Astigmatism is a vision problem that starts early in life, and most people have at least a small degree of it in one eye or the other. And if you have a more severe case, then you may need glasses or other corrective therapies. Early intervention is key to preventing this eye problem from getting worse. This usually involves interventions from your eye doctor, but there are also things you can do at home. By adopting these natural remedies, you can help prevent your eye issues from getting worse throughout your life.
The lens and cornea of your eyes are smooth and curved equally in every direction. This lets the light focus properly onto the retina at the back of your eyes. The retina focuses the light in one small location to allow you to see. However, if the lens or cornea is rough or curved unevenly, then the light rays can’t refract properly. Instead, there are many focal points in front or behind the retina. This causes an eye problem known as astigmatism.
This eye problem is caused by defects in the cornea or lens. Basically, they’re abnormally shaped.
When the cornea is the problem, it’s shaped like a football rather than a ball or sphere. This is known as "corneal astigmatism." This shape results in distorted images because light rays can’t meet at one common point.
There is also "lenticular astigmatism," which means that the eye lens is misshaped. This is less common than issues with the shape of the cornea, but still occurs.
It isn’t an eye disease that causes this vision issue, and the eye is usually otherwise healthy. And it usually occurs very early on in life, so isn’t age related.
Some of the signs that you might suffer from this vision issue are:
There are several factors that can cause or put you at higher risk of astigmatism including:
It is rumored that reading in dim light, watching TV, and using computer screens for too long may also bring on this eye issue. However, there’s no evidence that this is the case, and these rumors are usually dismissed as myths by medical professionals.
Astigmatism isn’t the same as nearsightedness or farsightedness, but these conditions can occur at the same time.
Near-sightedness is also known as myopia and makes it difficult for you to see things that are far away. It’s very common and is caused by an elongation of the eyeball. In contrast, farsightedness, or hyperopia, is when you have trouble seeing things close to you. It’s caused by a shortening of the eyeball.
Astigmatism can be caused by either one or both of these conditions because they both cause changes in the cornea and retina. This can result in one of these three conditions:
The meridians of the eye are a bit like lines of longitude on a globe, if you imagine the poles of the eye starting at the pole. The flattest and steepest meridians are called the principle meridians.
If you have a slight astigmatism, then you probably won’t need to undergo conventional corrective therapies unless your condition worsens. However, you should still see an eye doctor to have your condition checked and monitored as it can get worse over time.
If your eye issue does need addressing, then there are several options that your doctor may suggest including:
There are also things you can do at home to help improve your eye health and prevent degeneration. However, you still must visit your doctor first to get an accurate diagnosis and any conventional therapies you may need. You should also get an annual eye exam to keep on top of any changes.
You can also make sure to take good care of your eyes. Astigmatism symptoms may get worse if you:
You can also help support good eye health and maybe even prevent astigmatism from getting worse by:
Try to avoid looking at devices for long periods and always protect your eyes from the sun with sunglasses or a hat.
Eye conditions get worse as you get older, so make sure you avoid lifestyle choices that cause premature aging like smoking and drug use.
Your eyes need a mix of nutrients for good health. These vitamins will help strengthen the tissues in your eyes, prevent free radical damage and macular degeneration, lower your risk for glaucoma and cataracts, and help prevent eye fatigue. The best vitamins for your eyes are:
Here are some foods that will help give you all of these nutrients:
Conditions like Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS) may impact good eye health and the progression of certain eye conditions. AFS is caused by ongoing, chronic stress. The body’s mechanism for dealing with stress is known as the NeuroEndoMetablic (NEM) stress response. This stress response causes the release of cortisol from the adrenal glands, which then makes changes throughout the body’s circuits, consisting of related organ systems that help address stress. These changes protect you and help you respond to the cause of the stress.
When stress is chronic, as it often is in the modern world, cortisol levels must remain high over the long term. This results in overwork for the adrenal glands, which can then start to fatigue and decline in health. It can also result in imbalances and malfunctions in the NEM stress response and the body’s circuits as well as the components of these circuits. The symptoms and health problems which can occurs as a result of this can be very distressing and annoying.
If you have AFS, then it may impact any astigmatism that you already have. AFS can cause chronic inflammation as well as premature aging, both of which may cause this eye condition to progress more quickly. AFS is also strongly linked to a poor diet; it’s one of the most common causes of adrenal fatigue, which may also impact eye health.
If you have astigmatism, it may also impact your AFS as it can cause eye fatigue, headaches, and other symptoms. These symptoms will naturally increase your stress levels, which is the root cause of AFS. This is just another reason why it’s so important to see a doctor if you have this eye condition or any other health issue that causes you pain or distress.
Astigmatism is an eye problem that occurs early and usually requires medical intervention. However, this doesn’t mean that there’s nothing you can do about this issue. This eye problem can get worse over time under the wrong conditions, so one of the best ways to manage it naturally is to ensure that you’re living a lifestyle that supports good eye health. Here’s how:
For more advice on a diet and lifestyle to support your eye health, talk to our team at +1 (626) 571-1234 or click here.
Astigmatism is an eye problem resulting from different eye shapes that usually occurs early in life and causes blurriness or distorted vision. It can affect both long or short vision and may get worse over time if you ignore it or live a lifestyle that doesn’t support good eye health.
