Not every person can boast that he has good eyesight. Most often there is some kind of pathology. For example, it may be hyperopic astigmatism, which is a visual impairment with farsightedness.
In some cases, it can be completely asymptomatic, but it also happens that the pathology causes a headache and increased irritability. This type of astigmatism is very rare in both eyes, most often affecting only one. Let's try to understand the causes of the disease and the methods of its treatment.
Causes
The cornea and lens in the eye with normal vision have a spherical shape. The ray of light refracted by them is fixed on the retina in one place. But if the eye is with astigmatism, then the beam in this case will form two points, not one. As a result, the image doubles, becomes blurry and distorted.
Thus, hyperopic astigmatism occurs for two reasons:
- lens deformation;
- change in the shape of the cornea.
At present, it is not yet fully established why this is happening. Scientists suggest that the deformation of the lens is a congenital anomaly of development and is very rarely formed during life. Also, the shape of the cornea may change due to scars, for example after injuries or surgery.
Very often farsightedness has a mild degree, up to 0.5 diopters. This is not considered a violation, a person does not feel any discomfort, and this also does not affect the quality of vision.
Types of pathology
- Simple astigmatism - in this case, one meridian of the eye has normal vision, and in another there is hyperopia.
- Complicated astigmatism - farsightedness occurs in both meridians of the eye, that is, focal points are located behind the retina.
Both complex hyperopic astigmatism and simple astigmatism arise because the cornea has a non-spherical shape. More rarely, this causes an irregular lens curvature.
Astigmatism can also be direct and reverse type. The basis of division in this case is based on the strength of refraction in the main meridians. If it is stronger in the vertical meridian, this is a direct type. But if a stronger refraction occurs horizontally, this is the opposite type of hyperopic astigmatism.
Symptoms
Such visual impairment can manifest itself in different ways, and this depends on its severity.
If farsighted astigmatism is mild, its symptoms are almost invisible. A person does not pay attention to the fact that his vision begins to deteriorate. Most often, a mild degree of this pathology is found during preventive examinations.
The average degree of astigmatism is manifested as follows: there is blurred vision, which is accompanied by double vision, headache or dizziness. A person cannot concentrate on doing work related to eyestrain. It was at this time that people were forced to consult a doctor.
Severe astigmatism is characterized by severe symptoms. Most often, it begins to double very strongly in the eyes, and blurred vision becomes more pronounced. There is a pain in the eyes, headaches, sometimes irritability, nausea. During the examination, the doctor notes a severe deterioration in visual acuity.
Treatment of hyperopic astigmatism
This pathology is treated in two ways:
- conservative;
- operational.
If hyperopia has an insignificant degree, and also in the absence of concomitant diseases (asthenopia, strabismus), treatment may not be necessary, since in this case the quality of vision practically does not deteriorate. If these diseases are detected, correction is mandatory. It lies in the fact that a person is prescribed special glasses with spherical cylindrical lenses. They should be worn constantly or only to perform any work. Also, the correction involves wearing contact lenses.
But it should be said that astigmatism cannot be cured by lenses or glasses. They only help to correct it in order to eliminate the discomfort associated with such visual impairment. Astigmatism is only treated surgically, and basically it is laser vision correction.
Surgical treatment
Modern ophthalmology eliminates astigmatism with the help of surgical intervention.
- Laser thermokeratoplasty. This type of vision correction consists in the fact that on the peripheral zone of the cornea, at certain points, the laser applies point burns. This helps to reduce collagen fibers, so the cornea changes shape. On the periphery, it becomes flatter, and in the central part - convex, which leads to improved vision.
- Thermokeratocoagulation. It is carried out in the same way as laser thermokeratoplasty, but in this case, burns are applied using a needle with a high temperature.
- Hypermetropic laser keratomileusis. Currently, this method of treatment is considered the safest and highly effective. This laser vision correction helps to get rid of moderate and severe astigmatism. It is carried out as follows: in the region of the upper layer of the cornea, a small flap of tissue is cut out and pushed to the side. Thanks to this incision, they reach the middle layers of the cornea at its periphery. Using a laser, a small portion of the middle layer is evaporated, and the flap is returned to its place. This technique corrects the shape of the cornea, changes its curvature, and vision is quickly restored.
If there are any reasons that do not allow the use of these methods of treatment, then operations such as lens removal, implantation of a phakic intraocular lens, keratoplasty are performed.
Hypermetropic astigmatism in children
Such visual impairment in babies up to a year is considered a normal (physiological) phenomenon. But in older children, this pathology manifests itself in the same way as in adults. The child’s complaints in this case are vague: burning eyes, fatigue, headache, reluctance to draw, read and write.
Often this disease is congenital in nature and is transmitted from parents to child. Therefore, if someone in the family suffers from astigmatism, you should definitely show the baby to the ophthalmologist as soon as possible. With untimely treatment, after a while, the child may develop strabismus.
Pathology correction in children
If hyperopic astigmatism is mild, then it does not need special correction. Most often, the child is put on a dispensary account and special exercises are selected for the eyes.
If the disease is much more pronounced, then the doctor selects special glasses or lenses for the small patient. Glasses should be selected only by an experienced doctor, their lenses should have a different degree of refraction, therefore they are made individually.
Hypermetropic astigmatism in children can be prevented if they are taught to properly distribute the load on the eyes as soon as possible.
Conclusion
Hypermetropic astigmatism is a serious eye pathology that can only be treated in an operative way. To prevent this disease from progressing, the specialist prescribes the wearing of special glasses or contact lenses, so it is so important to consult a doctor on time.