Lazy eye is a visual impairment that is usually seen in early childhood years. In fact, 2 out of every 100 children are affected by this condition. Though this is concerning, lazy eye in kids can be treated. But first, it’s important to know what lazy eye is and how it can be cured.
What is lazy eye?
Also known as amblyopia, lazy eye is a visual condition in which the brain favors one eye more than the other. An eye is affected by amblyopia because of a number of conditions that prevent it from properly focusing and communicating with the brain. As a result, the brain ends up favoring the other eye.
The most common cause of amblyopia or lazy eye in kids is a weakness or an imbalance in the muscles responsible for positioning the eyes. It prevents the eyes from properly working together.
Effects of Lazy Eye in Kids
These are the signs you need to look out for if you think your kid may be affected by lazy eye or amblyopia:
A wandering eye
Misaligned eyes
Squinting
Poor depth perception
Rubbing one eye
Head tilting
Problems with reading and writing
As the kid grows and the condition progresses, they could be prone to more serious risks. In severe cases, lazy eye can also lead to loss of vision. Therefore, it is best to detect the problem as early as possible and understand your kids’ options for amblyopia treatment.
How can I tell if my child has amblyopia?
The signs of lazy eye in children can be easily noticed if you pay just enough attention. The first sign you should look for is misaligned or crossed eyes. This symptom indicates strabismus in which the brain bypasses the visual information that the lazy eye receives.
If you suspect the problem, you can get an eye patch for kids since children with lazy eye complain of blurry vision when their dominant eye is covered. To confirm the diagnosis, consult a certified and experienced optometrist, who may use the test called photo screening, which estimates the child’s eye alignment and helps look for a potential problem.
Lazy Eye Treatment
Glasses – Lazy eye in children can be corrected with glasses sometimes. Children with far-sightedness, near-sightedness, or astigmatism are usually prescribed glasses. The specialist monitors the improvement in vision and lazy eye, and suggests the course of treatment, if needed, after that.
Occlusion or Eye Patch – It is one of the most effective lazy eye correction method. In this treatment, the good eye is covered with a patch so that the lazy eye starts working. With the patch on, the brain will only receive information from the lazy eye, and hence, will not ignore it. The patch must be worn for a few hours every day. Also, children should be encouraged to read, color, write, or do other close-up activities while wearing the patch.
Atropine Eye Drops –Another effective amblyopia treatment, atropine eye drops are used to dilate the pupil and blur the vision in the good eye. It has the same results as an eye patch and is less awkward for children.
Vision Exercises – Vision exercises are really helpful and can be done in combination with other treatments.
Lazy Eye Surgery – Lazy eye surgery may be recommended when no other treatment works. It usually results in better eye alignment and also improves the appearance of the eye.
Amblyopia is a serious vision problem that can even lead to blindness. But the good news is that it is treatable in kids. Therefore, it is important to fix lazy eye in children as early as possible.
Consult the experts at InSight Vision Center and ensure the most comfortable and friendly lazy eye treatment for your child.
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.
Strabismus, also called wall eye, squint, or crossed eyes, is a condition in which the two eyes are not properly aligned and fail to work as a team when looking at an object. According to the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, approximately 4% of the US population has strabismus.
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.
It’s great that you have decided to get LASIK surgery done, and you’d probably want to choose the best LASIK surgeon in Fresno for your procedure.
What you need, is a LASIK surgeon who is qualified, experienced, affordable, and helps you feel at ease. You want to make sure that you are in good hands and that your eye surgeon has complete knowledge and understanding of the LASIK procedure.
To find the right LASIK surgeon in Fresno, you need to take the time to do proper research because there are a lot of options out there. Here’s how to choose the best eye doctor in Fresno for LASIK eye surgery.
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.
