An ophthalmologist spoke about the symptoms of astigmatism

Astigmatism is a visual impairment caused by an irregular shape of the cornea or lens. Irakli Behoroshvili, ophthalmologist, ophthalmic surgeon of JSC Medicine (clinic of academician Roitberg), told Izvestia on November 20 about symptoms and causes of astigmatism.

As the expert explained, in people with this disorder, the cornea or lens may be more oval or have another anomaly that causes the light entering the eye not to focus at one point on the retina. This results in blurred and distorted images.

According to the specialist, in most cases, astigmatism is inherited. If one of the parents had this visual defect, the probability that the disease will appear in the child increases. In addition, the doctor said that provoke the appearance of astigmatism can provoke various injuries and inflammations that affect the shape of the cornea. At the same time, this disorder can develop due to diseases such as keratoconus, in which the cornea becomes thinner and acquires an irregular shape.

"Symptoms of astigmatism can include blurred or distorted vision at different distances, difficulty focusing, and headaches, especially after reading or working on the computer for long periods of time. Many people also notice that their eyes tire much faster than usual," explained Bekhoroshvili.

The doctor noted that mild forms of the disease can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses, which compensate for the incorrect refraction of light. In more complex cases, laser procedures are used, which allow to change the shape of the cornea, providing normal focusing. In some situations, when astigmatism is accompanied by other problems such as cataracts, surgery to insert intraocular lenses may be required.

"It is important to have regular checkups with an ophthalmologist to detect astigmatism in time and start treatment," Behoroshvili concluded.

Earlier, on October 22, Natalia Boryanova, an ophthalmologist at the Crede Experto clinic, told Izvestia about the causes of deteriorating vision in children and the elderly. With age, cells change, degenerative diseases develop. Specialists identify many serious diseases, including, for example, glaucoma, cataracts, retinal dystrophy and malignant neoplasms of the visual organ, the specialist noted.