About Astigmatism Causing Headaches & How An Optometrist Can Help

Do you have a headache that won't go away? The root of the problem may be that you have an eye condition called astigmatism, which can also lead to blurred vision. In this article, you will find out how astigmatism can cause headaches and how an optometrist can help you get rid of them.

How Can Astigmatism Cause Headaches?

Astigmatism affects your eyes because it means that the cornea of one or both eyes has an unnatural curve. It is hard for light to reach the retina of the eyes because of the way the cornea is shaped, which causes you to develop near or farsightedness. Standing too close or far to objects can cause blurred vision, depending on how the condition has affected your eyes specifically.

The headaches stem from you having to squint your eyes each time your vision becomes unclear. Constant squinting is a habit that many people with blurred vision have, and it is hard to stop doing when astigmatism is severe. You can try to stop squinting to make the headaches go away, but it is most ideal to contact an optometrist about the problem.

How Can an Optometrist Help Get Rid of Headaches?

An optometrist can help get rid of your headaches by examining your eyes to prescribe lenses for eyeglasses that can correct your vision. Part of the examination will involve reading from an alphabet chart, which is called a Vision Acuity Assessment Test (VAT). You will begin reading a row of large alphabets, and you will continue to read several rows of different alphabets. They become smaller as you make your way down.

The optometrist will also look into your eyes with a keratoscope to observe what the corneas of your eyes look like. Afterwards, you will be given the refractor test, which is done with an optical refractor machine to find a lens that can make your vision clearer. You will read alphabets on a chart while looking through several lenses to find a good strength for your eyes.

Bad headaches can make it hard to focus at work or school, or when you are trying to enjoy your favorite television shows. Headaches don't have to control your life if you seek help from an optometrist. The specialist can perform eye examinations to determine how severe your astigmatism is and prescribe lenses for eyeglasses that will get rid of your problem!