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One of these conditions is astigmatism, which became quite a popular topic after the pictures of astigmatism vs normal vision went viral. As people with certain medical conditions see differently, you may ask: “What is astigmatism?†Basically, astigmatism can cause a common vision problem characterized by blurry or distorted vision.
This visual impairment may affect eyesight in different ways, depending on its degree and type. Some people may have mild astigmatism and a pretty clear vision, not noticing any symptoms. Others may have moderate to severe astigmatism and experience distorted vision. So, what does vision look like with astigmatism?
RELATED:
Astigmatism Lights Vs Normal Vision: An Eye-Opening Tweet
Image credits: UnusualFacts6
A photo from the Twitter account @UnusualFacts6—which deals with the weirdest and most horrific facts on the internet—went viral for showing astigmatism vs normal vision. Before seeing these pictures, many people had no idea they might have astigmatism distortion, as they always thought their vision was normal when it actually wasn’t. Of course, if you want to be sure about your eye condition, we highly recommend you go to the eye doctor to diagnose astigmatism.
What Is The Main Cause Of Astigmatism?
Image credits: UnusualFacts6
An irregular shape of the cornea or the lens causes astigmatism, making people see the lights at night illuminating and with additional glare and streaks. Astigmatism is a refractive condition that occurs when the surface of the cornea or the lens inside the eye has mismatched curves.
A normal eye has both the cornea and lens curved in a rounded shape, whereas people with astigmatism have one of these elements in an egg shape. In a perfect eye, the rounded shape of the cornea and lens refract any incoming light to produce a sharply focused image on the retina.
The Types Of Astigmatism
Image credits: UnusualFacts6
The mismatched curves prevent the light rays from bending correctly in an eye with a refractive error. The result is blurred vision. There are two different types of astigmatism:Â
- Corneal astigmatism, where the mismatched curves occur in the cornea.
- Lenticular astigmatism, where the curves in the lens are mismatched.Â
Both cause blurry vision but can occur more horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. This condition is commonly present combined with another refractive error like nearsightedness (myopia) or farsightedness (hyperopia).
Normal Vs Astigmatism Life
Image credits: wikipedia
Blurry vision isn’t the lone astigmatism symptom. People with this condition can also experience headaches, eye strain, or difficulty seeing and driving at night. Some people are born with astigmatism. They actually may not know they have it until they are screened for it during an eye test. People who discover they have astigmatism can still live relatively hassle-free lives.Â
How Astigmatism Causes Visual Loss Worldwide?
Refractive errors like astigmatism are the most common ocular problems among all age groups. According to studies and reports from the World Health Organization, they are the first cause of bad eyesight and the second cause of visual loss worldwide.
43% of global visual impairments are due to refractive errors. Uncorrected refractive errors were the cause of blindness in 6.8 million people in 2010 worldwide.
Tweets According To Astigmatism LightsÂ
As you can see from our curated comments on Twitter, many people were surprised by the normal vision vs astigmatism lights.
Image credits: CallmeconnorA
Image credits: UnusualFacts6
Image credits: HildaBillda
Image credits: MamaKekkin
Image credits: AmbientGryph
Image credits: VesuvianVoice
Image credits: TambetKask
Image credits: UnusualFacts6
Image credits: biigchungus
Image credits: DohBoyGetnMoney
Image credits: aldnox
The Poor Sight Didn’t Stand In The Way Of Many Great Artists
Image credits: wikipedia
El Greco was a famous painter of the Spanish Renaissance, known for his distinctive style of elongating certain figures in his paintings. Some people have speculated that this elongation was due to a vision disorder called astigmatism, which causes blurry or distorted vision.Â
One of the first proponents of this theory was Germán Beritens, an ophthalmologist who published two pamphlets in 1913 and 1914, arguing that El Greco had astigmatism and that his paintings reflected his visual perception.
Another example illustrating this point is Claude Monet, the renowned painter, who suffered from cataracts, a condition that clouds the eyes and impairs vision, color discrimination, and detail perception. This condition was clearly reflected in his artwork.
All Answers About Astigmatism Vs Normal Vision
As we come to the end of our exploration into the pictures of astigmatism versus normal vision, let’s uncover the insights that have emerged from this viral phenomenon. Whether you are a curious mind or someone looking for clarity, here’s a roundup of all the answers you eagerly await.
Is Astigmatism Poor Eyesight?
Astigmatism isn’t synonymous with poor eyesight. Astigmatism is a common refractive error that occurs when the cornea or lens of the eye has an irregular shape. Although it’s a visual impairment, having mild astigmatism doesn’t necessarily mean poor vision overall. In fact, some people with this condition can still enjoy quite clear vision.
