Astigmatism sucks

#1

I feel the need for a little mini-rant.

I’ve known for a while (at least five years) that I had an astigmatism in my right eye. Only, just for the past month or so, has it ever affected me. I’m basically having headaches every day now. I finally realized that my vision is probably the cause, but I’m at school so I can only go home on weekends, and the first available appointment date is Feb. 15. :frowning: So, another two weeks of this. Bugger.

It took me so long to figure it out because with both eyes open, I can see perfectly fine. But, I decided to test my right eye, and far away stuff went all blurry.

I really hope that my headaches are because of this. Even though I don’t necessarily want glasses, I know I’ll need them eventually and it is such an easy fix.

Thanks for listening. :slight_smile:

#2

Hiya PC,
I hear ya hun, I finally gave in and got myself some glasses.
I knew I needed something for my eyesight since I was 18 and just now (just turned 45) I got some. I have astigmatism in both my eyes and it’s worse in my left.
It was sooo bad that after I had gotten my glasses, it took almost a week for my brain to matrix what I was seeing. It had been working overtime for the past 20 some odd years. I couldn’t read road signs, I couldn’t thread a needle. And let’s not get into stitch counts n stuff. I quit reading.
All this because I didn’t want to own up to the fact that I needed specs. That meant I was growing old or something silly like that. Yep, I did have quite a few doozy headaches.
But, suffice to say, I don’t get headaches anymore. I can actually see what I am knitting and I don’t miss my exits on the freeway anymore!!!
O yeah , I did get the no line bifocals. OMG talk about being able to see stuff now!!!:woot:

#3

Good to know I’m not the only one. :slight_smile: Hopefully, because it’s just started getting bad, I won’t take too long to adjust.

One of my biggest “mehs” about getting glasses is really weird. I’m the only one out of a group of 7 friends who doesn’t wear glasses. And, I like being special. :slight_smile: Yeah, I know, that’s strange reasoning, and I’ll get over it.

#4

Well heck, you could fool em all, hehehehe. Just get contacts. They make them now for astigmatism.

#5

Just get contacts. They make them now for astigmatism

I wish. My optomitrist says that only one in five can wear the contacts. I’d love a pair, get rid of the specks.

#6

:hug:

I totally understand. I used to have them in both eyes…quite severely. Fortunately, I was able to have my vision corrected by Lasik and PRK (different procedure in each eye) despite the astigmatisms.

Hang in there!

#7

I have astigmatism, and it’s worst in my right eye. Maybe it’s because I have other health issues, but astigmatism is a minor problem to me, and it never really bothered me.

I don’t really mind wearing glasses, in fact I like it. I have contacts too but I don’t really like them. You have to see glasses as a piece of jewelry! All you have to do is find something that will match your personality. :thumbsup:

#8

If your astigmatism is really bad, I’ll warn you that the first day you have your new glasses on, your perception of distance will be off a tad - door handles won’t be quite where you think they’ll be, floors might look like they’re sloping away from you. *Keep in mind, though, that this has happened only with big changes in my prescriptions.

#9

I’m with ya…it’s my left eye…drives me crazy esp when it starts jumping all over the place…I can tell I need to go again cause it’s started that again when I’m trying really hard to focus on something…

I couldn’t wear the contacts but that was a few yrs ago…I’m hoping that when I go again they have changed them some way and I can give them another try…:happydance:

#10

i have it too, and I wear contacts specifically for astigmatism. The only time they bug me is when my fibromyalgia flares, then it feels like I have flat pieces of plastic on my eyes, and I switch to my glasses. I’ve worn glasses/contacts since–1986!? Good lord, I hate thinking in those terms!

But just imagine, now you’ll get to knit a cool glasses case to keep them in! Your friends won’t have that!

#11

I hear ya.

