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Astigmatism Treatments: Can Astigmatism be Corrected?
Published on March 29th, 2024
Astigmatism is a refractive error that causes blurry vision both up close and far away and can be treated with prescription glasses, contact lenses and refractive surgery. The type of treatment for astigmatism a person receives can be determined by the type of astigmatism, its severity and, in some cases, personal preference. Astigmatism is caused by either a misshapen or a deformed lens or cornea. Astigmatism of the lens is called lenticular astigmatism and astigmatism of the cornea is called corneal astigmatism. Keep reading to learn more about what is astigmatism and the different ways it can be treated.
Can Astigmatism be Corrected?
Yes, astigmatism can be corrected so that a person with this refractive error has clear vision. Correction of astigmatism includes using prescription glasses, contact lenses or refractive surgery. Prescription glasses and contact lenses provide astigmatism correction through lenses whereas refractive surgery corrects the shape of the eye so light hits the retina properly. Astigmatism is a refractive error caused by either a misshapen lens (lenticular astigmatism) or cornea (corneal astigmatism). The symptoms of astigmatism that treatments can fix include blurry vision at near and far distances, squinting to see, seeing glares or halos around lights at night, headaches and eye fatigue.
What are the Treatments for Astigmatism?
The treatments for astigmatism include contact lenses, glasses and refractive surgery. These treatments and their definitions are listed below.
- Contact lenses: Contact lenses are used to treat astigmatism by providing vision correction. Contact lenses are placed directly on the eyeball and work by helping light focus on the retina.
- Glasses: Prescription glasses treat astigmatism by correcting the refractive error and providing the wearer with clear and comfortable vision. Glasses for astigmatism will include cylindrical lenses.
- Refractive surgery: Refractive surgery is another option for treating astigmatism. Refractive surgery is a procedure that aims to focus light correctly onto the retina.
1. Contact Lenses
Contact lenses are used to treat astigmatism by providing vision correction. Contact lenses are placed directly on the eyeball and work by helping light focus on the retina. The types of contact lenses commonly used to treat astigmatism include toric contact lenses, rigid gas-permeable contact lenses and hybrid contact lenses. Contact lenses have certain advantages over glasses such as providing a wide range of vision. As contact lenses are placed on the eye rather than over the face like glasses, they offer a wider range of vision with less obstruction. Contact lenses are also very convenient as you don’t have to worry about storing them or scratching the lenses. Finally, they are safe for sports as they do not get in the way and are not at risk of falling off your face.
2. Glasses
Prescription glasses treat astigmatism by correcting the refractive error, providing the wearer with clear and comfortable vision. Glasses are one of the most common forms of astigmatism treatment. Glasses for astigmatism will include cylindrical lenses. Astigmatism is corrected using a CYL lens that is equal but opposite to the amount of astigmatism that is represented on the patient’s prescription. This lens corrects astigmatism by compensating for the uneven curve in a person's lens (lenticular astigmatism) or cornea (corneal astigmatism). Benefits of glasses include they are easy to adjust to, they are easy to care for and they have a lower risk of eye infections compared to contact lenses.
3. Refractive Surgery
Refractive surgery is another option for treating the refractive error astigmatism. Refractive surgery is a procedure to focus light correctly onto the retina, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. This can be done by reshaping the cornea or, in some surgeries, it involves implanting a lens into a patient’s eye. Refractive surgery is performed to correct refractive errors, including myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism and presbyopia. The types of refractive surgery performed to treat astigmatism include laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK), laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK) and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). The benefits of refractive surgery include it being accurate and painless and the person should not have to use any other forms of corrective devices such as glasses or contact lenses.
What are the Types of Astigmatism Contact Lenses?
The types of contact lenses that can be used to correct astigmatism include toric contact lenses, rigid gas-permeable contact lenses and hybrid contact lenses. These contact lens types and their definitions are listed below.
- Toric contact lenses: Toric contact lenses are specifically designed to correct astigmatism due to their torus shape.
- Rigid gas permeable contact lenses: Rigid gas permeable contact lenses are a type of hard contact lenses that can be worn to correct astigmatism.
- Hybrid contact lenses: Hybrid contact lenses are a combination of hard and soft lenses that can be used to treat astigmatism.