By now, the whole world knows what COVID-19 is capable of doing – fever, cough, and shortness of breath that can take 2 to 14 days to show up after a person is exposed to the virus. In some people, the infection can get so severe that it can develop into pneumonia, leading to complications or even death.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, a couple of reports suggest that coronavirus can also cause pink eye (conjunctivitis) in the infected person.
How Coronavirus Can Affect Your Eyes?
Health officials believe that conjunctivitis develops in about 1% to 3% of people with coronavirus.
Conjunctivitis is an infection of the membrane, known as conjunctiva that lines the eyelid and covers the white part of your eyeball. The symptoms of pink eye include itchiness, redness, tearing, discharge that forms a crust, and a gritty feeling in the affected eye.
How Coronavirus Is Transmitted?
When a person infected with coronavirus sneezes, coughs, sneezes, or talks, the virus can spray from their nose or mouth into your face. It’s likely that you inhale these droplets through your nose or mouth, and it’s also likely for the virus to enter your eyes too.
If you touch an object that has been contaminated with the virus – like the door knob – and then touch your eyes, the virus can enter your eyes.
The doctors at Insight Vision Center, Fresno, CA, have been closely following the coronavirus updates and would like to offer tips on how to stay healthy and protect your eyes while hunkering down at home.
Below are some eye protection guidelines you can follow:
Avoid rubbing your eyes.
If you have the urge to rub your eyes or adjust your eyeglasses, don’t use your fingers, instead use a tissue. And if you must touch your eyes, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after touching your eyes.
Switch to eyeglasses for a while instead of wearing contact lenses.
If you tend to touch your eyes a lot for no apparent reason, consider wearing glasses more often. Wearing eyeglasses instead of contact lenses decreases the irritation in your eyes due to contact lenses, and you are more likely to pause before you touch your eyes. If you want to continue wearing contact lenses, ensure that you follow the contact lens hygiene to reduce your chances of an infection.
Wear glasses for an added layer of protection.
Although sunglasses or corrective eyeglasses can protect your eyes from virus-infected droplets, they do not provide 100% protection. The virus can enter into your eyes through the exposed areas such as the side, top, and bottom of the glasses. If you are taking care of a sick patient or if you are potentially exposed to the virus, wear safety goggles for a stronger defense.
Stock up on critical eye medicines.
Don’t wait until the last minute to contact your pharmacy and request a refill of your medications. During the lockdown, there may be a shortage of supplies, so it is advisable to stock up on critical medications, enough to get you by in emergency situations during the quarantine. If you have trouble getting approval from your insurance company, ask your pharmacist or your ophthalmologist for help.
Wash your hands as often as possible for at least 20 seconds using soap and water. Make it a habit to wash your hands after you use the restroom, cough, sneeze or blow your nose, and before eating.
If you do not have access to soap and water, use a hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol).
Avoid touching your face — eyes, nose, and mouth.
If you cough or sneeze, use a tissue and throw it away immediately. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow and then wash your hands.
Maintain social distancing. Avoid close contact with people. Stay at least 6 feet away from a person with a respiratory infection.
Stay home when you are sick.
Disinfect commonly touched objects and surfaces, such as countertops and doorknobs in your house.
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.
Also known as amblyopia, lazy eye is a vision development disorder that causes abnormal visual development in early childhood. It is developed when the eye and the brain are not stimulated properly, and the brain favors one eye over the other. It can also be said that when nerve cells responsible for vision do not develop as they should, it results in a ‘lazy eye’.
Usually, amblyopia occurs in one eye, but in some cases, it can occur in both the eyes.
What causes lazy eye?
Here are the leading causes of a lazy eye:
Strabismus – A condition where the muscles responsible for the positioning of eyes are imbalanced is known as strabismus. This imbalance makes it difficult to track an object with both eyes together. As a result, the eyes turn out or cross.
Now to avoid double vision, the brain ignores the visuals received by the misaligned eye. This eventually leads to a lazy eye.
Stimulus Deprivation – When light doesn’t enter an eye due to some obstruction, it tends to become weaker. It could be due to eye surgery, glaucoma, a scar, cataract, etc.