What Is The Difference Between Astigmatism And Normal People?
The difference between astigmatism and normal vision is that astigmatism is a type of refractive error, which means that the eye doesn’t bend light properly to create a clear image on the retina. Normal vision is when the eye has no refractive errors and can see clearly at all distances.
Do Glasses Fix Astigmatism?
You should treat astigmatism if you have your eyesight on the exam and find out you have this refractive error. Severe astigmatism cases may be corrected with glasses. If the method, like glasses, doesn’t fit your lifestyle, you can also try corrective contact lenses. Of course, they can cause dry eyes if used continuously.
If this is your case, you can also consider the idea of laser eye surgery such as Lasik. Depending on the severity and the cause of the condition, an eye doctor must prescribe the proper treatment for you. Untreated astigmatism can lead to complications like lazy eye (amblyopia), vision loss, or vision reverting to a pre-surgery state.
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Benjamin Boysley 5 years ago
Holy c**p, I have this and just thought it was how light looked to everyone :O
SilvaSkies 5 years ago
I think I only see it when I squint, I used to play around with that!
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Cassie 5 years ago
People who insist on walking in the road after dark wearing all dark colors especially in the rain need to know this because you are hard as hell to see even for people with normal vision but almost impossible to see for the very many of us suffering astigmatism trying to deal with all that light pollution.
Samhhain Cat 5 years ago
This is why I light myself up like a xmas tree. Wrist bands, safety vest, headlamp... etc etc etc.
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PurpleUnicorn 5 years ago
I have myopia and double astigmatism, this is exactly how things look to me
vp 5 years ago
I knew I had (slight) astigmatism, but I didn't know those streaks were because of that. Thanks!
Carol Emory 5 years ago (edited)
What the article also forgets to explain is that this condition is also caused by muscles on either side of the eyeball that normally are able to solve any distortion in the cornea, but cannot. Also..it depends on how much light is bombarding the eye at night. When I drive in the dark, headlights coming straight at me make it impossible for me to see the lines on the road. If the pavement is wet, too much light reflects off the surface making it hard to see my lane. Also, street lights actually make this worse and I've gotten into the habit of dimming my dashboard lights to limit the bombardment of light on my eyes. My mother has astigmatism so bad, she no longer drives at night.
Joycee Desrosiers 5 years ago
I am an Optomestrist. I just wanted Carol to know that the muscles on each side of the eye don't have anything to do with the cornea. They don't solve any issues at all with the cornea. If a muscle is not working right, it can cause the eye to turn, that's called strabismus. The cornea is the clear structure that sits right over the color part of your eye (iris). So again, just realize the muscles don't have anything to do with astigmatism.
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Hollie Newton 5 years ago
I have myopia and astigmatism in both eyes one more than the other and this is how things look without my glasses xD
Ben 5 years ago
I have this condition - it got so bad during winter (leaving work in the dark) I couldn't see the cars properly crossing roads. When I was almost hit for like 100th time, I thought "should get this checked out...". I wear glasses that corrects curve now. Much better!!!
Sandy 5 years ago (edited)
I have astigmatism in my left eye, colours look different too, my right eye they are sharp and bright, the left they are slightly duller.
Magpie 5 years ago
Me too! Thank you, I thought I was alone and a bit freaky.
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KrisF 5 years ago
Kind of misleading- there is more than one type of astigmatism. You can have it on the lens as well. And they can both go in different directions. I have both and without correction light looks more V shaped instead of lines.
Sue Konjicija 5 years ago (edited)
Yes! Mine (without my glasses) looks like an elongated halo of 6 lights around the central light. I never noticed until a few years ago when I went walking on a cold night and left my glasses at home (because wearing a scarf over my face fogged them up) - it was scary but kind of cool too. Looking up at the stars was like seeing dozens of tiny fireworks bursts.
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Louise Stange-Wahl 5 years ago
I was diagnosed with AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration) about two years ago. Both eyes. It's hereditary. My Mom went blind...the treatments we have today, weren't available 30 some years ago. It started one day when I had been under a lot of stress (death in the family) and suddenly, all the traffic signs looked like the letters were running like water was poured on them. Unlike those with astigmatism who have always seen just that way, I KNEW something was wrong. Fortunately, getting a shot in each eye ( yes, it is very creepy and uncomfortable ), every month or so is keeping it under control. I do have a bad spot at 4:00 in my right eye that looks like a big gray dot which is scar tissue from laser surgery. I hope that it will heal up eventually. I also had to have cataract surgery very young. I hate night drives..doesn't look as bad as the photos on the left, but I try not to drive then. We can all hope that treatments get much better as time goes along, for all!
