Astigmatism is a common vision problem due to a misshapen cornea that can lead to problems with night driving and cause blurred vision. But did you know that astigmatism is also linked to headaches? Let’s explore this link by examining what astigmatism is, the connection it has to headaches, and how to treat them.
If you live in the Pelham Gardens part of the Bronx, New York, the team of medical professionals at Bronx Eye Associates can help you find relief from headache problems related to astigmatism.
Light refraction describes how light bends as it passes through transparent surfaces. Your eyes refract light that passes through your cornea (the dome-shaped front layer of your eye) while your pupil controls how much light gets in. The light that enters goes through your lens to your retina which translates it through your optic nerve to your brain.
Astigmatism is a type of refractive error, meaning your eyes don’t take in the light properly to produce a clear enough image. The error is due to your cornea being more curved than normal and is a very common problem, affecting one in three people.
When you’re looking at things closer to you, your eye muscles have to do more work to make out what you’re looking at. This leads to squinting and muscle spasms that can cause eye strain. Astigmatism also causes blurred vision which forces you to focus harder on the things you’re trying to see.
Long periods of time in front of digital screens and inadequate lighting can combine with problems like astigmatism to make it harder to see and increase your chance of an eye strain headache.
You can prevent eye strain headaches by keeping a distance of about 25 inches away from any screen you’re looking at, using glasses that protect from the blue light emitted by computer screens, keeping the room you’re in well-lit, and taking breaks where you look at something farther away.
Corrective glasses, contact lenses, or orthokeratology (ortho-k, a type of corneal reshaping contact lens) are all methods we use to help correct vision problems associated with astigmatism that can also reduce headache problems due to eye strain.
Headaches can happen if you strain your eyes, but help is available. Make an appointment with the medical team at Bronx Eye Associates today to relieve headaches and other problems you may face because of eye problems.