Refractive Amblyopia – When eyes have unequal refractive errors despite correct alignment, it can lead to amblyopia. For example, there may be near or farsightedness in just one eye. Or, there may be significant astigmatism in one eye and not the other.
What are the symptoms of a lazy eye?
Here are the symptoms you must look for:
Blurred Vision – When both the eyes together cannot focus on a single object clearly, the resulting image tends to be blurred.
Double Vision – This is caused due to the misalignment of eyes.
Miscoordination – Because of a lack of coordination between the eyes, they can’t focus on an object.
Eye Turn – It is a common symptom when both the eyes turn in different directions.
How is the lazy eye diagnosed?
Your eye doctor will examine both your eyes, checking for a wandering eye, eye health, difference in vision between two eyes, or poor vision. Before conducting the exam, they will use an eye drop to dilate your eyes which may result in a blurred vision for up to several hours.
In infants, a magnifying device is used for an eye examination. The eye doctor may also assess their ability to follow moving objects and fix their gaze at a stationary object.
In children above the age of 3, the test is done using pictures and letters.
to help you focus on things clearly. This, sometimes, also helps with double vision.
In certain cases, your doctor may suggest undergoing Lasik eye surgery which not only eliminates the problem entirely but also stops it from forming again in the future.
Surgery and Eye Care
Lazy eye surgery is done to improve the turn and alignment of the eye. After the surgery, you will have to wear an eye patch over the dominant eye. This strengthens the weaker eye. The patch develops the part of the brain that controls the vision.
Atropine Drops
Atropine drops are put in the unaffected eye to blur its vision. They dilate the vision in the good eye so that the weaker eye can work more and better.
Early treatment of amblyopia is extremely critical because if overlooked, the condition can lead to permanent vision problems. So, for proper visual development in kids, consult your doctor as soon as you notice any symptoms.
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.
Majority of people who have difficulty in seeing make a very common mistake when describing their poor vision. They interchangeably use the terms blurry vision and cloudy vision. However, there is a thin line of difference between both these terms. Both of them can be caused due to very different reasons. So, let’s find out what exactly these conditions are and understand their causes.
What is Blurry Vision?
Blurry vision is when the object you are looking at appears to be out of focus. In such condition, you may feel that squinting will make the object clearer. One of the best examples of blurry vision is the way an image appears on camera before you adjust the lens or give it a moment to focus on the subject. Symptoms include poor peripheral or left or right field of vision.
What are the Causes of Blurry Vision?
There are multiple factors which can cause blurry vision. Some of the most common ones are as follows:
Near-sightedness, far-sightedness or astigmatism
Cataracts
Corneal scarring or opacification
Abrasions to cornea
Age-related macular degeneration
Optic Neuritis
Retinopathy
Injury or trauma to the eyes
Infectious retinitis
Some conditions in particular can cause headache as well as a blurry vision. These include migraine, low blood sugar, stroke etc.
What is Cloudy Vision?
Cloudy vision is when it feels like you are looking at everything through a haze or fog. You might feel like there is a blurry film on your eyes and you can almost wipe or blink it away. For instance, looking through smudged glasses or through a window on a foggy morning is what having a cloudy or foggy vision feels like. It can be caused due to different reasons. Hence, the combination of its symptoms depends on the underlying cause. Its commonly occurring symptoms are as follows:
Double vision
Appearance of halos around lights
Light sensitivity
Watery or dry eyes
Poor night time vision
Bloodshot or red eyes
What are the Causes of Cloudy Vision?
One of the most common eye condition which causes cloudy vision is cataracts. As a part of the aging process, the lens of the eye loses its transparency in cataracts. Hence, it is generally seen in older people. Dirty or damaged contact lenses are also a very common factor resulting in cloudy vision. Besides, if the contacts are worn for too long, eyes become overly dry and can result in cloudy or blurred vision.