I have significant astigmatism in both my eyes, different prescriptions for each eye. I got my first pair of glasses in 1st grade and I still get headaches everyday. It’s worse now with my new glasses last year cuz my nearsightedness also got worse. I’d [I]love[/I] to wear contacts but I can’t, they hurt like a mother!

Good luck! I’m saving up for Lasik myself!

#12

I have minor astigmatism in both eyes and I wear regular contacts. Depending on how bad your astigmatism is, you may not even need to get the special ones. You should definitely still get a pair of glasses though. Have fun picking out a cool pair!

#13

I too have astigmatism in both eyes, left is worse than the right. I only started wearing glasses 2 years ago, and I’m 35. Before, I would get headaches pretty regularly. Now I only get them when my neck is tense which isn’t very often. :cheering:

But, I looooove wearing glasses. They’re totally an accessory for me. My newest pair (not the ones in my avatar) get so many compliments, almost every time I’m out, someone says how much they love them. Which is particularly useful when the DH is within earshot so he feels better with how much they cost him. I posted a rant a while ago about how expensive glasses are. :teehee:

Good luck with getting yours, and I hope you’re as happy with them as I am with mine!

#14

extreme astigmatism in both eyes - combined with short-sightedness.

#15

Thanks, everyone. :slight_smile:

Even they would work for me, I doubt I’d get contact lenses. Just ewgh about putting them in. I’d definitely rather just stick with glasses. And, I think they can be totally cute. I just need to get used to the idea of them being cute on me.

#16

i have it too, they told me i had it when i was 10 but i didn’t get glasses until i was 12 and started gettin headaches in school. I still get headaches every time i change prescription because it takes time to adjust to the new lenses and sometimes I get them if i haven’t been wearing my glasses and I should’ve been (don’t need them all the time, yet) but on the whole its much better.
I quite like glasses, I’ve been wearing them for so long most people think I look strange without them now (I’m 20!) I thought about contacts but I just wouldn’t be able to put them in, plus my friend had so many problems with hers that they lost their appeal. They gave her a lot of confidence though. Besides I found the perfect pair of glasses to suit me so I’m happy with them. Just keep trying things on until you find one you like. I generally think with glasses that the amount of wear I get out of them during the two or three years I get between needing new lenses justifies spending the extra on a really nice pair.

The headaches suck because you can’t do much about them. Hang in there xxx

#17

I had astigmatism as well in my right eye. like auburnchick I got lasik 2 years done to correct my eyes. Its the BEST thing in the world!! i was pretty blind my the time i got the surgery done.

I had worn glasses since the 2nd grade. I recommend when you get your glasses to wean yourself onto them. like the other poster says your depth perception is going to be off. It does take your brain some time to get used to it. I recommend wearing your glasses for 1 hr the first day. 2 hrs the next and so on. I actually used to get nauseous whenever i upped my strength because of the changed if i didn’t do that.

good luck!!

PS if you get headaches bc of the astigmatism contacts actually help with that vs the glasses. and they teach you how to put them on and off.

#18

i have glasses

#19

I’ve been wearing glasses since I was 8 years old. I am near sighted with astigmatism. :aww: Thankfully I have lenses that are relatively thin. However, I wear my contacts 95% of the time. I use the toric lens for people with astigmatism. I have been using SofLens66 Toric for the last 7 years or so. I don’t think I’ve had much problems with them. I usually order them online from www.coastalcontacts.com. Once you get your Rx from your doctor, you can get your contacts (and glasses for that matter) anywhere you want. You aren’t obligated to purchase them from your eye doctor.

Good luck with everything!!!

#20

I used to have very good vision but a while back I discovered that I needed reading glasses. At about the same time I was wondering why signs were blurry, especially at night. I have a very mild prescription for both reading and the astigmatism but having to wear glasses was the same kind of come down for me as it is for you. It really is great to see well again and glasses have become kind of a fashion statement. I guess my message is if you have to have them embrace the idea and get some glasses that you really like. I would also go with the no line bifocals if you need them.