TREATING NEARSIGHTEDNESS, FARSIGHTEDNESS, AND ASTIGMATISM

Can I Inherit Astigmatism

As one of the leading LASIK providers in the Pacific Northwest and throughout British Columbia, King LASIK sees many individuals that need treatment for nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. A common question that comes up in consultation is, “What is causing my vision condition?” The short answer is often, “You can blame your parents!” However, the complete answer is more complex. The King LASIK team decided to address this issue in a blog post.

Possible Hereditary Element

Nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism are refractive errors that compromise the eye’s ability to focus. They affect the curvature of the cornea. A healthy cornea is evenly and smoothly curved, like a marble, to refract incoming light so that it makes a sharply focused image on the retina. When the cornea takes on an abnormal curvature, it cannot properly refract light for a clear image.

Nearsightedness occurs when the cornea is curved too much and makes it difficult to see faraway objects. Farsightedness occurs when the cornea is curved too little, which makes it difficult to see nearby objects. And astigmatism occurs when the cornea (or, in some cases, the lens) is curved like an oval or egg, causing blurry vision.

What is to blame for the abnormal cornea curvature? In some cases, these vision conditions can be inherited and present from birth. Other possible causes include environmental factors, an eye injury or previous eye surgery.

Understanding the Treatment Options

If you have been diagnosed with nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism, it is likely that you wear glasses or contact lenses to see clearly. But did you know that there is a better treatment option available to you?

LASIK laser vision correction surgery changes the shape of the cornea so it can properly refract light. The surgery is a short outpatient procedure with rapid results. At King LASIK, our eye surgeons use advanced lasers to carefully remove small amounts of corneal tissue. This is not painful and takes less than 15 minutes. The visual improvement is almost immediate!

For more information about laser vision correction for the treatment of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, please call King LASIK at (877) 551-2020 to schedule a consultation.