Astigmatism in children is caused by what?

Written by Lian Wen Xi
Pediatrics
Updated on October 26, 2024
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The majority of astigmatism in children is caused by congenital factors, that is, genetic factors. If one or both parents of the child have astigmatism, the probability of the child having astigmatism is higher than that of other children.

There are also a few cases where a child's astigmatism is caused by acquired factors, such as surgery, trauma, or illness, all of which may cause changes in the curvature of the cornea and lens. Additionally, a lack of outdoor activities and poor eye habits might also promote the development of astigmatism.

It is recommended that once a child is diagnosed with astigmatism, they should go to a reputable hospital for examination and then get appropriate treatment to improve the condition, otherwise, it could impact their vision.

Other Voices

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Written by Wang Fang
Ophthalmology
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How to protect eyes with astigmatism

Some patients have congenital astigmatism, while most of the patients have acquired astigmatism. The occurrence of astigmatism is mostly due to improper sitting posture. It is caused by looking at objects from an inclined angle rather than directly from the eyes' proper axis. Especially lying down while reading or using smartphones can easily lead to an increase in astigmatism. If astigmatism is not corrected, it can easily worsen eye fatigue, thereby inducing a further increase in the degree of vision problems. In daily life, it is important to correct poor sitting postures and avoid situations such as lying down while reading or using smartphones. Engage more in outdoor activities, and limit reading sessions to no more than half an hour at a time. Consuming more vitamins A, D, C, E, and lutein in the diet can also help in preventing astigmatism.

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Written by Li Zhen Dong
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Can pseudomyopia cause astigmatism?

Pseudomyopia generally does not involve astigmatism. Pseudomyopia is caused by ciliary muscle spasm, while astigmatism is due to changes in the curvature of the cornea, or changes in the eyeball itself; these two are not the same. Pseudomyopia can be completely cured with proactive treatment, adequate rest, reducing close-up activities, avoiding eye fatigue, and using eye drops that alleviate ciliary muscle paralysis, such as low-concentration atropine eye drops and digoxin eye drops. If not treated actively, prolonged pseudomyopia can turn into true myopia. True myopia involves elongation of the eye axis, leading to blurred distance vision but clear near vision. Therefore, when this occurs, a proper dilated refraction test should be conducted. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a physician.)

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Written by Tao Yuan
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Will nearsightedness and astigmatism lead to blindness?

Myopia and astigmatism are common eye diseases and belong to two types of refractive errors, which can occur together. Myopia combined with astigmatism can lead to a decrease in vision, but it will not cause blindness. For patients with myopia and astigmatism, there are various methods to correct and treat these conditions, such as wearing frame glasses, rigid corneal contact lenses, undergoing laser surgery, or implanting artificial lenses to restore vision. In daily life, it is also important to develop good eye habits, avoiding using eyes in dim and shaking environments, and reducing the time spent on smartphones, TVs, and computers to prevent and delay the progression of myopia and astigmatism.

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Can nearsightedness surgery correct astigmatism?

Surgery for nearsightedness can correct astigmatism, and surgeries for nearsightedness can be divided into corneal laser surgery and ICL surgery. Corneal laser surgery can be considered if the astigmatism is less than 400 degrees, while ICL surgery can be considered if the corneal astigmatism is less than 600 degrees. Additionally, astigmatism can be classified as regular and irregular. The treatment is generally more effective for regular astigmatism. If it is irregular astigmatism, further ophthalmologic examination should be conducted to rule out corneal and other ocular conditions.

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Can contact lenses correct astigmatism?

Contact lenses can be prescribed with a certain degree of astigmatism correction. If the astigmatism is less than 100 degrees, it can be converted into half of the spherical degree to create a prescription, and standard contact lenses can be worn to see clearly. If the astigmatism is greater than 100 degrees but less than 300 degrees, it is necessary to first prescribe sufficient spherical degree, then determine the astigmatism's axis and degree, and manufacture special astigmatic contact lenses. Wearing these can be more comfortable and provide clearer vision. Generally, very high degrees of astigmatism cannot be corrected with contact lenses, and wearing frame glasses is required instead.