4 Surprising Reasons Why Your Astigmatism Is Worsening

Astigmatism is a common ocular condition that occurs when the cornea, or lens of the eye, is oval in shape instead of round. This change of shape prevents light from concentrating properly on the retina (the back of the eye), leading to a blurred or deformed vision. Astigmatism can change or worsen over time, which makes daily activities such as reading, driving or searching for more difficult screens.

There are several reasons why astigmatism can worsen over time. Certain changes occur naturally with age, while others result from injuries, underlying conditions or lifestyle factors.

1. Aging

Age changes are among the most common reasons why astigmatism gets worse. As we get older, the shape of the cornea can gradually change. The muscles that help your eyes concentrate can also weaken, which makes the vague vision of astigmatism more visible. Aging can also cause firmness to the eyelids and slightly change their position, which can change the pressure they have on the cornea and affect its shape over time.

2. Ocular injuries

Eye injuries can cause or worsen astigmatism. Corneal stripes, surgical scars or any other trauma can change the shape of the cornea or the objective, affecting how light enters the eye and leading to a blurred vision or an increase in astigmatism.

3. Ocular conditions

Certain eye conditions can worsen astigmatism, in particular:

• Keratocon:: This The progressive state (the conditions that aggravate over time) is the place where the cornea thinks down and gets stiff towards the outside of a cone. This changes how light enters the eye and often leads to irregular astigmatism. It usually starts in adolescence or the beginning of adulthood and can gradually worsen over time.
• Ptérygium:: This causes tissue growth on the white part of the eye that can extend to the cornea, changing the shape of the cornea and increasing astigmatism.
• Cataracts: It is a disorder of the eye of the eye that generally develops with age. The cataracts can aggravate astigmatism if the lens becomes distorted or if the disorder changes the way in which the eyes lean the light, which makes astigmatism existing more visible.
• Fuchs Endothelial Dystrophy:: This damages the cells of the cornea, causing an accumulation of liquid which can cause changes in swelling and shape that can worsen astigmatism.

4. Screen use

Spend long periods of time looking at smartphones and computers can worsen astigmatism. Looking down a screen can increase the pressure of the eyelids on the cornea, temporarily modifying its shape. A reduced flashing and spending time focusing on a short distance screen can also affect the shape of the cornea over time.

Many people with astigmatism are born with it. Congenital astigmatism occurs when a baby was born with an irregular cornea or lens. This type of astigmatism often remains stable throughout childhood and can gradually worsen age, especially in the middle of the forties.

Even if you are not born with astigmatism, genetics (features transmitted to families) can put you a higher risk of developing it.

In some cases, astigmatism develops later in life. This can happen after an eye injury, eye surgery or due to underlying eye conditions or age-related changes that gradually modify the shape of the cornea.

You cannot prevent astigmatism from developing. However, there are several ways to prevent it from aggravating, such as:

• Stay aware: Pay attention to any change in your vision. A blurred vision, frequent headache and eye fatigue can be signs that your astigmatism changes.
• Get regular view exams: Routine eye exams help detect small changes in health and vision of your eye. Adults should take a full view exam every one to two years.
• Wear eye protection: Protective glasses can help prevent injuries that could change the shape of your cornea and worsen astigmatism. Wear safety glasses or glasses when you participate in sports, doing garden work or working with tools or chemicals. Choose enveloping sunglasses that block 100% of the ultraviolet sun (UV) rays.
• Manage the underlying conditions: Follow the treatments for any health that can affect your eyes, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
• Take screen breaks: The extended screen time can filter your eyes, especially if you spend a lot of time looking at your phone or tablet. Follow the rule 20-20-20: every 20 minutes, look at something from a distance for 20 seconds.
• Eat a balanced diet: This includes many fruits and vegetables, rich in vitamins A, C and E, which can support eye health.
• Avoid rubbing your eyes: Rub your eyes frequently or with excessive pressure can damage the cornea or change its shape.

There are several effective treatment options for astigmatism, including:

• Glasses: glasses: Standard glasses with cylindrical lenses (curves) help to focus properly on the retina, improving the blurred or distorted vision that can occur with astigmatism.
• Torique contact lenses: Unlike the standard flexible contact objectives, toric lenses are specially designed to correct astigmatism by compensating for the unequal curvature of the cornea. They remain in a stable position on the eye, which helps to focus properly on the retina and improves global vision.
• Rigid gas permeable contact lenses (RGP objectives): These are firm objectives that are seated on the cornea and create a smooth surface on its irregular shape, helping the light to penetrate more uniformly and to improve clarity and contrast. The RGP objectives are beneficial for people with moderate to severe or irregular astigmatism which needs a more precise vision correction.
• Laser eye surgery: Laser procedures, as Keratomileusis in situ assisted at laser (Lasik), can correct astigmatism by reshaping the cornea so that light is focused more precisely on the retina. Laser surgery offers a long -term or permanent solution for astigmatism.

Astigmatism can worsen over time due to aging, eye injury or conditions such as Keratocconus. Although you cannot always prevent astigmatism changes, you can take action to help you protect your vision.

Regular view exams, protective glasses, healthy diet and screens all break support long -term eye health. Treatments such as glasses, contact lenses or laser surgery can considerably improve the way you clearly see and how much you spend your day.