Astigmatism Archives - Will Vision

Can LASIK Fix Astigmatism?

Dr. Will — Thu, 22 Aug 2019 20:22:44 +0000

Wearing glasses can be cumbersome, expensive, and an overall annoyance when you are dependent on them to simply see clearly. This has led many to seek a more permanent solution to correct their vision, with LASIK being the most appealing alternative to wearing glasses or contact lenses.

Your vision correction may be a bit more complicated, having also been diagnosed with astigmatism; a condition that causes you to your vision to be blurry or distorted regardless of how close or far they are. Thankfully, Lasik can fully correct astigmatism in addition to farsightedness or nearsightedness.

What Is Astigmatism?

While not a disease of the eye, but rather simply a refractive error caused by having an asymmetrical shape of the cornea; the translucent dome-shaped part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil and anterior chamber. The cornea is responsible for most of your eye’s focusing power by, but has a fixed focus and relies mostly on the lens of the eye to change how clearly you see objects that are close or far away.

Astigmatism commonly accompanies traditional myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness) that glasses or contact lens wearers are typically diagnosed with. Astigmatism is an added blurriness to your vision that is similar to the aforementioned eyesight conditions but is not due to the size or shape of the eye itself but rather an irregular shape of the cornea, creating multiple points of focus at the back of your eyes leading to objects not being in focus at all distances.

Understanding Vision

To better understanding how astigmatism affects our vision, we have to first understand how our eyes are affected by various changes to its shape and the passing of light through eye structures.

Light enters the eye through the pupil and works much like the shutter of an automatic camera to better allow us to adjust to brighter or darker conditions. In dark environments, our pupils open wider to allow more light to reach our retina, and conversely our pupil contract smaller in brighter environments to allow less light to reach the retina. In addition to this, light rays entering the eye also need to be bent into a precise point of focus on the retina found in the inner back of the eye, and if this doesn’t happen correctly, our vision is blurred.

The use of eyeglasses or contact lenses sharpens the focus by bending light and changes the way it enters the eye. The following are the most common eye conditions affecting vision.

Hyperopia: Occurs when the eyeball is too short or the cornea is too flat, causing light rays to reach a point of focus just beyond the retina. This causes you to see blurry images when up close and you are considered farsighted; only able to see images clearly when far away from you.

Myopia: Occurs when the eyeball is too long or when the cornea curves too sharply, causing light rays to achieve a point of focus before they even reach the retina. This causes you to see blurry images at a distance and you are considered nearsighted; only able to see images clearly when they are close to you.

How LASIK Corrects vision

LASIK (laser-assisted in-situ keratomileuses) is a type of laser refractive surgery that can precisely cut and change the shape of the cornea to better bend the light entering the eye and improving vision.

By altering the shape of the cornea you can effectively reduce the use or completely eliminate the need for glasses or contact lens.

There are several different types of LASIK surgeries, including Custom IntraLASIK, Wavefront-Guided Bladeless LASIK, and Bladeless LASIK. All LASIK procedures are performed with a specific type of laser, with how they are used and complementary procedures implemented being the main differentiator. If you are ready to stop wearing glasses or contact lenses, LASIK may be just what you are looking for. To schedule a personalized consultation in the Vancouver, WA or Salem, OR areas, look no further than Will Vision & Laser Centers, Call (877) 542-3937 today!

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LASIK for Astigmatism: What You Need to Know

Dr. Will — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 00:57:54 +0000

Do you have an astigmatism? LASIK surgery may be able to help you improve your vision. Learn what you need to know about LASIK and astigmatism. Call us for personalized advice or to schedule your LASIK consultation with Dr. Will.

What Is an Astigmatism?

Most people have some degree of astigmatism, a condition that occurs when the cornea is irregularly shaped. Ideally, the eye is shaped like a basketball, perfectly round and spherical. With astigmatism, the eye is shaped more like a football. This can cause focusing problems, eye discomfort, and headaches. Slight astigmatism doesn’t require correction or treatment. If the astigmatism is more advanced, treatment may be needed to maintain good vision. Astigmatism frequently occurs with other eye conditions like nearsightedness and farsightedness.

Treating Astigmatism- What Are My Options?