Lauren Baker 5 years ago
Wait I thought this was normal! I still do amuse myself by making the lights longer and shorter by squinting!!!! Also, I remember trying to get my sister to do it, but she probably had no clue what I was talking about. Now I remember the eye doctor saying I had astigmatism I think. They told me I couldn't get these certain contacts my sister has because of it! It all makes sense now!
Lauren Baker 5 years ago
But I feel like I haven't been seeing lines much lately. Could it be because I got glasses?
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Anni Fetzko 5 years ago
Also if the road is wet, makes the lines 1000% worse. Astigmatism can also effect your depth perspective. So between those lights and the shine from the wet road reflecting all those lines makes f*****g impossible to tell where anything actually is. Oh yeah and those construction cones with the reflectors at night. F**k that.
Phoebe Bean 5 years ago
Another example is how the moon never looks "round", but somewhat distorted for us with astigmatism.
The Girl on Fire 5 years ago
All the comments are saying that they have this and thought it was normal, I'm the opposite. How do you deal with seeing lines everywhere at night?
María Hermida 5 years ago
Go to a good doctor and get glasses or contact lenses. It's the only solution. And also you might try some exercise for your sight. I'm following the "Bates method", but I've just started so I can't tell you if it works. In theory, it tries to exercise the muscles that help the eye adjust to see well.
Load More Replies...
Cheryl Wilcox 5 years ago
I remember looking at the sky at twilight and the person I was with said "there's the first star, make a wish!" and I said, there are two stars, which one should I wish on? There was only one star... I need glasses for astigmatism.
Aunt Messy 5 years ago
And for the last gazillion years, optometrists have prescribed glasses with prisms in the lenses that solve this problem completely or contact lenses that correct the curvature and allows sufferers to seel clearly - as if they don’t have astigmatism at all. ...///... Astigmatism is as common as mud. A LOT of people have it, MOST of them are near sighted. ...///... I don’t know if the writer is hunting for sympathy or not, but people have wearing corrective lenses for astigmatism for decades, and they work.
SirWriteALot 5 years ago
I think the point of the post was to inform people who do not regularly go to the eye doc that if the world looks like that to them that they need to have their eyes checked. Yes it is common as mud, but you need to realize that you need to do something. I was in school, my eyesight got worse but I didn't actually realize I was going near-sighted. Only when classmates told me that I need to stop squinting and doing chinese eyes to focus that I realized ... my eyes need help.
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Manny Martinez 5 years ago
Hahaha I'm playing with the lights at work now making the lines longer by squinting! I THOUGHT EVERYONE SAW THE LINES!!!
Lauren Baker 5 years ago
Reply if you see how the "normal" picture depicts. I want to know if some people really do because I definitely don't. I don't see the lines as long as the astigmatism picture but I do see lines...
Bluebell Rizzi 5 years ago
I was trying to figure out if I had it because I had a light in my bedroom I always used to see like that... is it possible to have a very mild case of it??
Aisling Badsha 5 years ago
Have always hated driving at night I guess my astigmatism helps explain why. I have a squint in the same eye and I am both near and far sighted.
Calypso poet 5 years ago
This is why I usually do the driving, especially at night and during snow or rain. My husband has terrible eyesight even with an updated prescription. I am very lucky to have great vision.
Magdalena🇸🇰 5 years ago
That's weird 🙄 I mostly see lights in normal way but only sometimes I see them with the lines.. Is here someone who can relate?
Caridina Japonica 5 years ago
Yep. I have a slight astigmatism in my right eye. From morning to early evening I dont see anything distorted, but when I get tired in the evening I see everything with lens flares. Also more often when there are distinct light sources. Luckily I can wear shortsight glasses (or lenses) without compensation.
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Person2638 5 years ago
I see the lines too and I didn't know I had astrigmatism! Are you sure it's not just everyone who sees the picture on the left?
Carrie de Luka 5 years ago
Nope, not everyone but very common. Lenses often corrects the problem so see an optician. They are a good health check to have regularly anyway.
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Foxxy 5 years ago
I have astigmatism and if I don’t wear my glasses everything loses definition.
Luna Rose 5 years ago
I've been lucky I don't have to wear mine, only wear them if needed, usually when I'm doing my art. Even the optometrist is always shocked when I get tested every year apart from the astigmatism my eyes are really good
Load More Replies... City_Lights 1 year ago
i really thought this was how everyne saw things! I also squint to mke the lines longer loll
Don't Look 4 years ago
Always blows my mind when people don't know about something that I have known about my entire life. I've had astigmatism and mypia since I was a baby .... both were temporarily corrected when I got lasik at 21....
