What is Astigmatism?
A healthy cornea is shaped like a smooth, round ball. In some individuals, the cornea is abnormally shaped or curved like a football, which is known as called astigmatism. This is a very common condition that causes the cornea (the clear window over the front of your eye) or lens to bend light in the wrong direction so that it does not enter the retina correctly. Patients with astigmatism may have nearsightedness (myopic astigmatism), farsightedness (hyperopic astigmatism), or both (mixed astigmatism). Astigmatism is either an inherited condition, or occurs from an injury or disease. If you have symptoms of astigmatism, contact Kirk Eye Center in River Forest or Gurnee, IL to schedule an appointment for an eye exam. Our highly trained ocular care team has years of experience diagnosing and treating this condition.
What Are the Symptoms of Astigmatism?
The most common symptoms of astigmatism are recurring headaches and eye strain (particularly after reading or looking at a screen), as well as blurry or distorted vision, nearsightedness, and farsightedness. In children, the visual impairments associated with astigmatism are sometimes mistaken for a learning disability. After an exam at Kirk Eye Center, we will be able to properly diagnose you or your child and provide the best vision correction options.
What Are the Causes of Astigmatism?
Astigmatism occurs when the cornea or lens is not totally round but is shaped more like an egg or a football. This causes light to refract the wrong way onto the retina. Patients are typically born with a genetic predisposition to the condition, but it can also occur as a result of a disease or trauma.
Kirk Eye Center Reviews
Fantastic experience ordering my daughter’s first pair of glasses from the optical shop. Dr. Kent discovered her astigmatism after a thorough exam. He has a great demeanor with kids and immediately put her at ease. Highly recommend !
I had refractive lens surgery to correct far sightedness and astigmatism at Kirk eye center, and have had a very good outcome. Scott Kirk performed the incision via laser surgery, and Kent placed the lens...I am very pleased and would recommend anyone interested in vision corrective surgery to consult with Drs. Kirk.
Fantastic experience ordering my daughter’s first pair of glasses from the optical shop. Dr. Kent discovered her astigmatism after a thorough exam. He has a great demeanor with kids and immediately put her at ease. Highly recommend !
I've been a Kirk patient since I was a kid-- my dad has been a patient of theirs for even longer. I had moved away, but have returned to help my parents. I always thought of them as completely trustworthy, but recently they performed magic for me. TLDR: Hiral Patel gave me the best prescription I've had in almost two decades and Viviana Cano eased my anxiety over switching back to contact lenses after almost three decades of wearing only glasses.Now, all the extra details. Last year, my vision was so bad that I applied for blind disability. My mom and dad insisted that I come home and go to Kirk for a definitive evaluation. Five hours into the appointment, my future was bleak. The final recommendation, a week later, was surgery. My parents were totally ready and willing to pay for it, but I hate spending their money and put it off put if off put it off. I'm going to skip the specifics on the stuff about the bad diabetic protocol prescribed by my primary and how I ginned up the courage to change my own insulin dosage and how that probably saved my life and jump right to the day when a friend told me that her eyes didn't track together and she didn't see in stereo but wearing hard lenses gave her real vision for several hours a day.I immediately thought "let's get me over to Kirk and ask them about this." I was almost too shy to make the appointment, but the possibility of being able to drive again was too seductive. I called and set the time. I got there an hour early. David and I sat in the parking lot eating precut watermelon from Jewel (same plaza.) I was nervous. Doctor Patel strutted to the lobby to grab me for my examination and I was immediately filled with confidence. Anyone with that much personal security must be great at their job. I was not disappointed."I want this to work," I offered. She smiled quickly and told me "remember to blink." I'm drowning you in minutiae. Let me bring this to a 10/10 conclusion: my vision is now corrected to 20/20 (I can read a sign from three blocks away!) and the lenses correct my astigmatism and keep my eyes in line. Now: Viviana. When I asked her to take a selfie that she liked (for me to use in this review,) she is so humble that she didn't immediately understand that it was to praise and appreciate her. She's extremely deserving of both. I came in two days after my miracle exam, not sure if I had successfully removed the acuvue daily lens from my right eye. She took a peek and confirmed that it was out, and placed an order for some more trial lenses so that I could make sure it was the right fit for me. I came in again today with both lenses still in and significant anxiety over that fact. Today, Viviana removed the lenses and gave me a comforting tutorial that I think might help (and then listened patiently and socially awkward me gave her an unsolicited lesson on trafficking of vulnerable groups in rural areas that flowed from my rant against Loyola facepalm. Patient and kind and so helpful! Thank you. Infinity/ infinity
I've been a Kirk patient since I was a kid-- my dad has been a patient of theirs for even longer. I had moved away, but have returned to help my parents. I always thought of them as completely trustworthy, but recently they performed magic for me. TLDR: Hiral Patel gave me the best prescription I've had in almost two decades and Viviana Cano eased my anxiety over switching back to contact lenses after almost three decades of wearing only glasses. Now, all the extra details. Last year, my vision was so bad that I applied for blind disability. My mom and dad insisted that I come home and go to Kirk for a definitive evaluation. Five hours into the appointment, my future was bleak. The final recommendation, a week later, was surgery. My parents were totally ready and willing to pay for it, but I hate spending their money and put it off put if off put it off. I'm going to skip the specifics on the stuff about the bad diabetic protocol prescribed by my primary and how ! ginned up the courage to change my own insulin dosage and how that probably saved my life and jump right to the day when a friend told me that her eyes didn't track together and she didn't see in stereo but wearing hard lenses gave her real vision for several hours a day. I immediately thought "let's get me over to Kirk and ask them about this." I was almost too shy to make the appointment, but the possibility of being able to drive again was too seductive. I called and set the time. I got there an hour early. David and I sat in the parking lot eating precut watermelon from Jewel (same plaza.) I was nervous. Doctor Patel strutted to the lobby to grab me for my examination and I was immediately filled with confidence. Anyone with that much personal security must be great at their job. I was not disappointed. "I want this to work," I offered. She smiled quickly and told me "remember to blink." I'm drowning you in minutiae. Let me bring this to a 10/10 conclusion: my vision is now corrected to 20/20 (I can read a sign from three blocks away!) and the lenses correct my astigmatism and keep my eyes in line. Now: Viviana. When I asked her to take a selfie that she liked (for me to use in this review) she didn't immediately understand that it was to praise and appreciate her. She's extremely deserving of both. I came in two days after my miracle exam, not sure if I had successfully removed the acuvue daily lens from my right eye. She took a peek and confirmed that it was out, and placed an order for some more trial lenses so that I could make sure it was the right fit for me. I came in again today with both lenses still in and significant anxiety over that fact. Today, Viviana removed the lenses and gave me a comforting tutorial that I think might help (and then listened patiently and socially awkward me gave her an unsolicited lesson on trafficking of vulnerable groups in rural areas that flowed from my rant against Loyola facepalm. Patient and kind and so helpful! Thank you.
652
Total Reviews
4.9
Average Rating
How is Astigmatism Treated?
During your appointment at Kirk Eye Center, we will review your medical history and perform a comprehensive eye examination to determine the type of astigmatism you have. We will also go over treatment choices to improve your eyesight, including eyeglasses and contacts. For patients who prefer a long-term solution without glasses or contacts, laser vision correction surgery (such as LASIK or PRK) may be an option if you are a candidate.
Attain Clearer Vision
If you have noticed problems seeing clearly, along with headaches and eye strain, you could have astigmatism. At Kirk Eye Center, our professional and experienced team offers testing and treatment options to improve your vision. We invite you to contact our office in River Forest or Gurnee, IL to learn more and schedule an eye exam.