Ask An Ophthalmologist: Do I Have An Astigmatism
Your cornea is the clear, round dome that covers the eye’s iris and pupil. When there’s an imperfection in the curvature of your cornea, it’s called a corneal astigmatism. When the shape of your eye’s lens is distorted, it’s called a lenticular astigmatism.
Ideally, the cornea and lens are both smooth and curved symmetrically in all directions, which helps your eye focus, or refract, light rays sharply. But with either type of astigmatism, light rays are not refracted properly, so your vision for both near and far objects appears blurry or distorted. Objects may be blurry or appear to be taller, wider or thinner than they actually are.
Astigmatisms are common, but they’re also one of the most misunderstood refractive disorders. In addition to blurred or distorted vision, astigmatism can cause eye strain and headaches after prolonged periods of visual stimulation, such as from reading a book, looking at electronic screens, or watching a movie. Read more
Macular degeneration is a common condition that causes the loss of central vision, which means that an object will be out of focus when you look directly at it. It’s called macular degeneration because it’s a deterioration of the macula, which is the small central portion of the retina that’s responsible for central vision. When the macula doesn’t work properly, your central vision appears blurry, darkened, or distorted. This can greatly affect activities like driving, reading, cooking, and other tasks that require you to focus on what’s in front of you. Macular degeneration does not affect your peripheral, or side, vision.
It’s common knowledge that smoking increases your risk of developing lung cancer and having heart disease or a stroke. But did you also know that smoking puts you at higher risk for developing eye diseases and losing vision?
Ophthalmology specialist Dr. Andrew Anzeljc
The cornea is the transparent, dome-shaped window on the front of your eye that covers the iris and pupil. Its main purpose is to refract light. It also contributes approximately two-thirds of the eye’s total focusing power, even though its focus is fixed. The cornea consists of three layers:
While sunglasses may be a fashion accessory, their purpose is much more important than that. Long-term exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation in sunlight has been linked to cataracts, retinal complications, and eye growths, including cancer. There are two types of UV radiation in sunlight—UVB and UVA. UVB radiation is considered more dangerous to the eyes and skin than UVA, but not all sunglasses filter either type of radiation. Here are 4 key factors to keep in mind when choosing sunglasses: 
Detecting eye diseases as early as possible gives you the best chance of saving your sight. Some of the most common eye diseases can blind you before you ever notice the first symptoms.
When it comes to preserving your eyesight, being proactive rather than reactive makes all the difference. Regular eye examinations are often put off until our vision becomes blurry or our eyes hurt or we have some other issue with our eyesight. But even if your vision seems perfectly fine, routine eye examinations are vitally important because they are often the only way to detect many of the worst eye diseases before they have robbed you of your sight.
Did you know that diabetic eye disease is the most common cause of blindness in the U.S.? Diabetes is an increasingly common disease in the U.S. and it affects your vision because high blood sugar levels damage blood vessels throughout the body, including those in the eyes. When the condition is caught early and treated properly, vision loss from diabetic eye disease is often preventable. However, if not detected early, diabetes can cause several complications for your vision, including blindness.
Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness in the U.S, affecting an estimated 3 million Americans.