Am I Longsighted or shortsighted and what exactly is Astigmatism? These are the questions our optometrists are asked on a daily basis.
Understanding your prescription helps individuals wear their glasses appropriately, benefiting their eyes in the long run. It should also help alleviate many of the symptoms of blurred vision, eyestrain and headaches that you may experience.
Below we will try to explain what exactly each of these terms means for you and your eyes and we will discuss all the options for correcting your sight including glasses and contact lenses.
Long-sightedness
Long-sightedness affects the eyes ability to see nearby objects. You may be able to see distance objects clearly, but usually objects nearby appear out of focus. Individuals of all ages can be affected including babies and children, with most people experiencing trouble over the age of 40.
Depending on how long sighted you are, you may only experience trouble with nearby objects. However if you are very longsighted, you may struggle to see clearly at any distance.
Many of the symptoms of long-sightedness can be found below.
· Finding nearby objects fuzzy and hard to keep in focus
· Experiencing tired and sore eyes when reading and using the VDU
· Frontal Headaches
· Having to squint to see clearly
Children who are longsighted don’t always show obvious signs that they are struggling with their vision. But if left untreated, long-sightedness can lead to a squint or a lazy eye.
Short-sightedness
Short-sightedness affects the eyes ability to see distance objects clearly, but usually objects close up remain clear. In children, the condition can occur around the ages of 6-13 years. As children grow rapidly during their teens, their short-sightedness may become worse. Most eyes stabilize in their early 20’s.
Signs that you or your child is short-sighted include.
· Struggling to see the TV or the board at school
· Complaining of headaches or tired eyes
· Regularly rubbing of eyes
Astigmatism
Astigmatism is due to the shape of your eye being more like a rugby ball than a football. This causes the light entering your eye to focus on more than one place. It usually occurs in conjunction with long-sightedness or short-sightedness.
Symptoms of astigmatism may include
· Headaches
· Eyestrain
· Blurred vision
In young children, uncorrected astigmatism can lead to a lazy eye. It is therefore important that it is spotted early.
For each of the above, early tests for all children and regular tests throughout life will help minimize the chances of lazy eyes and the symptoms of blurred vision.
At Curran’s, we are happy to see infants from as soon as sight issues are suspected. It is especially important to check those children with family history of lazy eyes, squints and larger prescriptions.
Your eyes are important us, lets us look after them.
Comentarios