Millions of people globally require the support of corrective lenses to see, either because of astigmatism, myopia, or both!
Neither astigmatism nor myopia can be universally labeled as “worse” than the other. Each of these refractive errors affects vision, eye health, and overall quality of life differently from person to person.
Instead, what matters is managing these refractive errors through timely interventions, preventing them from worsening, and preserving overall eye health and vision.
Regularly monitoring your vision and detecting potential concerns through routine eye exams plays a key role in preventative eye care.
All About Astigmatism
Astigmatism is a common refractive error caused by an irregularly shaped cornea or lens.
A perfectly round cornea resembles a basketball, but people with astigmatism have corneas shaped more like footballs. This irregularity means that light entering the eye doesn’t focus properly on the retina, leading to distorted or blurry vision at all distances.
This irregular curvature creates challenges for clear vision because it leads to multiple focus points instead of a single, sharp one.
Common symptoms of astigmatism include:
- Blurry or distorted vision.
- Eye strain or discomfort, especially after prolonged reading or screen use.
- Headaches, because of the constant effort required to focus.
Although low levels of astigmatism might go unnoticed, blurriness from moderate-to-severe astigmatism can disrupt everyday activities, such as driving, reading, or recognizing faces.
What Happens If Astigmatism Worsens?
Since glasses or contacts can easily correct astigmatism, most people don’t experience serious concerns. Nonetheless, progressing astigmatism can intensify visual discomfort and may require stronger corrected lenses, or more frequent prescription updates.
Some people may have advanced or irregular astigmatism, a more complex and atypical case where the cornea curves unevenly. With otherwise “regular” astigmatism, the cornea maintains its relative oval shape, whereas irregular astigmatism results in an unpredictable surface.
Astigmatism doesn’t worsen into irregular astigmatism on its own. Rather, these complex cases are often linked to underlying causes, such as:
- Keratoconus
- Corneal scars from injuries
- Complications following eye surgery.
- Eye conditions that cause the cornea to thin and warp over time.
Irregular astigmatism results in more significant visual distortion, making vision correction more challenging with standard eyeglasses or contact lenses. However, specialized options like scleral contact lenses can offer comfortable, all-day clear vision!
What About Myopia?
Myopia is another widespread refractive error. In our increasingly digital age, myopia has become ever more prevalent.
Like astigmatism, myopia (also known as nearsightedness) physically alters the shape of your eyes. With myopia, the eye grows too long, or the cornea curves too steeply. When light enters the eye, these factors cause light to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it. This causes distant vision to appear blurry, while close-up vision remains clear.
Myopia is easily corrected with glasses or contacts. Similar to astigmatism, mild myopia isn’t necessarily a cause for concern, but progressing myopia can lead to more serious complications.
The Risks of Worsening Myopia
Your eyes continue to grow and develop throughout childhood. During this time, your vision can continue to fluctuate, and, without myopia control therapies, myopia can continue to progress.
High myopia is a severe form of the condition. It’s diagnosed when a person’s vision exceeds -6.00 diopters. It may not seem concerning, but worsening myopia poses risks to your eye health. As vision worsens, the eye continues elongating, stretching its delicate structures and furthering stress.
This structural weakening makes the eyes more vulnerable to developing vision-threatening conditions later on, such as:
- Cataracts
- Glaucoma
- Myopic maculopathy
- Retinal detachment or tears
That’s why our goal is to detect myopia early, especially in children. Annual routine eye exams help make this possible. With early detection, managing myopia progression becomes more effective.
Astigmatism vs Myopia: Which is Worse?
Now that you have a better understanding of these two similar, but different refractive errors, answering this question becomes easier.
Both conditions can greatly affect visual clarity, and both regular astigmatism and mild myopia are easy to manage. Most people experience clear, comfortable vision with just prescription glasses or contact lenses.
However, rather than labeling one condition as “worse,” managing astigmatism and myopia is what matters. Leaving either condition unaddressed can significantly affect your quality of life and increase the risk of complications.
High Myopia & Severe Astigmatism
From solely a health perspective, high myopia tends to carry a more significant risk to long-term eye health.
Astigmatism, even at higher levels, is less frequently associated with permanent vision-threatening conditions, although irregular astigmatism is linked to conditions like keratoconus, for which risks to vision may also be high. These cases warrant specialized treatments such as corrective lenses, corneal cross-linking, or surgery.
Take Control of Your Eye Health
Astigmatism and myopia are not inherently “better” or “worse” than the other. However, they both require thoughtful management to preserve vision and long-term eye health, and early detection plays a key role.Routine eye exams monitor changes to your vision and detect potential concerns, like advancing astigmatism or progressing myopia sooner for timely and effective intervention. Connect with our Signature Eye Care team to schedule your next appointment.
