1800 Ligonier Street, Latrobe PA. 15650
The Dry Eye Clinic
Lewis A. Carrarini, O.D.
1800 Ligonier Street, Latrobe PA. 15650
Phone: 724.532.3727
Conditions
- Eye Conditions
- Astigmatism
- Blepharitis
- Cataracts
- Corneal Abrasions
- Corneal Disease
- Corneal Ulcers
- Diabetic Retinopathy
- Dry Eye
- Farsightedness
- Flashes & Floaters
- Keratoconus
- Macular Degeneration
- Monovision
- Narrow Angle Glaucoma
- Nearsightedness
- Normal Vision
- Open-Angle Glaucoma
- Pink Eye
- Presbyopia
- Pterygium
- Retinal Detachment
- Retinal Vein Occlusion
Helpful Links
Phone Us: 724.532.3727
Astigmatism
Astigmatism occurs when the cornea is shaped like a football (more curved in one direction than the other) and often occurs in combination with myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness). This causes light to focus in more than one point on the retina, resulting in blurry and distorted vision. It is a very common type of refractive error in the eye, and not a disease!
 |
Light focuses in more than one point on the retina causing blurry and distorted vision at all distances. (Roll mouse over image for effect) |
Symptoms of astigmatism:
|
 |
Causes of astigmatism:
- Heredity
- Lid swelling such as caused by a stye
- Corneal scars
- Keratoconus
Diagnosing astigmatism:
Your doctor of optometry can conduct a refractive evaluation to determine whether your eyes focus light rays exactly on the retina at distance and near. A visual acuity test will determine your ability to see sharply and clearly at all distances.
Treating astigmatism:
Glasses and contact lenses are used by many for the correction of astigmatism. Special toric or astigmatic soft lenses can be used, along with gas permeable hard lenses for higher degrees of astigmatism.
If you are about to undergo cataract surgery, a relaxing incision can be made to reduce the amount of astigmatism after surgery, thus making your distance vision clearer without any glasses.