Other causes include changes in or damage to the cornea due to infections or inflammations. Also, conditions such as macular degeneration, optic nerve disease and diabetes may cause your vision to turn cloudy.
Since blurry vision and cloudy vision both can indicate presence of certain serious health issues, it’s important to get your eyes regularly checked. An ophthalmologist can identify early signs of eye health issues and even detect related signs of other underlying diseases.
If you too are experiencing any symptoms of either blurry or cloudy vision, or have any queries related to eye health, get in touch with us. Our experienced team at InSight Vision Center can help you with any queries or issues related with vision and eye health.
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.
If you are a sportsperson who also wears glasses, then you know that the most frustrating thing is not being able to perform well in sports because your vision is blurry.
Though you should not wear glasses for contact sports such as rugby, soccer, and hockey; you must speak to your ophthalmologist to get the right pair of sports eyeglasses when you play other sports. Sports eyeglasses are essential gear for an active sportsperson.
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.
A massive 25 million Americans have cataract. It is a common eye condition in which the lens of the eye gradually becomes weak and your vision is impaired completely. A research done by the study “The Future of Vision” estimates the number of cataract patients will rise to 38.5 million by 2032 and 45.6 million by 2050. (Source: https://www.preventblindness.org/millions-americans-have-cataract) Cataract massively reduces the sharpness of vision. The most common sign is a yellowish-brown tint that clouds your vision.
June is Cataract Month
June has been declared as Cataract Awareness Month by Prevent Blindness to educate the masses on the symptoms, risk factors, and available treatment options. As you age, your eyesight takes a backseat and you rely a lot more on your reading glasses for every activity that you undertake. Cataract often ambushes the eyesight of adults over 40. But untreated cataracts do not come with a lot of noticeable symptoms.
It starts with a difficulty to see things around you. Most people assume it’s a prescription upgrade they require and the first thing they do is rush to an optometrist. Some people might not be able to work or read under the same light, often not realizing you’re damaging your vision a little more. Untreated cataracts get worse with time and before you know it; your vision will get blurry to the point where no type of prescription lenses will work. Many people may also suffer from a dry eye that can leave you feeling tired all the time.
But there’s no need for you to suffer for too long. These signs often indicate that it’s time for you to get cataract surgery.
Here are Some Signs for Untreated Cataracts:
Double Vision
Double vision is an early sign of cataract. The cloudy layer on the eye lens can scatter the light entering your eyes which leads to the formation of two images. Looking for correction measures earlier is necessary to avoid adverse problems.
Difficulty Discerning Colors
Cataract may affect your color vision. You may see some colors faded, and slowly, your vision may take on a yellowish or brownish tinge. Discoloration due to cataract often goes ignored. But if it worsens, for example, difficulty distinguishing purples and blues, you must get your eyes examined.
Compromised Night Vision
With age, the lens of your eye, which sits behind your pupil, becomes cloudy. You may experience bothersome vision problems such as halos and glare at night. Cataract surgery is recommended if you need better visual acuity at night, especially when you are driving.
Total Blindness
Untreated cataracts lead to the road of complete blindness or legal blindness. People often feel worried when they hear the word “blindness”. But blindness caused by cataracts is reversible to restore your vision with the help of cataract surgery and a pair of special contact lenses is designed for both adults and children.
Cataract Surgery Complications at a Later Age
Though cataract is a safe procedure, it can, like other surgeries, often pose the risk of complications and serious medical illnesses. And the level of risk at an older age is higher. Let’s have a look.
Slow and inconvenient recovery
With age, the risk of developing serious diseases such as thyroid, hypertension, cancer, etc. increases. And people with these pre-existing conditions have higher chances of showing signs of complications such as slow recovery. Diabetes, which is a common health issue in seniors, can alter the healing process dramatically.
Side-effects of Medication
Some people at an older age may not respond to medications very well. And this can lead to complications. For example, using steroids for long-term can make them likely to develop an infection. Or, the medication used for thinning the blood to prevent blood clots can make bleeding likely.