Like nearsightedness and farsightedness, astigmatism can be treated using a variety of different methods including:

Glasses– The most common method for treating astigmatism is the use of eyeglasses. Some people wear special lenses in their glasses to compensate for the astigmatism. Glasses only work when they are worn and may be difficult to use when participating in sports, water, and outdoor activities. Glasses are also easily broken and scratched.
Contacts– Contact lenses are another treatment option for astigmatism. Some people with an astigmatism may have difficulty wearing some types of contacts. Special lenses for astigmatism are available, but they can be more expensive than regular contact lenses. Contact lenses require regular cleaning and special care to maintain eye health. Contact lenses cannot be used during swimming and other water activities safely without special precautions.
Orthokeratology– Orthokeratology can help some patients with an astigmatism. This treatment involves a special fitting for rigid contact lenses that reshape the eye. This treatment does not provide lasting results. Patients must regularly wear the specialized lenses to maintain eye shape. You may need a specialized eye doctor to use this treatment method.
LASIK– LASIK surgery, short for Laser Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis, is a type of laser surgery that reshapes the eye. LASIK provides long-lasting results and can correct vision without the need for glasses or contacts. In many patients, LASIK provides permanent vision correction or improvement.

To determine which vision correction option is best for you, talk with your eye doctor or visit a LASIK surgeon.

Can I Still Get LASIK If I Have Astigmatism?

Many people worry that they aren’t candidates for LASIK because of their astigmatism. Don’t let your astigmatism keep you from exploring LASIK surgery. In most cases, LASIK can fully correct astigmatism. You can have clear, sharp vision again! LASIK can correct the astigmatism by reshaping the cornea. Since astigmatism is caused by an irregularly shaped cornea, LASIK is one of the best treatment options available for this condition. Glasses and contacts compensate for the problem, but only LASIK permanently reshapes the cornea.

Will I Still Need Glasses or Contacts After LASIK Surgery?

At Will Vision and Laser Centers the need for glasses or contact lenses after Lasik is extremely rare. Since we use the best of the best technology, virtually all of our patients achieve 20/20 vision with LASIK with the majority seeing even better than 20/20 without correction.If you want to experience the freedom that Lasik provides for everyday life its time to ditch those glasses and contacts and discover clear vision without the hassle.

Choosing a LASIK Surgeon to Treat Your Astigmatism

LASIK is an excellent treatment option for astigmatism, but only if you choose a highly experienced and skilled refractive surgeon. Many LASIK providers use older technology or have limited experience working on patients with astigmatism. To get the best results from your LASIK, choose a skilled and experience surgeon that uses the latest LASIK technologies. Look for the following when choosing your LASIK surgeon:

Bladeless LASIK– Bladeless LASIK provides better results because it enables a clean, exceptionally smooth creation of the corneal flap. Choose a provider that offers Bladeless LASIK for the best results. This allows for faster healing, a stronger eye with fewer complications.
Wavefront Technology– Your eye is unique and Wavefront technology helps us to correct both simple and advanced focusing errors. Wavefront technology ensures that your eye is properly shaped using LASIK surgery and is especially important for patients with astigmatism.
Extensive LASIK Experience– LASIK surgery requires practice to get it right. Dr. Will is a top LASIK surgeon in the Pacific Northwest and has helped thousands of patients to obtain better vision, including many patients with astigmatism.

Treat your astigmatism permanently with LASIK surgery. While glasses and contacts simply hide the problem, LASIK surgery reshapes the eye and corrects it. Call us today and learn if LASIK surgery is right for you. LASIK surgery can treat astigmatism, nearsightedness, farsightedness, and other refractive errors, often providing better vision than can be obtained using glasses or contacts. Schedule your consultation with Dr. Will today.

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Common Conditions Lasik Surgery Can Treat + Correct

Dr. Will — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 04:32:39 +0000

As we age, we can begin to notice changes to our vision that can make daily tasks such as working on the computer or reading a book difficult. Luckily, we can treat and correct many of the common vision problems with Lasik surgery. Will Vision & Laser Centers created the below infographic that lists the common conditions Lasik surgery can treat and correct such as Myopia, Hyperopia, Astigmatism, and Presbyopia. For more information, please contact Will Vision & Laser Centers.

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