Astigmatism

[Mary_Ann9]

My daughter is 15, her prescriptions are: left .25 sph 3 cyl axis 175. Right: .50 2.5 170. They told ke she wouldnt see perfectly any more. She get headaches and eye strain after short time of using computer or reading. She said she could see letters and everything but tere are shadows around. Could sh see well again? Is there any solution that could fix that? Would that get worse and worse? Last year her prescriptions were the same put cyl were 1.75, 1.5 and she hadn't such proplems?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

That is a very large change in one year. I would suggest she see either a pediatric ophthalmologist Eye MD or a cornea/refractive Eye MD. She needs some special tests on her cornea to see if she has a problem called keratoconus or irregular astigmatism. She might need contact lens or special therapy. If you have other children have them checked as this often runs in families.

[Mary_Ann9]

Thanks Dr.Hagan. Our ophthalmologist asked for corneal typography then he repeated it after three months and said everything was fine no keratoconus.
I forgot to mention that i have seen her rubbing her eyes alot after using computer for since last year. That repeated daily. The doctor said that perhaps that caused her astigmatism to develop, is that true? What I am scared about now is if she could see perfectly again? Is there any thing that can help rather than glasses? I booked an but it is in may. I am scared her vision may get worse.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Running the eye is considered a factor in the development of K conus but other factors such as heredity or degree of myopia are much more important.  Glasses do not prevent an eye from getting worse anymore than shoes keep a childs foot from growing.   The genetics of myopia and astigmatism are incompletely understood. The role of atropine eye drops, outside play, bifocals, and ortho-K treatment are also not certain. If considered you could always get second opinion from cornea/refractive surgeon.

[Mary_Ann9]

My ophthalmologist told me not to worry about k conus after doing the two corneal typographies. What I am worried about is: is there any way to correct that high astigmatism perfectly?
Contact lenses or surgery? as she complain of shadows around text which disappears when she look through a pinhole. Thanks for your time.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Short answer is 'no"  options are glasses which have problems, 'toric' or astigmatism contacts.   Refractive surgery is normally not option when myopia and/or astigmatism increasing.