A very common eye disorder that affects your vision is commonly referred to as Astigmatism. In Astigmatism, the muscles around the eyes are affected and they cause undue stress on the cornea. A healthy cornea is in the shape of a baseball, making it symmetrically round. When astigmatism exists, the cornea takes on the shape of a football. This shape causes stress which then causes blurry vision. The other symptoms of astigmatism include double vision, eye irritation, eyestrain, and headaches. In this article, we offer a free astigmatism test so that you can check your vision with a quick online examination. 

Online Astigmatism Test And Common Facts About Astigmatism 

Conduct Your Own Astigmatism Test 

In a traditional sense, astigmatism is diagnosed via a comprehensive eye exam in an eye doctor’s office. By using the three primary vision tests below (visual acuity, keratometry, and refraction), doctors are able to see how light is refracted in your eye and conclude if astigmatism is causing your vision problems. 

Online or at-home tests have been developed to help people screen themselves for astigmatism. By looking at a series of specific images, you can potentially tell if you likely have astigmatism based on your responses.

Online astigmatism tests are not a replacement for comprehensive diagnostic eye exams, but they can be an accurate screening tool, showing if you potentially have the condition. If the screening concluded that astigmatism is likely, then you should follow up with an eye care professional.

Given below is a free astigmatism test to find out whether or not you suffer from astigmatism. This simple eye test uses images to test for astigmatism and can be considered as a basic home-based eye exam. This online exam will help you decide whether or not to consult an eye specialist going forward. 

Image 1: 

Move 1 Meter (2 – 3 feet) away from the monitor. 

Close your left eye and focus on the image with your right eye then cover your right eye and focus on the image with your left eye.

Do you see the vertical lines and horizontal lines equally clear and with the same thickness? If Yes, then write it down as Yes. If No then write it down as No. 

Image 2:

Move 1 Meter (2 – 3 feet) away from the monitor. Close your left eye and focus on the image with your right eye then cover your right eye and focus on the image with your left eye.

Do you see that all the radiating heavy black lines have the same intensity and thickness? If Yes, then write it down as Yes. If No then write it down as No. 

Image 3: 

Move 1 Meter (2 – 3 feet) away from the monitor. Close your left eye and focus on the image with your right eye then cover your right eye and focus on the image with your left eye.

Are you able to see all the lines equally clear and dark? If Yes, then write it down as Yes. If No then write it down as No. 

The Results:

If you have 3 Nos, then it is assumed that you see blurred lines in the image. This is probably because you have Astigmatism. You are advised to consult an eye specialist at the earliest.

If you have 3 Yes, as you see all the lines in the images black and clear, you may not have Astigmatism.

FAQS

How can you tell if you have astigmatism?

Astigmatism symptoms can include:

Blurry vision.

Distorted vision (things look wavy or “off”)

Discomfort on a computer or with reading in print.

Eye strain or headaches.

What vision looks like with astigmatism?

Astigmatism causes distorted or blurry vision at far and near distances. Light focuses on multiple points instead of just one. At night when looking at lights, light appears to bounce off their primary location.

Can you fix astigmatism naturally?

Astigmatism could exist at birth or could be a result of eye trauma, congenital conditions, or eye surgery. This specific eye condition can be very annoying as it makes a simple task like reading a book complicated. That being said, there are natural ways to deal with astigmatism and one of the treatments is eye exercises.

Eye Massage

The benefit of Eye Massage: This exercise restores the shape of the cornea.

The Eye Massage exercise should be done in the following steps:

• Close your eyes 
• Gently place two fingers on each of your eyelids.
• By applying a soft pressure, slowly move your fingers in a circular motion. 
• Move from top to bottom and from right to left and let your fingers move clockwise as well as anti-clockwise.
• Repeat 10–15 times for 2 to 4 times a day.

Rectus muscle relaxation

Benefit of Rectus muscle relaxation: This exercise relaxes the rectus muscles, which reduces the stress on the cornea and also empowers the muscles around the eyes. 

The Rectus muscle relaxation exercise should be done in the following steps:

• Keep your thumb in front of your nose at a 90-degree angle.
• Move it clockwise to the 12 o’clock position. 
• Keep it there for 2-3 seconds and then bring it back. 
• Make sure your eyes follow your thumb.
• Now move the thumb to 1 o’clock position, keep it there for 2-3 seconds and move it back to the original position which is the 90-degree angle.
• Repeat this for all clock positions.
• Don’t forget to breathe properly during this exercise.
• This exercise should be done 2 to 4 times a day.