Don't Look 4 years ago
Most of the reason this is making me laugh is that I've had astigmatism my entire life (nearly) and I have known about and the difference between astigmatism, dry eyes and myopia for about half my life... because of lasik... and now EVERYONE gets to finally see what I am talking about.
Peter D'Arcy Optometrist 5 years ago
This may explain the condition I hope https://www.peterdarcy.com.au/astigmatism/
Peter D'Arcy Optometrist 5 years ago
Does this help explain astigmatism to you https://www.peterdarcy.com.au/astigmatism/
Colette Walsh 5 years ago
I have always hated driving at night, I couldn't see properly, now I know why. I was aware I had an astigmatism, but I didn't know how it affected my sight. So thank you. I don't feel so bad now
Eagle Girl 5 years ago
I did the same thing as a kid, as a commenter in the feed, Squint to make the lines longer & dance.
comboplush 5 years ago
This is why I try to avoid driving at night. I do have corrective glasses, but can't seem to get used to them (can't even walk straight, they make me so dizzy and I cannot wear them continuously due to work). Is this better with lenses? I've never heard of corrective contacts, this might be a solution for me! :)
Madeleine Joiner 5 years ago
ya funny that so many of us had no idea how others see lights lol, i hate driving at night coz of the lines
gia stone 5 years ago
When I was little, I did the same thing to make the lines longer, and they would look like flowers. When I was nine, a doctor told me my eyes were defective and (American) football-shaped. Sometimes, I choose to wear my glasses, because my contacts are freaking painful (we can't afford astigmatism ones) and so I can look at the lines whenever I want.
Emanuela Georgescu 5 years ago
I often enjoy reading you but this time there is a Big Error...😳 Hyperopia = Nearsightedness and Myopia = Farsightedness You inverted them At least half of the population has sight problems, llts of people read you and these are basic terms to know 🤔
okpkpkp 5 years ago
Take those top pictures of the cars, street and traffic lights and then double it and move the lights two feet apart and that is what I saw when I had double vision. I had double vision so long I didn't know I had it until a trip to the eye doc. I had to completely stop driving in 2000 because of it. Now, if I had astigmatism, just imagine how bad it would be. Geez.
Elaine Pate 5 years ago
My .25-.5 diopter astigmatism can be virtually eliminated with a good tear film. If I get a little dry it’s more noticeable.
Joanne Boyd 5 years ago
I found out why weaving with fine yarn is so confusing. Can't see the straight lines with astigmatism.
Bruce Kunde 5 years ago
I have that and I don't see the effect unless my eyes are tearing or water on windshield?
Gracie Mae 5 years ago (edited)
I have astigmatism, but never knew this is what causes the way I see lights like that. Like many others, I thought everyone saw things this way! thanks for teaching me something new. Props to Cassie--I also suffer from night-blindness, so I never knew that my astigmatism played a part in that as well!
Rose 5 years ago
Like many others have said, "Wow! I thought that's how everyone saw things at night!" I've never driven [never had the desire to] and riding with someone after dark - especially in the rain! - used to scare the c**p outta me. I could never figure out how they did it when there were so many [pretty] light streaks that other things [cars and pedestrians] were pretty much invisible! Somewhere along the line, someone convinced me that "no, other people *can* see ok" and I just learned to have faith in that. Which is still hard to do!
Steve Haigh 5 years ago
I have astigmatism but only see these lines inside the car, through the windscreen and since my camera picks up the same lines, pretty sure it's just the windscreen. If I don't turn the wipers on or I look out of an open window then I don't see any lines at all.
Emma Pollet 5 years ago
Same for me, I have really bad astigmatism (75% and 80%) but don't see any lines at all. Not even when I'm not wearing my glasses, which I only need in some situations by the way...
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Simone Rosa 5 years ago
My astigmatism was my eye doctor's clue that I had a thyroid problem so he told my parents to get it tested. Unfortunately the medical industrial complex is unwilling to diagnose thyroid conditions so instead of getting treatment in junior high I suffered numerous swings/cycles before diagnosing myself with a goiter and hypothyroidism at age 38. It took until I was 40 to get proper treatment and I've been fighting with doctors to maintain that treatment for 13 years. If these images tell you that you have a vision problem please fight to find the underlying cause instead of taking glasses as a panacea for a possible symptom!
Stan Chung 5 years ago
I always wondered what is the effect of astigmatism. I have some idea now. Not so streaky but getting worse with age especially after a long day staring at the computer.
Robyn Gardam 5 years ago
Well that explains a lot..I do know astigmatism runs in my family. I should get my eyes checked again..
Samhhain Cat 5 years ago
The most shocking thing to me is that people obviously have never had their eyes checked at any point in their entire lives.... What the hell??????
