Can contact lenses correct astigmatism?

Written by Hu Shu Fang
Ophthalmology
Updated on September 20, 2024
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Contact lenses can be prescribed with a certain degree of astigmatism correction. If the astigmatism is less than 100 degrees, it can be converted into half of the spherical degree to create a prescription, and standard contact lenses can be worn to see clearly. If the astigmatism is greater than 100 degrees but less than 300 degrees, it is necessary to first prescribe sufficient spherical degree, then determine the astigmatism's axis and degree, and manufacture special astigmatic contact lenses. Wearing these can be more comfortable and provide clearer vision. Generally, very high degrees of astigmatism cannot be corrected with contact lenses, and wearing frame glasses is required instead.

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Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
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Why is astigmatism more serious than nearsightedness?

Astigmatism and myopia are both common eye diseases and are two different types of refractive errors. Under the same degree of refractive error, astigmatism can cause more damage to visual function than myopia. This is because patients with astigmatism usually experience abnormal development of the cornea, leading to different refractive powers in different directions. As a result, when light passes through the cornea and enters the eye, it cannot converge to form a single focus, but instead forms a line intersection, which greatly affects the quality of vision. On the other hand, myopia is caused by an overly long eye axis or excessive corneal refractive power. When light passes through the cornea and enters the eye, although it cannot focus accurately on the retina, it can still form a focus. Therefore, the impact on vision is less severe than that of astigmatism.

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Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
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Crystalline astigmatism is caused by what?

Lenticular astigmatism is a common eye disease, usually caused by the early formation of cataracts, where the lens becomes unevenly opaque. This leads to inconsistent refractive power in different directions, causing astigmatism. Patients can visit the ophthalmology department of a hospital for an optometry examination and a slit lamp microscope examination to confirm whether the astigmatism is due to the lens. For lenticular astigmatism, if the cataract has little impact on vision, it can initially be corrected by wearing glasses to improve vision. If the cataract has already significantly affected vision, cataract surgery can be performed to correct and treat it. After the surgery, the lenticular astigmatism will naturally disappear, and the patient’s vision will be improved.

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Written by Zheng Xin
Ophthalmology
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How to relieve headaches caused by astigmatism in the eyes?

Eyestrain and headache can be understood in two senses: First, if one experiences astigmatism when viewing objects, accompanied by headaches and eye pain, it is possible that glaucoma is present. This condition is also associated with increased eye pressure and swelling pain in the eyes. If this is the case, treatment to lower eye pressure and treat glaucoma is necessary. The second meaning involves astigmatism identified through an eye examination, indicating a refractive error. If the astigmatism correction in the glasses worn is not suitable, prolonged viewing can lead to visual fatigue, eye pain, and accompanying headaches. In this case, a detailed eye examination followed by wearing appropriate glasses is needed to alleviate the symptoms.

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Written by Li Zhen Dong
Ophthalmology
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Can nearsightedness surgery correct astigmatism?

Surgery for nearsightedness can correct astigmatism, and surgeries for nearsightedness can be divided into corneal laser surgery and ICL surgery. Corneal laser surgery can be considered if the astigmatism is less than 400 degrees, while ICL surgery can be considered if the corneal astigmatism is less than 600 degrees. Additionally, astigmatism can be classified as regular and irregular. The treatment is generally more effective for regular astigmatism. If it is irregular astigmatism, further ophthalmologic examination should be conducted to rule out corneal and other ocular conditions.

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Written by Li Zhuo
Ophthalmology
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Can children with astigmatism undergo laser surgery?

Firstly, laser surgery is generally performed after the age of 18, as people's eyes continue to grow. This means that just like when a person stops growing taller, the eyes also stop growing at a certain age. If laser surgery is performed too early, while the eyes are still growing, the results may regress over time. Therefore, astigmatism in children should only be addressed after they reach adulthood, usually after the age of 18, but we generally recommend waiting until after the age of 21. Additionally, if the progression of the eye prescription is less than 50 to 100 degrees per year, the surgery outcomes are more likely to be stable. Generally, laser surgery is primarily used for myopia, which pertains to issues with seeing distant scenes, whereas astigmatism, which generally affects horizontal vision, is usually not corrected through laser surgery.