Reading

Benefits of reading : Reading helps to release the strain and pressure caused by astigmatism, and should be done 2 to 4 times a day.

The Reading exercise should be done in the following steps:

• Take out any book, but don’t start reading yet. 
• Place an object next to it. Now you may read a paragraph from the book and after that, focus on the object.
• Continue doing this strengthening exercise until your eyes start to feel tired.

Vision Breaks

Benefit of Vision Breaks: This exercise relieves eye pressure and strain.

The Vision Breaks exercise should be done as follows:

• Take a break from reading, writing, or most commonly, staring at the computer.
• Focus on other objects in the distance for at least 10 to 20 seconds without straining your eyes
• Repeat this relaxing exercise or break as many times as possible in a day.

Head Tilting 

Benefit of Head Tilting : This exercise helps the extraocular muscles to regulate the force they exert on the eyeball.

The Head Tilting exercise should be done in the following steps:

• Look in the mirror to find out if you tilt your head naturally to any favorable side. 
• Spend time every day and consciously try to tilt your head in the opposite direction.

Eye Yoga

Benefit of Eye Yoga: This exercise strengthens eye muscles, improves focus, and sharpens the vision.

The Eye Yoga exercise should be done in the following steps:

• Keep your posture straight. 
• Stand, sit in the chair or on the floor.
• Close your eyes, and take a deep breath while concentrating on your eyes.
• Slowly start moving your eyeballs from side to side in a relaxed way. 
• Do this exercise as many times during the day.

Blinking

Benefit of Blinking:  Blinking keeps your eyes moist and thus allows better focus. It also decreases eye strain keeping them refreshed. 

The Blinking exercise should be done in the following steps:

• Set a 2-minute timer and blink for every 3-4 seconds.
• Do this exercise at least 4 times a day.

Figure 8

Benefit of Figure 8: This exercise helps your eyes regain their strength and become more flexible as well.

The Figure 8exercise should be done in the following steps:

• Look at a distance of 10 feet from your eyes.
• Imagine the number 8.
• Move your eyes along the figure for only a couple of minutes.
• Continue the same in reverse for 2 minutes.

The exercises listed above are meant to improve the strain and pressure exerted upon the eye muscles. Performing these exercises daily will minimize the symptoms and eventually help with astigmatism treatment. Keep in mind to check with your eye doctor to find out if these exercises will work for you.

Types of astigmatism: 

Astigmatism types can be broken down into 3 parts: 

• If both or one principal meridian is farsighted, the patient has hyperopic astigmatism.
• If both or one principal meridian is nearsighted, the patient has myopic astigmatism.
• If one principal meridian is farsighted and the other one is nearsighted, the patient has mixed astigmatism.

Once a patient is diagnosed with astigmatism, it is classified as irregular or regular. The principal meridians are not perpendicular with the irregular type, but they are perpendicular with the regular type. In general cases, astigmatism is the regular type affecting the cornea.

Why the corneal shape differs amongst humans remains unknown. However, there is likely an inherited element to the condition, although it can develop following a disease, an eye injury, or surgery.

How does Astigmatism impact vision?

Astigmatism is a condition which leads to distorted or blurry vision at far and near distances.

The light entering the eye focuses on multiple points instead of just one. At night when the eye is looking at lights, they appear to bounce off their primary location. 

For example, when looking at a stoplight, the actual light entering the eye appears fuzzy, and the light seems to reflect off it in multiple directions.

When the eye is looking at an object, the object appears blurry and unclear. It has an abnormal softness and fuzziness around it. The edges of the object you’re looking at may appear undefined as well. 

The vision issues that happen with astigmatism can also lead to the following symptoms:

• Areas of distorted vision
• Eye discomfort
• Headaches
• Blurry vision
• Squinting to see clearly
• Eye strain

Levels/severity of astigmatism severity: 

The severity of astigmatism is classified in diopters.

• Mild astigmatism: less than 1.00 diopters
• Moderate astigmatism: 1.00 to 2.00 diopters
• Severe astigmatism: 2.00 to 3.00 diopters
• Moderate astigmatism: more than 3.00 diopters

To examine if someone has astigmatism, the doctor typically performs a comprehensive dilated eye (by shining light inside) examination. They will also ask about any vision alterations . This feedback will help the doctor to conclude if the symptoms are associated with astigmatism.