What Is Irregular Astigmatism and How Is It Treated?

Astigmatism is a vision problem that results from refractive errors in your eye lens or cornea due to its curvature. You experience the condition when the light entering your eye cannot focus on the retina correctly, giving you distorted or blurred vision.

This condition occurs when the angle of the meridians of your cornea in relation to each other is off. The angle is supposed to be 90-degrees. As a result, you get an uneven cornea curvature.

 

Differences Between Regular and Irregular Astigmatism

The terms regular and irregular astigmatism do not describe eye health but the cornea curvature. Your eyes can have any of the two types of astigmatism and still be healthy. Typically, the first layer of your eye or the cornea is an imperfect sphere in shape. There are usually two ununiform curves instead of one regular one.

More people experience regular astigmatism compared to irregular astigmatism. It occurs when the two rounded surfaces of the eye are at 90-degree angles toward each other. Individuals with this condition can use shelf contacts and glasses with different powers for each lens. The modifications can help in focusing light.

 

Causes of Irregular Astigmatism

Irregular astigmatism can be a result of different conditions; it can occur due to genetic corneal dystrophies, degenerations, surgical procedures, or trauma.

 

For Example:
 

• Keratoconus - A condition that weakens and thins the center of the cornea, causing an outward bulging
   

• Keratoglobus - A condition that causes the cornea to weaken and thin in its periphery, causing a round bulging
   

• Eye trauma - The curvature of the cornea changes permanently from penetrating injuries and associated sutures as treatment
   

• Pellucid marginal degeneration - A condition like keratoconus but one that continues through life. The lower section of the cornea gradually becomes weak and continues thinning. As a result, it protrudes at this section, creating a belly-looking shape
   

• Corneal surgery – Such as radial keratotomy that used to be done to correct refractive error
  
   

   

Symptoms of Irregular Astigmatism

The irregular shape of the cornea can result in the following symptoms:

 

• Blurry vision
   

• Headaches
   

• Prescription glasses and regular soft contact lenses fail to help
   

• Poor night vision
   

• Eyestrain
   

• Glare
   

• Distortion
   

• Fatigue
   

• Starbursts
   

• A decreased vision that affects your usual activities
   

• Halos around lights
  
   

   

Treatment

Most patients use special contact lenses or go through corneal transplant surgery for treatment. Hybrid lenses have a gas-permeable center and soft skirting. It improves vision by increasing your eye comfort. Scleral contact lenses sit on the white part of your eye, vaulting over your cornea. The vault offers a uniform surface for the abnormal curvature of the cornea to help you see things clearly.

 

Specialty soft contact lenses match irregular astigmatism by vaulting over your eye. A combination of soft and gas permeable contact lenses offers protection and cushioning against sutures and grafts from previous corneal transplant surgeries. The gas permeable lens helps sharpen vision.

 

Gas permeable contact lenses are smaller than soft or scleral lenses. They cause tears to accumulate under the lens. As a result, the tears fill the gaps from the irregular curves, and your vision improves.


 

For more information on treatments for irregular astigmatism, contact Smart Eyecare at our office in West New York, New Jersey. You can call (201) 854-3411 to book an appointment today.