You won’t be able to do much about your age or a family history of cataracts. But you definitely make alterations to your diet. Eating foods rich in vitamin C and vitamin E can help prevent cataracts.
Try to add plenty of vegetables to your meals or add them as sides. Some effective ways to delay the progression of cataracts include reduced exposure to UV rays, eating vitamin-rich foods, avoiding smoking, and wearing the right eye protection gear to prevent eye injuries.
If you already facing vision problems, visit your eye doctor to check for signs of untreated cataracts. Cataract surgery will restore your vision so that you don’t struggle with poor vision as you age.
Book an appointment with an experienced eye doctor in Fresno, CA to correct your vision so that you enjoy the simple pleasures of life just as everyone else does!
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.
There’s no other activity that gives you that total-body workout as much as an hour of swimming does. From toddlers to seniors, it’s an activity enjoyed by all. The summers have already begun and everyone wants to cool off with a dip in the pool.
But have you wondered what the water is doing to your eyes? Swimming with contact lenses can potentially damage your eyesight. Your eyes may not only suffer bacterial contamination but in addition, you may experience irritation in the eye once you step out of the pool. Infections and sight-threatening conditions like a corneal ulcer may be a potential vision battle.
Eye Issues Due to Swimming:
Your eyes are safe as long as bacteria and irritants don’t get through the tear film that keeps the cornea lubricated. The moment chlorine and the tear film interact; your tear is exposed to the chemical in chlorine which carries a ton of pollutants.
Here’s a look at the two common eye conditions caused by chlorine exposure:
Conjunctivitis Conjunctivitis is often known as Pink Eye and is a water-borne bacterial eye infection.
Eye Irritation Eye irritation caused by chlorine results in redness and blurry vision, along with the damage of the tear film.
Swimming With Contact Lenses:
When you are swimming with contact lenses, the cornea in your eye suffers a setback in the form of an infection. Chlorine water should never touch your contact lenses. This is especially dangerous to your vision because your lenses may shrink and deprive it of the oxygen it needs. For certain contact lenses like the gas permeable (GP) ones, your ophthalmologist will strongly discourage you from wearing them while swimming. In case you forget to take them off while swimming, make sure you dispose them off immediately.
At InSight Vision Center, we recommend that you use daily disposable lenses if you are a regular swimmer.
We recommend you to take the following precautions if you are swimming with contact lenses:
Wear Well-Fitted Goggles If you are swimming with contact lenses, your eyes will need that extra layer of protection. Well-fitted goggles are essential part of your swimming gear since pools contain a ton of chlorine. Your vision will not be compromised underwater. And vision problems like eye irritation and infection will not surface.
Use Eye Drops If you experience even the slightest irritation after a swim, it suggests that your eyes need some lubrication. Put a few drops in each eye to restore the tear film on your eyes.
Take off Your of Contact Lenses Taking your contact lenses off is your best bet. Chlorine can let bacteria enter your eye lens which can result in a more serious problem. If you absolutely insist on wearing them, get them cleaned with a solution immediately after a swim.
Visit Your Eye Doctor In case the pain or irritation persists more than a day, it’s time for you to visit your eye doctor. Address the issues to your doctor and how long you have been suffering the irritation.
Swimming is a fun way to exercise and stay fit. But the activity comes with some responsibility. Take all the necessary precautions before diving into the pool. Make sure you take your contact lenses off if you often experience eye irritation. Don’t ignore any signs that may bring discomfort to your eyes.
Book an appointment with an experienced eye doctor in Fresno, CA if you have persisting eye irritation or if you need a fresh pair of contact lenses recommended to you.
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.
It’s not every day that you see people talking about interesting facts about eyesight. But how much do you know about your eye health? There are some who are blessed with perfect 20/20 vision, while others are completely blind. But what about people with certain eye conditions? How can you tell if you have poor vision at all?