Magpie 5 years ago
My visual problems were picked up at school, We all had our eyes tested a few times during primary school. ( ages 4 to 12 ) Does this still happen? In Australia? Does this NOT happen in other countries ?
Magpie 5 years ago
There are some eye conditions that can be treated in young people, and earlier is better. There are some things adults get again - finding them earlier gives better results with treatments. People GET YOUR EYES CHECKED.
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Betty Beck-Leach 5 years ago
Kind of explains why some people like to drive at night while others like me can hardly make it to the corner store.
✎Kinda_Scarlett 5 years ago
Honestly thought this was normal! I guess I have Astigmatism now :/
Claire Armstrong 5 years ago
I'm confused! I thought the first picture was the 'normal' vision one and the second picture the astigmatism one? I thought the first one was clear and the second one blurry around the lights!
Rainbow_Gal05 5 years ago
I don't know how to feel :O I thought that was something that everyone saw :/
Lucas 5 years ago
Pop along and see an optician, astigmatism is incredibly common and there are ways to improve it. Contact lenses can be very good.
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Kamryn McNamara 5 years ago
I actually don't have it, but those lines definitely entertained me in the car. I can see light bulbs, which is painful because i'm slightly stupid and look DIRECTLY AT THE LIGHT BULB when turning a lamp on, IDK what's wrong with me
TL Dragon 5 years ago
A busy intersection on a rainy night after an accident is akin to a visual IED. Cops, ambulance, fire truck lights, tow truck lights and road flares everywhere on top of heavy street lights, traffic lights and headlights, not to mention road reflectors and traffic barricades it's a nightmare.
Lori Beauchamp 5 years ago
Love the first comment who thought the picture could actually be a "screenshot" from what someone was looking at and then mansplained how to simulate the effect.
Lulu Machete 5 years ago
Ermagherd I have that. Sometimes. Also have 20/40 vision which is apparently better than 20/20. Who knew?
Chris Jones 5 years ago
You must have misunderstood somewhere along the line. 20/40 vision means that the person sees at 20 feet what a person with normal vision sees at 40 feet. Another way of saying this is that a person with 20/40 vision has vision that is only half as good as normal.
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RacconLifeGirlie 5 years ago
I knew I had astigmatism, but didn't know it affected those little lines. So every time I would tell my mom that "the light line points to the restaurant I want to go to, so we should go there" she didn't know what I meant. Wow, that's weird.
Alex Bailey 5 years ago
Even if she had the same problem her own light lines would be from a different angle so it would still not have helped directions.
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Mark À Irvine 5 years ago
I wish the editor(s) would mark the photos illustrating this article to indicate clearly which photos depict astigmatism, as my sense from reading the article is that some of the photos show how astigmatics see and others show how people without astigmatism see.
Daniel (ShadowDrakken) 5 years ago
I have astigmatism, and I'm calling b******t on this. Things only look like that first pic when my glasses need cleaning. If I take my glasses off, the light doesn't suddenly refract all over the place, I simply get a faint halo around everything (it's actually a double-image, but so close together that it forms a halo)
Daniel (ShadowDrakken) 5 years ago
This is far more accurate: What-astig...s-like.jpg 
Chris Jones 5 years ago
There isn't a diagnosis of 'blurry vision'. It will always have a cause.
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Janet Keel 5 years ago
I like the way I see the world. So boring without our magical way of seeing the night lights.
María Hermida 5 years ago
I don't know if you are trying to be funny or offensive, but you are neither. Just plain stupid.
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Benjamin Boysley 5 years ago
Holy c**p, I have this and just thought it was how light looked to everyone :O
SilvaSkies 5 years ago
I think I only see it when I squint, I used to play around with that!
Load More Replies... Cassie 5 years ago
People who insist on walking in the road after dark wearing all dark colors especially in the rain need to know this because you are hard as hell to see even for people with normal vision but almost impossible to see for the very many of us suffering astigmatism trying to deal with all that light pollution.
Samhhain Cat 5 years ago
This is why I light myself up like a xmas tree. Wrist bands, safety vest, headlamp... etc etc etc.
Load More Replies... PurpleUnicorn 5 years ago
I have myopia and double astigmatism, this is exactly how things look to me
vp 5 years ago
I knew I had (slight) astigmatism, but I didn't know those streaks were because of that. Thanks!
Carol Emory 5 years ago (edited)
What the article also forgets to explain is that this condition is also caused by muscles on either side of the eyeball that normally are able to solve any distortion in the cornea, but cannot. Also..it depends on how much light is bombarding the eye at night. When I drive in the dark, headlights coming straight at me make it impossible for me to see the lines on the road. If the pavement is wet, too much light reflects off the surface making it hard to see my lane. Also, street lights actually make this worse and I've gotten into the habit of dimming my dashboard lights to limit the bombardment of light on my eyes. My mother has astigmatism so bad, she no longer drives at night.
