Corinthian Colleges Inc.
Do I See One or Two? Astigmatism
Rozie Sydenstricker Pharmacy Tech. (Everest College)
What is Astigmatism?
Astigmatism is a refractive error which could be all myopic (nearsighted) hyper opic (farsighted) or both mixed in the eye. Which can cause blurred vision, irregular eye curvature. The front side of your eye (cornea) is curved differently than in the other directions. Other areas of the eye may be more flat or steep. The 2 most common astigmatisms are
1) Corneal Astigmatism: cornea has an irregular shape
2) Lenticular Astigmatism: the lens has an irregular shape
Corneal- it’s like seeing two rather than one. ( focuses on 2 in the retina rather than 1)
a) Babies have higher risk if one or both parents have it
b) babies born prematurely, low birth weight
c)keratoconus
Lenticular- common in those with diabetes; high blood sugar causes the lenses to change shape
Studies have shown as of 2013 that older people are at an increased rate for falling if their Astigmatism is at an oblique axis of 180* or stronger. So extra care must be taken when new eyewear is given to these particular patients.
The age of onset for Astigmatism is generally present at birth and will be either near or farsightedness or a combo of both. At that time it’s not enough to be corrected. When the time comes around, treatment options are corrective lenses or surgery. Astigmatism can also suddenly develop after an eye operation or an injury to the eye.
Your environment can play a huge role in how astigmatism can affect your daily life.
#1 If you haven’t yet been diagnosed you may experience any of the following :
1)blurred/distorted vision
2)eyestrain
3)headaches
#2 As mentioned earlier, the ...
... middle of paper ...
...ently no cure for this Astigmatism.
Some visuals of Astigmatisms
What I found most interesting about astigmatism is that our eye is supposed to be round and when you have this disorder your eye is more oblong or football shaped. I also learned that by dilating your eyes it helps to determine if you have this disorder. If your parents have it the likelihood of you inheriting this disorder are high. You can even be born with Astigmatism and it can even impact your performance for school and sports if it’s not addressed.
Individuals, patients, caregivers, friends and family can access the following websites and research these links for support: http://www.experienceproject.com/groups/Have-Astigmatism/97075 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Astigmatism-support-group/117284234987851
http://www.healthcentral.com/ency/408/001015trt.html
Loss of vision in one or both eyes
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retinas are one yard high. They look out of no face but, instead, from a
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Additional resources are available to any caregiver to educate themselves on compassion fatigue at The Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project’s web site at http://www.compassionfatigue.org/index.html.
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