Bellevue LASIK & Cornea Blog | Dr. Leavitt and Dr. Farag
Serving Seattle, Bellevue, Everett, Olympia, and Tacoma, WA
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Astigmatism: Common But Treatable
Astigmatism is a common vision problem caused by an irregularly shaped cornea or an irregularly shaped crystalline lens. Astigmatism produces blurry vision, accompanies farsightedness or nearsightedness and can occur in adults and children.
Most people with astigmatism rely on eyeglasses or contact lenses to correct their eyesight. For those who wish to reduce their dependence on eyeglasses and contact lenses, refractive surgery is an excellent option available at Bellevue Lasik and Cornea in Seattle, Washington.
Mild astigmatism causes no symptoms other than slightly blurry vision. Moderate astigmatism may cause eyestrain and headaches. Regular vision examinations are needed to detect astigmatism in the early stages. In most cases, astigmatism is hereditary. In some cases, it can be caused by:
- Corneal scarring due to an eye injury
- Eye diseases like keratoconus
- Certain types of eye surgery
For severe astigmatism, rigid contact lenses (RGPs) were once the only treatment. Today, soft toric contact lenses offer special correction for both astigmatism and near- or farsightedness and work well for mild to moderate astigmatism.
Various types of refractive surgery, such as Conventional or custom Wavefront LASIK, IntraLase, LASEK, Epi-LASIK and Conductive Keratoplasty (CK) are popular treatments offering fast, safe, effective and long-lasting correction of astigmatism as well as near- or farsightedness.
To learn more about astigmatism or to schedule a vision evaluation with Dr. Leavitt in Seattle, Washington, please contact Bellevue Lasik and Cornea today.
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