIGMATISM
Symptoms of astigmatism
The main symptom of astigmatism is blurred and distorted vision of near and distant objects, as well as difficulty perceiving small details at all distances.
When astigmatism is associated with hyperopia, it is common for the patient to present symptoms such as visual fatigue, redness, itching and stinging of the eyes, dizziness or occasional headache, due to the overexertion made by the eye to focus on images.
The symptoms that the patient may perceive are different depending on their age, type of astigmatism or prescription. However, in mild cases it is possible to miss any signs of astigmatism.
Astigmatism in children
It is advisable to pay special attention to their visual quality, since uncorrected astigmatism could cause a lazy eye problem (amblyopia).
Therefore, it is advisable to carry out a complete ophthalmological check-up from the age of 3-4 to detect or rule out any visual alteration that is still latent. If there are any previous symptoms, it is recommended to have this check-up before this age.
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