In a perfect world, we would all be born with perfect eyes — but sometimes the corneas or lenses of the eyes are less than ideally shaped, and in many cases the result is astigmatism. Even small abnormalities in the curvature of these structures can create visual distortion, eye strain and other uncomfortable inconveniences. But the good news is that you don’t have to put up with these irregularities in your eyesight. Here at Eye Care Center Mooresville, we have the skills, experience and technology to provide precise, effective corrections for this disorder.

How Corneal Defects Cause Astigmatism

Astigmatism belongs to the family of vision problems known as refractive errors. A refractive error occurs when the light that enters the eye isn’t focused correctly to direct images directly onto the retina. In refractive errors such as nearsightedness and farsightedness, either the cornea or the eyeball itself may be too long or too short to allow for normal refraction. But in astigmatism, the refractive error is due to small pits, “dents” or other imperfections in the normally spherical curve of the cornea. (There is also a variant called lenticular astigmatism, in which the imperfections occur in the shape of the lens.) These little flaws can cause big problems, including areas of blurry vision that can have you straining to see clearly. To add insult to injury, you can have astigmatism on top of another refractive error.

Diagnosis and Solutions at Our Optometry Clinic

A comprehensive eye and vision exam at our optometry clinic can determine whether you’re suffering from astigmatism. Your optometrists, Dr. Ed Mills and Dr. Christopher Mills, can use retinoscopy to observe the refractive pattern produced at the front of the eye, along with keratometry to analyze your corneal curvature. We can then map the areas of distortion relative to imaginary lines called meridians, measuring the sphere (or primary meridian of distortion) and cylinder (or secondary meridian of distortion) to create an accurate corrective prescription.

Once your optometrist knows exactly how to compensate for your individual case of astigmatism, it’s time to select corrective lenses. Eyeglasses generally do an excellent job of correcting astigmatism. Contact lenses can also correct astigmatism, although you might need specialized lenses such as toric or scleral contacts. We can even provide pre-operative post-operative care for LASIK surgery to correct your astigmatism permanently.

Our Mooresville Clinic Holds the Answers to Your Astigmatism

Now that you know what astigmatism is and how we can correct your vision to compensate for it, take the next step toward a clearer, more accurate view of the world. Call Eye Care Center in Mooresville at (704) 664-9121 to set up an evaluation and seek astigmatism treatment from either optometrist at our clinic. In fact, if you buy one pair of glasses, we’ll even let you get a second pair at 50 percent off — so there’s no better time to correct that annoying refractive error!