Joycee Desrosiers 5 years ago
I am an Optomestrist. I just wanted Carol to know that the muscles on each side of the eye don't have anything to do with the cornea. They don't solve any issues at all with the cornea. If a muscle is not working right, it can cause the eye to turn, that's called strabismus. The cornea is the clear structure that sits right over the color part of your eye (iris). So again, just realize the muscles don't have anything to do with astigmatism.
Load More Replies... Hollie Newton 5 years ago
I have myopia and astigmatism in both eyes one more than the other and this is how things look without my glasses xD
Ben 5 years ago
I have this condition - it got so bad during winter (leaving work in the dark) I couldn't see the cars properly crossing roads. When I was almost hit for like 100th time, I thought "should get this checked out...". I wear glasses that corrects curve now. Much better!!!
Sandy 5 years ago (edited)
I have astigmatism in my left eye, colours look different too, my right eye they are sharp and bright, the left they are slightly duller.
Magpie 5 years ago
Me too! Thank you, I thought I was alone and a bit freaky.
Load More Replies... KrisF 5 years ago
Kind of misleading- there is more than one type of astigmatism. You can have it on the lens as well. And they can both go in different directions. I have both and without correction light looks more V shaped instead of lines.
Sue Konjicija 5 years ago (edited)
Yes! Mine (without my glasses) looks like an elongated halo of 6 lights around the central light. I never noticed until a few years ago when I went walking on a cold night and left my glasses at home (because wearing a scarf over my face fogged them up) - it was scary but kind of cool too. Looking up at the stars was like seeing dozens of tiny fireworks bursts.
Load More Replies... Louise Stange-Wahl 5 years ago
I was diagnosed with AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration) about two years ago. Both eyes. It's hereditary. My Mom went blind...the treatments we have today, weren't available 30 some years ago. It started one day when I had been under a lot of stress (death in the family) and suddenly, all the traffic signs looked like the letters were running like water was poured on them. Unlike those with astigmatism who have always seen just that way, I KNEW something was wrong. Fortunately, getting a shot in each eye ( yes, it is very creepy and uncomfortable ), every month or so is keeping it under control. I do have a bad spot at 4:00 in my right eye that looks like a big gray dot which is scar tissue from laser surgery. I hope that it will heal up eventually. I also had to have cataract surgery very young. I hate night drives..doesn't look as bad as the photos on the left, but I try not to drive then. We can all hope that treatments get much better as time goes along, for all!
Lauren Baker 5 years ago
Wait I thought this was normal! I still do amuse myself by making the lights longer and shorter by squinting!!!! Also, I remember trying to get my sister to do it, but she probably had no clue what I was talking about. Now I remember the eye doctor saying I had astigmatism I think. They told me I couldn't get these certain contacts my sister has because of it! It all makes sense now!
Lauren Baker 5 years ago
But I feel like I haven't been seeing lines much lately. Could it be because I got glasses?
Load More Replies... Anni Fetzko 5 years ago
Also if the road is wet, makes the lines 1000% worse. Astigmatism can also effect your depth perspective. So between those lights and the shine from the wet road reflecting all those lines makes f*****g impossible to tell where anything actually is. Oh yeah and those construction cones with the reflectors at night. F**k that.
Phoebe Bean 5 years ago
Another example is how the moon never looks "round", but somewhat distorted for us with astigmatism.
The Girl on Fire 5 years ago
All the comments are saying that they have this and thought it was normal, I'm the opposite. How do you deal with seeing lines everywhere at night?
María Hermida 5 years ago
Go to a good doctor and get glasses or contact lenses. It's the only solution. And also you might try some exercise for your sight. I'm following the "Bates method", but I've just started so I can't tell you if it works. In theory, it tries to exercise the muscles that help the eye adjust to see well.
Load More Replies... Cheryl Wilcox 5 years ago
I remember looking at the sky at twilight and the person I was with said "there's the first star, make a wish!" and I said, there are two stars, which one should I wish on? There was only one star... I need glasses for astigmatism.
Aunt Messy 5 years ago
And for the last gazillion years, optometrists have prescribed glasses with prisms in the lenses that solve this problem completely or contact lenses that correct the curvature and allows sufferers to seel clearly - as if they don’t have astigmatism at all. ...///... Astigmatism is as common as mud. A LOT of people have it, MOST of them are near sighted. ...///... I don’t know if the writer is hunting for sympathy or not, but people have wearing corrective lenses for astigmatism for decades, and they work.
