Commonly Asked Questions About Astigmatism

As many may know, astigmatism is a refractive error of the eye that is one of the leading causes of poor vision.

Let us know more about this eye condition that millions around the world may have by answering some of the most common questions about it.

What is astigmatism?

Astigmatism is a very common eye condition that causes blurry vision and is believed to affect 30–40% of adults worldwide. While it’s not a dangerous condition, it can significantly lower the quality of your vision if left uncorrected.

Uncorrected astigmatism causes blurry vision by distorting light as it enters the eye through the cornea, which is the clear covering on the front of the eye. To focus the light correctly, the cornea should be round in shape. However, in patients with astigmatism, the cornea isn’t perfectly round, and it’s this abnormal shape that distorts the vision.

How is astigmatism corrected?

In most cases, astigmatism can be fully corrected with glasses or contact lenses to provide clear vision. In qualified patients, laser vision correction (such as LASIK) reshapes the cornea to be round and is an option for correcting astigmatism without the need for glasses or contacts. In rare cases, a hard contact lens may be required to correct high levels of astigmatism.

How does astigmatism affect cataract surgery?

For patients with astigmatism who also require cataract surgery, it’s important to understand that astigmatism might still degrade the quality of their vision even after surgery. There are now a variety of ways to correct cataracts and astigmatism at the same time to improve the visual result.

With over three decades of in-depth eye experience, Shinagawa is pleased to offer a full range of astigmatism correction to all qualifying patients using the latest techniques, including LASIK to reshape the cornea back to normal.

Call our Patient Care Lines: (+632) 7-368 5238 l (+63) 917 862 7454 l (+63) 921 217 0517 for inquiries, questions, and appointments or talk to our consultants via LiveChat here on our website.