{"id":91066,"date":"2024-07-12T04:10:51","date_gmt":"2024-07-12T12:10:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/?p=91066"},"modified":"2025-01-30T22:48:27","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T06:48:27","slug":"astigmatism-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/astigmatism-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Astigmatism?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Astigmatism is a common vision condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Despite its prevalence, it remains misunderstood by many.<\/p>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-91097\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Group1.jpg\" alt=\"Group1\" width=\"916\" height=\"500\"><\/h2>\n<h2>Astigmatism Explained<\/h2>\n<p>Astigmatism is a <a href=\"\/blog\/a-quick-guide-to-refractive-errors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Read more about refractive error (opens in new tab)\"><strong>refractive error<\/strong><\/a> that occurs when the cornea or lens of the eye is irregularly shaped. Instead of being perfectly round (like a basketball), the cornea or lens may have a slight oval shape. This irregularity causes light to focus unevenly on the retina, leading to blurred or distorted vision at any distance.<\/p>\n<h2>Common Symptoms<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Blurred or Distorted Vision<\/strong>: Objects may appear blurry or stretched out.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Eyestrain<\/strong>: Difficulty focusing on objects for prolonged periods.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Glare<\/strong>: <a href=\"\/blog\/how-astigmatism-affects-perception-of-lights\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Read more about Lights (opens in new tab)\"><strong>Lights<\/strong><\/a> at night may look like starbursts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Diagnosing Astigmatism<\/h2>\n<p>Diagnosis typically involves a comprehensive eye exam conducted by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. This may include a <a href=\"\/blog\/understanding-visual-acuity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Read more about visual acuity (opens in new tab)\"><strong>visual acuity<\/strong><\/a> test, refraction assessment, and measurement of corneal curvature.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"\/p\/tr-square-eyeglass-frames\/2080\/208021\" aria-label=\"Visit tr square eyeglass frames 2080 208021 page\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-91096 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/208021d-1-1.jpg\" alt=\"208021d (1) (1)\" width=\"916\" height=\"500\"><\/a><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Shop These <a href=\"\/p\/tr-square-eyeglass-frames\/2080\/208021\" aria-label=\"Visit Frames Page\">Frames<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Treatment Options<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Glasses<\/strong>: <a href=\"\/b\/best-seller-glasses\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Visit Prescription eyeglasses Page (opens in new tab)\"><strong>Prescription eyeglasses<\/strong><\/a> can compensate for the irregular shape of the cornea or lens.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Contact Lenses<\/strong>: Special toric contact lenses are designed to correct astigmatism.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Refractive Surgery<\/strong>: LASIK or PRK can reshape the cornea to improve vision.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Myths vs. Facts<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Myth<\/strong>: Astigmatism only affects distant vision.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Fact<\/strong>: Depending on severity, astigmatism can affect both near and distant vision.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Myth<\/strong>: Wearing glasses makes astigmatism worse.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Fact<\/strong>: Glasses or contact lenses prescribed by an eye care professional can correct astigmatism and improve vision quality.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Myth<\/strong>: Astigmatism can be cured with eye exercises.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Fact<\/strong>: While eye exercises may help with eye strain, they cannot reshape the cornea or lens to correct astigmatism.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/p\/womens-acetate-rectangle-eyeglass-frames\/44282\/4428239\" aria-label=\"Visit womens acetate rectangle eyeglass frames 44282 4428239 page\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-91098 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/4428239d-2.jpg\" alt=\"4428239d (2)\" width=\"916\" height=\"500\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Shop These <a href=\"\/p\/womens-acetate-rectangle-eyeglass-frames\/44282\/4428239\" aria-label=\"Visit Frames Page\">Frames<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>By debunking common myths, individuals with astigmatism can make informed decisions about their vision care. If you are experiencing vision problems, schedule an <a href=\"\/blog\/the-importance-of-routine-eye-exams\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Read more about eye exam (opens in new tab)\"><strong>eye exam<\/strong><\/a> with your eye doctor to explore your treatment options. Remember, clear vision is within reach with the right support and care!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/b\/best-seller-glasses\" aria-label=\"Visit best seller glasses page\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-76510 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/231215_Blog_banner_shop_all.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1950\" height=\"250\"><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":null,"protected":false},"author":102,"featured_media":91095,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[156,157,149],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-91066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eye-care","category-billboard","category-eye-health"],"acf":[],"contentshake_article_id":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91066","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/102"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91066"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91066\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94326,"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91066\/revisions\/94326"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91095"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91066"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}