SirWriteALot 5 years ago
I think the point of the post was to inform people who do not regularly go to the eye doc that if the world looks like that to them that they need to have their eyes checked. Yes it is common as mud, but you need to realize that you need to do something. I was in school, my eyesight got worse but I didn't actually realize I was going near-sighted. Only when classmates told me that I need to stop squinting and doing chinese eyes to focus that I realized ... my eyes need help.
Load More Replies... Manny Martinez 5 years ago
Hahaha I'm playing with the lights at work now making the lines longer by squinting! I THOUGHT EVERYONE SAW THE LINES!!!
Lauren Baker 5 years ago
Reply if you see how the "normal" picture depicts. I want to know if some people really do because I definitely don't. I don't see the lines as long as the astigmatism picture but I do see lines...
Bluebell Rizzi 5 years ago
I was trying to figure out if I had it because I had a light in my bedroom I always used to see like that... is it possible to have a very mild case of it??
Aisling Badsha 5 years ago
Have always hated driving at night I guess my astigmatism helps explain why. I have a squint in the same eye and I am both near and far sighted.
Calypso poet 5 years ago
This is why I usually do the driving, especially at night and during snow or rain. My husband has terrible eyesight even with an updated prescription. I am very lucky to have great vision.
Magdalena🇸🇰 5 years ago
That's weird 🙄 I mostly see lights in normal way but only sometimes I see them with the lines.. Is here someone who can relate?
Caridina Japonica 5 years ago
Yep. I have a slight astigmatism in my right eye. From morning to early evening I dont see anything distorted, but when I get tired in the evening I see everything with lens flares. Also more often when there are distinct light sources. Luckily I can wear shortsight glasses (or lenses) without compensation.
Load More Replies... Person2638 5 years ago
I see the lines too and I didn't know I had astrigmatism! Are you sure it's not just everyone who sees the picture on the left?
Carrie de Luka 5 years ago
Nope, not everyone but very common. Lenses often corrects the problem so see an optician. They are a good health check to have regularly anyway.
Load More Replies... Foxxy 5 years ago
I have astigmatism and if I don’t wear my glasses everything loses definition.
Luna Rose 5 years ago
I've been lucky I don't have to wear mine, only wear them if needed, usually when I'm doing my art. Even the optometrist is always shocked when I get tested every year apart from the astigmatism my eyes are really good
Load More Replies... City_Lights 1 year ago
i really thought this was how everyne saw things! I also squint to mke the lines longer loll
Don't Look 4 years ago
Always blows my mind when people don't know about something that I have known about my entire life. I've had astigmatism and mypia since I was a baby .... both were temporarily corrected when I got lasik at 21....
Don't Look 4 years ago
Most of the reason this is making me laugh is that I've had astigmatism my entire life (nearly) and I have known about and the difference between astigmatism, dry eyes and myopia for about half my life... because of lasik... and now EVERYONE gets to finally see what I am talking about.
Peter D'Arcy Optometrist 5 years ago
This may explain the condition I hope https://www.peterdarcy.com.au/astigmatism/
Peter D'Arcy Optometrist 5 years ago
Does this help explain astigmatism to you https://www.peterdarcy.com.au/astigmatism/
Colette Walsh 5 years ago
I have always hated driving at night, I couldn't see properly, now I know why. I was aware I had an astigmatism, but I didn't know how it affected my sight. So thank you. I don't feel so bad now
Eagle Girl 5 years ago
I did the same thing as a kid, as a commenter in the feed, Squint to make the lines longer & dance.
comboplush 5 years ago
This is why I try to avoid driving at night. I do have corrective glasses, but can't seem to get used to them (can't even walk straight, they make me so dizzy and I cannot wear them continuously due to work). Is this better with lenses? I've never heard of corrective contacts, this might be a solution for me! :)
Madeleine Joiner 5 years ago
ya funny that so many of us had no idea how others see lights lol, i hate driving at night coz of the lines
gia stone 5 years ago
When I was little, I did the same thing to make the lines longer, and they would look like flowers. When I was nine, a doctor told me my eyes were defective and (American) football-shaped. Sometimes, I choose to wear my glasses, because my contacts are freaking painful (we can't afford astigmatism ones) and so I can look at the lines whenever I want.
Emanuela Georgescu 5 years ago
I often enjoy reading you but this time there is a Big Error...😳 Hyperopia = Nearsightedness and Myopia = Farsightedness You inverted them At least half of the population has sight problems, llts of people read you and these are basic terms to know 🤔
okpkpkp 5 years ago
Take those top pictures of the cars, street and traffic lights and then double it and move the lights two feet apart and that is what I saw when I had double vision. I had double vision so long I didn't know I had it until a trip to the eye doc. I had to completely stop driving in 2000 because of it. Now, if I had astigmatism, just imagine how bad it would be. Geez.
