Can astigmatism be cured by wearing glasses?

Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
Updated on February 19, 2025
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Astigmatism cannot be completely cured by wearing glasses. Astigmatism is a common eye disease and a type of refractive error, usually caused by congenital developmental abnormalities. Some patients' astigmatism is related to poor eye habits, such as squinting for long periods, which can lead to astigmatism. The cornea of people with astigmatism has different refractive powers in the vertical and horizontal directions. Therefore, when light passes through the cornea and enters the eyeball, it cannot converge to form a perfect focus, causing the images projected on the retina to become blurry, and the patient will experience a decrease in vision. By conducting an optometric examination, the exact degree of astigmatism and the axis of astigmatism can be determined, and then corrected by wearing glasses. However, the purpose of correction is to improve the patient's vision, and it cannot eliminate the degree of astigmatism.

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Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
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Crystalline astigmatism is caused by what?

Lenticular astigmatism is a common eye disease, usually caused by the early formation of cataracts, where the lens becomes unevenly opaque. This leads to inconsistent refractive power in different directions, causing astigmatism. Patients can visit the ophthalmology department of a hospital for an optometry examination and a slit lamp microscope examination to confirm whether the astigmatism is due to the lens. For lenticular astigmatism, if the cataract has little impact on vision, it can initially be corrected by wearing glasses to improve vision. If the cataract has already significantly affected vision, cataract surgery can be performed to correct and treat it. After the surgery, the lenticular astigmatism will naturally disappear, and the patient’s vision will be improved.

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Written by Wu Ben Rong
Pediatrics
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What will happen if children's astigmatism is not treated?

If children with astigmatism do not receive treatment, the specific consequences will depend on the severity of the astigmatism. If a child has only mild astigmatism and does not exhibit any other clinical symptoms, treatment might not be necessary, and it will not impact the child's vision. However, if the astigmatism is severe, it is necessary to wear corrective lenses for astigmatism; otherwise, it may lead to a decrease in both far and near vision. This is especially true for compound and mixed astigmatism, which can cause a significant decline in a child's vision, and often results in visual fatigue. Children may exhibit symptoms such as eye pain, orbital pain, monocular diplopia, or tearing. Additionally, there may also be occurrences of compensatory head tilting and torticollis.

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Written by Li Zhuo
Ophthalmology
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Can children with astigmatism undergo laser surgery?

Firstly, laser surgery is generally performed after the age of 18, as people's eyes continue to grow. This means that just like when a person stops growing taller, the eyes also stop growing at a certain age. If laser surgery is performed too early, while the eyes are still growing, the results may regress over time. Therefore, astigmatism in children should only be addressed after they reach adulthood, usually after the age of 18, but we generally recommend waiting until after the age of 21. Additionally, if the progression of the eye prescription is less than 50 to 100 degrees per year, the surgery outcomes are more likely to be stable. Generally, laser surgery is primarily used for myopia, which pertains to issues with seeing distant scenes, whereas astigmatism, which generally affects horizontal vision, is usually not corrected through laser surgery.

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Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
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Can high myopia with astigmatism be treated with surgery?

High myopia combined with astigmatism can also be treated surgically, but it requires the patient to be at least 18 years old, and both the myopia and astigmatism must have been stable for over a year without worsening. Before undergoing surgical treatment, a detailed eye examination is necessary. This includes an optometric examination to accurately measure the degree of myopia and astigmatism, a corneal topography test, and an ophthalmic ultrasound to understand the corneal curvature and thickness. Based on these parameters, a specific surgical plan is designed. If the patient’s corneal condition allows, laser surgery is the preferred method for correction. If the patient’s corneal condition is poor and not suitable for laser surgery, correction and treatment can be achieved through the implantation of a posterior chamber intraocular lens in phakic eyes.

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Written by Zheng Xin
Ophthalmology
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Can farsightedness and astigmatism be corrected with glasses?

Hyperopia is a condition where parallel rays of light entering the eye focus behind the retina, preventing external objects from forming a clear image on the retina. This condition is referred to as hyperopia. Astigmatism is due to the cornea of the eye having a certain curvature, with light bending unevenly across the cornea due to its irregular curvature, causing different refractive indices on each meridian of the cornea. This results in the light rays not focusing on the same focal point, thereby preventing the rays from accurately focusing on the retina to form a clear image. This condition is known as astigmatism. Both hyperopia and astigmatism are types of refractive errors, and wearing glasses can correct them. It is also necessary to wear glasses promptly for correction.