Imagine driving down a dimly lit road at night and seeing lights that seem to stretch out in unusual ways. For people with astigmatism, this is a common occurrence that can not only be frustrating but also potentially dangerous. Astigmatism lights appear streaky, blurry, or haloed, and this can severely impair your ability to drive safely at night. So what exactly is astigmatism, and how can you take measures to ensure that your night driving experience is as safe as possible?
In this article, we’ll explore the answers to these questions and provide you with some practical tips to help you drive safely with astigmatism.
Astigmatism vs Normal – How people with Astigmatism see?
People with astigmatism see differently than those with normal vision. They may experience blurry or distorted vision at all distances, which can make it difficult to read, drive, or perform other activities that require clear vision. In particular, people with astigmatism often have difficulty with night driving due to the glare of oncoming headlights.
Astigmatism can cause images to appear stretched, skewed, or tilted, which can make it hard to identify shapes or read letters on a page. People with astigmatism may also experience eye strain, headaches, or eye fatigue as their eyes work harder to compensate for the vision problem. The severity of astigmatism varies from person to person. In some cases, it may be so mild that it doesn’t require treatment, while in others, it may cause significant vision problems.
What Does Astigmatism Look Like?
Astigmatism lights – Halos, fuzzy vision & streaky lights cause issues with driving at night with astigmatism
Due to Astigmatism the misshapen cornea or lens doesn’t allow proper light intake in your eyes. This common refractive error results in lights getting scattered instead of focusing on your retina, potentially causing blurred vision. Therefore if you have astigmatism, you need to squint your eyes more. You may also find yourself reducing the glares of the things in front of you whenever possible.
And the interesting part is that people born with astigmatism may never know this difference until someone points that out to them. But if you are amongst those who developed astigmatism over time, you will gradually, if not instantly, know that something is wrong with your vision. It’s easy to spot the difference between astigmatism vision vs. normal vision.
Astigmatism lights notoriously appear
hazy with holes
with excessive glare
streaky
blurry or fuzzy
That Viral Tweet from 2019 illustrating how people with astigmatism see – How accurate is it?
This Twitter post from 2019 spread like wildfire and fuelled responses from around the world. It made people question their eyesight. It depicted what vision with astigmatism looks like vs vision without astigmatism.
Astigmatism is when the cornea is slightly curved rather than completely round.
With astigmatism, light focuses on several points of the retina rather just one point. This is what people with Astigmatisms vs without. pic.twitter.com/RXWWayFBRJ
In the first image, the light from the brake lights and traffic signs appear distorted, stretching into a wide, starburst shape. This indicated what astigmatism vision looks like. In the second image, the lights coming off of the traffic light appear softer and have a halo shape, which represents clear vision.
This tweet gathered over 80,000 reactions and led many to suspect they had undiagnosed astigmatism. Most of the people who reacted thought the image on the left was a representation of perfect vision, and the results shocked them. Some people with glasses thought the distorted vision was actually a normal condition.
However, journalists from BuzzFeed clarified with the eye doctors, that there is no single image that can accurately represent astigmatism or diagnose its presence. Only a qualified optometrist or ophthalmologist can diagnose astigmatism. The image in the tweet could be attributed to common causes like glare or dry eyes. The main message here is to avoid self-diagnosing based on online information or images and instead, seek professional advice from an eye doctor to receive the appropriate treatment for your eyes.
Driving at Night With Astigmatism
By now, you may understand what astigmatism vision looks like at night if the processing of lights is so distorted normally. Yes, astigmatism gets pretty much worse at night. Specifically, it’s scary to drive at night with astigmatism.
Unlike daytime, there is more darkness all around at night. So naturally, your pupils dilate to allow more light inside the eye. But with astigmatism, more light means more glare. The traffic lights, street lights, and headlights of other vehicles help people with normal vision navigate the roads at night. However, astigmatism vision can make it harder to distinguish between different types of light sources mentioned above. This can make driving at night particularly challenging for people with astigmatism.
