Do I need to wear glasses all the time if I have astigmatism? How can I treat astigmatism besides surgery?

Astigmatism is a type of refractive error, which means you will see double images when you see things. Astigmatism is usually associated with myopia, so myopia not only cannot see distant objects clearly, but also has double images. So do you need to wear glasses all the time if you have astigmatism? Is there any way to treat it without surgery?

Do I need to wear glasses all the time if I have astigmatism?

Best to carry it with you all the time.

Astigmatism, myopia, and hyperopia are collectively referred to as refractive errors, which are relatively common eye problems. Among them, astigmatism is manifested as unclear vision, and astigmatism is more likely to cause visual fatigue than myopia. Therefore, astigmatism has a greater impact on vision.

In fact, astigmatism is the same as myopia and can be corrected by wearing glasses. For people with astigmatism, we recommend wearing glasses for a long time, which is beneficial for correcting astigmatism and preventing it from continuing to develop. Don't stop wearing glasses because of discomfort or inconvenience, which affects your appearance. This will cause astigmatism to continue to develop and affect your normal life.

There are many reasons for worsening astigmatism, such as rubbing your eyes, squinting, reading in bed, etc., which may increase the degree of corneal astigmatism. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid these bad habits for the maintenance of astigmatism. Wearing glasses for a long time will make astigmatism worse.

How can I treat astigmatism besides surgery?

Astigmatism is often congenital. For example, the astigmatism rate of babies aged 6-12 months is three times that of children aged 5-6 years. As children grow older, the degree of astigmatism will decrease. Of course, not everyone's astigmatism will disappear. And some children who do not have much astigmatism may also have an increase in astigmatism as myopia progresses.

1-2 years old <200 degrees of astigmatism

3-4 years old, astigmatism <150 degrees

Astigmatism less than 100 degrees after 5 years of age

If it is within the above range, there is no need to worry too much. If it is beyond the above range, the axis of astigmatism and the visual condition should be considered to decide whether to wear glasses for correction. If there are already symptoms of amblyopia, the correction standards will be more stringent. You can first confirm whether it is amblyopia or just the symptoms of amblyopia caused by astigmatism.

If the child's vision is not fully developed, the only way to correct it completely is to undergo laser surgery or corneal resection. If you do not want to undergo surgery, you can consider wearing RGP lenses (rigid gas permeable contact lenses).

RGP is better than ordinary soft contact lenses in correcting astigmatism. It can be understood that astigmatism is mainly caused by irregular corneal shape, while RGP contact lenses are hard and can correct the cornea to regular shape after wearing, so that astigmatism disappears. This is the principle of RGP in correcting astigmatism.

As a reminder, the fitting of RGP lenses is relatively complicated, and requires a high level of technical skills from doctors and fitters. It is necessary to go to regular professional institutions and hospitals for fitting, and follow up on time according to the doctor's orders to ensure safety and effectiveness.

Will the degree of astigmatism decrease?

The degree of astigmatism will not decrease, but the axis of astigmatism may change. Astigmatism, like myopia, is irreversible, and the degree will not decrease or even disappear, but will only increase.

Therefore, when you cannot see clearly when using your eyes, do not squint, otherwise your astigmatism will become higher and higher. You also need to control the use of electronic products.

When wearing glasses for astigmatism, it is not necessary to undercorrect, and comfort is the main consideration. If the astigmatism degree is 50, adults do not need to wear glasses for astigmatism. If the astigmatism degree is 75, you can only wear glasses with 50, depending on your personal adaptability.