It never hurts you or your eye-sight to look at the bright side of things, but that might not be possible for someone suffering from astigmatism, myopia or hyperopia. These three are eye disorders, or to be more clear – refraction errors. This is because they refract or bend light, causing partial focus on the retina, which causes a blurry image.
Correlation
Astigmatism is a refraction error which causes an irregular light focus on the retina due to the curved or distorted shape of the cornea. As a result, the images at all distances turn out to be blurred or cloudy and it gets worse with time. Myopia or near-sightedness is similar to astigmatism as it also makes the vision blurry; however this is only applicable to objects far from your eye, as your near vision is clear.
It occurs when there is structural change in the cornea, or it gets too curved, which causes the light rays to bend (refract) in front of the retina and not on the retina. This causes nearby objects to look clear while distant images turn blurry.
Subsequently, hyperopia or far-sightedness is also a refraction error which occurs when the light rays bend due to the irregular curvature of the cornea and cause the focus at the back of the retina which turns the near images blurry but distant images remain clear. Thus, myopia and hyperopia are the primary types of astigmatism.
Causes
The primary type of astigmatism and astigmatism itself can cause blurred vision either way. It has various causes. Firstly, an eye injury can cause distortion or restructuring of the cornea. Secondly, it might be inherited. Thirdly, a disease may cause a change in the shape of cornea.
But here is where astigmatism is not related to myopia or hyperopia, as both these eye disorders can get worse with reading books in dim light or sitting too close to the screen while using your phone or watching television or even squinting. However, in case of astigmatism there would be no effect if you engaged in the above activities.
Treatment
The only common treatment that can cure all three refractive errors is laser eye surgery. This surgery fixes the shape of the cornea; it is restored to its perfect shape, which causes the light ray to focus on the retina correctly, making all near and distant images clear to the eye.
Plus it’s permanent so you won’t even have to wear any glasses or corrective lenses. And it’s a quick way to get rid of blurry vision.
But, if you have myopia (near-sightedness) or hyperopia (far-sightedness), you can treat these conditions by wearing eyeglasses and lenses. It might be a longer process, but it is inexpensive.
Bottom line
Impeccable eye-sight is a rare gift, and no one should be deprived of it. If you have crystal-clear vision, consistent check-ups should still be a part of your routine, and if you’re suffering from any vision condition, keep working toward improving it. Consult your doctor before opting for a laser eye surgery.