1. Toric Contact Lenses
Toric contact lenses are specifically designed to correct astigmatism as they are a distinct toric shape (torus) that creates different refractive powers to correct both lenticular and corneal astigmatism. Toric lenses can correct astigmatism as they provide different refractive powers on the horizontal and vertical orientations that address the misshapen lens or cornea caused by astigmatism. According to CooperVision, toric lenses are recommended for patients who have -0.75 or more astigmatism. The benefits of toric contact lenses are that they are specifically designed to treat astigmatism and are comfortable to wear. There are many types of toric contact lenses as their shape can be used in other types of contacts such as rigid gas permeable contact lenses.
2. Rigid Gas Permeable Contact Lenses
Rigid gas permeable contact lenses are a type of hard contact lenses that can be worn to correct astigmatism. According to the Cleveland Clinic, rigid gas permeable lenses (RPG) are made with firm, oxygen-permeable silicone polymers. RPG contact lenses can correct astigmatism without a toric design due to their rigidness. However, for more severe cases of astigmatism, RGPs are available as toric lenses. The benefits of rigid gas-permeable contact lenses are they allow more oxygen to pass easily to the eye than other types of contact lenses and can be more comfortable.
3. Hybrid Contact Lenses
Hybrid contact lenses are a combination of hard and soft lenses that can be worn to correct astigmatism. Hybrid contact lenses have a hard centre and a soft edge or skirt, according to the Miami Contact Lens Institute. Hybrid contact lenses are recommended for people with astigmatism as they can be tailored to get the perfect fit for each individual. The benefit of hybrid contact lenses is that the hard centre provides the clear vision that hard lenses have, whilst the soft skirt offers the ease of wear that softer contact lenses provide.
What Glasses Lenses Correct Astigmatism?
Astigmatism is corrected using a cylindrical glasses lens. A cylindrical lens focuses light into a line as opposed to a spherical lens which focuses light into a point. According to Dean McGee Eye Institute, a cylindrical lens compensates for the uneven curves on a person's lens or cornea to correct astigmatism. On a glasses prescription, CYL (cylinder) represents the amount of astigmatism a patient has and is denoted with a minus (-) symbol. Astigmatism is corrected using a CYL lens which is equal but opposite to the amount of astigmatism that is on the prescription. Axis is also integral to a prescription for astigmatism and works together with the CYL to correct the refractive error. Axis is a number between 0-180 degrees which specifies the angle to correct astigmatism. An eye test is necessary for a person to receive astigmatism corrective glasses.
What are the Refractive Surgical Procedures for Astigmatism?
The refractive surgical procedures for astigmatism include laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK), laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK) and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). These surgical procedures and their definitions are listed below.
- Laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK): Laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis is a type of refractive eye surgery performed to correct refractive errors such as astigmatism.
- Laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK): Laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy is a type of refractive eye surgery performed to correct refractive errors such as astigmatism.
- Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK): Photorefractive keratectomy is a type of refractive laser procedure performed to correct refractive errors such as astigmatism.
The procedures for refractive surgery are listed below.
1. Laser-assisted in-situ Keratomileusis (LASIK)
Laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis, or LASIK surgery, is a type of refractive eye surgery performed to correct refractive errors such as astigmatism. According to the Mayo Clinic, this procedure involves a surgeon changing the shape of the patient’s cornea by cutting a corneal flap using a laser. LASIK is a relatively short eye surgery and can take up to 2 to 3 months for the eye to completely heal.
2. Laser-assisted Subepithelial Keratectomy (LASEK)
Laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy, or LASEK surgery, is a type of refractive eye surgery performed to correct refractive errors such as astigmatism. LASEK is a hybrid technique between two other refractive surgeries, LASIK and PRK (photorefractive keratectomy). LASEK is performed by an eye surgeon who changes the curvature of the cornea using a laser and accesses the cornea by loosening its protective cover rather than cutting it.
3. Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK)
Photorefractive keratectomy, or PRK surgery, is a type of refractive laser procedure performed to correct refractive errors such as astigmatism. This refractive surgery is less common than LASIK but for certain patients, PRK may be the preferred option, according to the National Library of Medicine. PRK uses a laser to change the shape of the cornea after the removal of the protective cover of cells on the cornea, which will grow back. This refractive surgery will require the patient to wear a bandage contact lens on the eye to help it heal.
How Long Does it Take for Glasses to Correct Astigmatism?
In most cases, vision that is disrupted by a refractive error, such as astigmatism, should be improved immediately when wearing glasses. This may take longer if a person has to adjust to bifocals or multifocals. Eyeglasses are the most common treatment for astigmatism and work by correcting the focal disruption in the eye.
