BY KHIRTINI K KUMARAN

Based on his experience as an optometrist for 35 years and running Mega Optometry , Leong Chai Hoong said : “ I would say about 70 to 80 per cent of our customers have astigmatism . It is much more common than expected .

“ At Mega Optometry , we don ’ t just prescribe spectacles or contact lenses . We also provide eye care services , managing eye diseases and vision problems such as cataracts , glaucoma , retinal problems , macular degeneration , myopia , amblyopia and astigmatism .”

Almost everyone could have astigmatism , some in a very mild form . The symptoms of astigmatism differ in each person . Some may not even experience any symptoms .

Therefore , it is crucial to be aware of the eye condition and have regular eye examinations to detect eye and vision problems early .

Signs and symptoms

Astigmatism starts at a young age , especially for those who inherited it . And it worsens as the person ages . If astigmatism is unnoticed and undetected early , it will manifest as a headache or eyestrain .

Other signs and symptoms of astigmatism include blurred or distorted vision for all distances , visual discomfort , difficulty with night vision , and squinting .

“ Get your eyes checked when you experience any of these symptoms because

they may also be due to other health or vision problems .

“ Patients who visit a general practitioner complaining of a headache at the back of their head will be advised to get their eyes checked .”

An eye care practitioner can determine whether you have astigmatism and , if so , to what degree . They can then advise you of your options to correct your vision and , if required , refer you to an ophthalmologist for further examination or treatment .

Risks and impact if not addressed early

If left untreated , astigmatism can cause complications . For example , a lazy eye ( amblyopia ) can occur when a person has astigmatism in only one eye , or astigmatism in one eye is worse than the other , and the condition isn ’ t corrected .

Another risk of untreated astigmatism is the acceleration in the change of shape of the eye . “ When you don ’ t know that you have astigmatism and did not correct it early , it will begin to strain the eye , which

Leong Chai Hoong

will cause the shape of the eye to change even faster .

“ The obvious solution is getting an eye examination and correcting it early . Don ’ t wait until it ’ s too late . The resulting poor vision , headaches and eye strain will impact your daily life activities and performance ,” said Leong .

Productivity is hindered at home and work . It also causes reduced reading speeds and often result in people leaning into screens to guess better letters and numbers , which leads to postural headaches and migraines . Untreated astigmatism also affects driving performance , especially at night and in rainy weather .

It can also impact one ’ s mental health because he explained , as patients would often feel frustrated when they could not recognise important things clearly , or when experiencing frequent headaches and visual discomfort , which can be quite debilitating .

Treatment not only helps vision but can also reduce the risk of complications like a lazy eye , eye strain , and headaches . Contact lenses or glasses can improve vision , or your eye doctor might suggest surgery .

“ When it comes to fitting contact lenses for a person with astigmatism , we need to take into account the astigmatism component in addition to the vision power . In that aspect , ACUVUE is one of the foremost contact lens providers with a range of products for astigmatism and other vision problems .

“ ACUVUE has also provided trial lenses for people to try and gauge the suitability and comfortability , which enables us to provide the best eye care service to our customers .” – The Health