Now you know the different effects of astigmatism at night vs. normal daytime. It’s much worse and more confusing during the night. In the next section, let’s deep dive into the solution for people driving with astigmatism at night. Keep reading if you are one of them!
Solutions for Safely Driving at Night With Astigmatism
Your eye doctor will agree that the following solutions help combat astigmatism lights at night while driving.
Get Your Vision Corrected
Getting your vision corrected is essential since most critical decisions made by drivers are based on sight. Many drivers aren’t aware of the relationship between good vision and good driving, especially if you drive at night.
There are two vision correction options to make life easy for you. The first one is glasses. It’s a proven solution for astigmatism at night. Otherwise, you can get toric lenses. However, you may need some time to get used to them. Schedule an eye exam with your eye doctor and figure out what works best for you.
Wear Anti-Reflector Glasses
If you choose good old glasses to address astigmatism at night, get the anti-reflector glasses. They are much less likely to intensify glare than other corrective lenses. They can also help cut down on poor vision in low light, helping manage refractive errors and making it easier for you to drive at night.
If you are already comfortable with wearing glasses, try the anti-reflector ones and know the difference.
Use Contact Moisturizing Drops
Having to deal with painful, irritated eyes while driving can be not only annoying but also dangerous. Toric lenses for astigmatism often result in dry eyes. Driving at night can also result in a glare that reflects off the dry, irregular surface of the cornea.
If you wear contact lenses to correct astigmatism, use contact moisturizing drops to prevent drying your toric lenses.
Get a LASIK Eye Surgery
LASIK eye surgery refers to laser eye surgery and vision correction. It’s considered the permanent solution to the everyday annoyances of dealing with corrective lenses when you have astigmatism.
With a quick recovery rate, LASIK eye surgery can save you money on the annual costs of glasses and contact lenses. And more importantly, it will help you with a better vision to allow you to drive safely.
Additional Tips That May Help With Your Astigmatism Night Driving
Adjust your headlights: Make sure your headlights are properly aligned and aimed, as misaligned headlights can make it harder to see while driving at night.
Clean your windshield and headlights: Dirt and grime on your windshield and headlights can cause glare and reduce visibility. Regularly clean both to ensure optimal visibility.
Reduce interior lights: Bright interior lights can reflect on your windshield and make it difficult to see. Dim your dashboard lights and avoid using your phone or other bright devices while driving.
Slow down: Driving at a slower speed can give you more time to react to unexpected situations and reduce the risk of accidents.
Take breaks: If you feel tired or have blurry vision, take a break and rest your eyes. This can help reduce eye strain and improve your ability to see while driving.
Parting Words
Driving at night with astigmatism is a severe life hazard. Therefore, you must not only do your own vision analysis. You also must show these pictures to your family members and loved ones to check which image they identify with.
The issue of astigmatism lights can easily be resolved with solutions like glasses, toric lenses, and LASIK eye surgery. Also, an eye exam is important not just to correct astigmatism vision but it is to safeguard your overall health and wellness.
If you have untreated astigmatism, lights may appear streaky, hazy, haloed, or ringed by a starburst pattern. This can have a significant negative impact on your night driving abilities and make it challenging to see well in low light.
Astigmatism patients may be sensitive to light, especially in a bright environment. This is because astigmatism can make it uncomfortable and sensitive for the eyes to focus on light. However, not everyone who has astigmatism suffers from light sensitivity, as it might differ based on the person's particular condition.
Starbursts around lights can be a common symptom of astigmatism or other vision issues, caused by the irregular shape of the cornea or lens in the eye. For an accurate diagnosis and treatment, it's crucial to visit an eye doctor.
Astigmatism can be corrected by Lasik. However, it is crucial to consult with an ophthalmologist to find out if you are a suitable candidate for the procedure.
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.