Elaine Pate 5 years ago
My .25-.5 diopter astigmatism can be virtually eliminated with a good tear film. If I get a little dry it’s more noticeable.
Joanne Boyd 5 years ago
I found out why weaving with fine yarn is so confusing. Can't see the straight lines with astigmatism.
Bruce Kunde 5 years ago
I have that and I don't see the effect unless my eyes are tearing or water on windshield?
Gracie Mae 5 years ago (edited)
I have astigmatism, but never knew this is what causes the way I see lights like that. Like many others, I thought everyone saw things this way! thanks for teaching me something new. Props to Cassie--I also suffer from night-blindness, so I never knew that my astigmatism played a part in that as well!
Rose 5 years ago
Like many others have said, "Wow! I thought that's how everyone saw things at night!" I've never driven [never had the desire to] and riding with someone after dark - especially in the rain! - used to scare the c**p outta me. I could never figure out how they did it when there were so many [pretty] light streaks that other things [cars and pedestrians] were pretty much invisible! Somewhere along the line, someone convinced me that "no, other people *can* see ok" and I just learned to have faith in that. Which is still hard to do!
Steve Haigh 5 years ago
I have astigmatism but only see these lines inside the car, through the windscreen and since my camera picks up the same lines, pretty sure it's just the windscreen. If I don't turn the wipers on or I look out of an open window then I don't see any lines at all.
Emma Pollet 5 years ago
Same for me, I have really bad astigmatism (75% and 80%) but don't see any lines at all. Not even when I'm not wearing my glasses, which I only need in some situations by the way...
Load More Replies... Simone Rosa 5 years ago
My astigmatism was my eye doctor's clue that I had a thyroid problem so he told my parents to get it tested. Unfortunately the medical industrial complex is unwilling to diagnose thyroid conditions so instead of getting treatment in junior high I suffered numerous swings/cycles before diagnosing myself with a goiter and hypothyroidism at age 38. It took until I was 40 to get proper treatment and I've been fighting with doctors to maintain that treatment for 13 years. If these images tell you that you have a vision problem please fight to find the underlying cause instead of taking glasses as a panacea for a possible symptom!
Stan Chung 5 years ago
I always wondered what is the effect of astigmatism. I have some idea now. Not so streaky but getting worse with age especially after a long day staring at the computer.
Robyn Gardam 5 years ago
Well that explains a lot..I do know astigmatism runs in my family. I should get my eyes checked again..
Samhhain Cat 5 years ago
The most shocking thing to me is that people obviously have never had their eyes checked at any point in their entire lives.... What the hell??????
Magpie 5 years ago
My visual problems were picked up at school, We all had our eyes tested a few times during primary school. ( ages 4 to 12 ) Does this still happen? In Australia? Does this NOT happen in other countries ?
Magpie 5 years ago
There are some eye conditions that can be treated in young people, and earlier is better. There are some things adults get again - finding them earlier gives better results with treatments. People GET YOUR EYES CHECKED.
Load More Replies... Betty Beck-Leach 5 years ago
Kind of explains why some people like to drive at night while others like me can hardly make it to the corner store.
✎Kinda_Scarlett 5 years ago
Honestly thought this was normal! I guess I have Astigmatism now :/
Claire Armstrong 5 years ago
I'm confused! I thought the first picture was the 'normal' vision one and the second picture the astigmatism one? I thought the first one was clear and the second one blurry around the lights!
Rainbow_Gal05 5 years ago
I don't know how to feel :O I thought that was something that everyone saw :/
Lucas 5 years ago
Pop along and see an optician, astigmatism is incredibly common and there are ways to improve it. Contact lenses can be very good.
Load More Replies... Kamryn McNamara 5 years ago
I actually don't have it, but those lines definitely entertained me in the car. I can see light bulbs, which is painful because i'm slightly stupid and look DIRECTLY AT THE LIGHT BULB when turning a lamp on, IDK what's wrong with me
TL Dragon 5 years ago
A busy intersection on a rainy night after an accident is akin to a visual IED. Cops, ambulance, fire truck lights, tow truck lights and road flares everywhere on top of heavy street lights, traffic lights and headlights, not to mention road reflectors and traffic barricades it's a nightmare.
Lori Beauchamp 5 years ago
Love the first comment who thought the picture could actually be a "screenshot" from what someone was looking at and then mansplained how to simulate the effect.
Lulu Machete 5 years ago
Ermagherd I have that. Sometimes. Also have 20/40 vision which is apparently better than 20/20. Who knew?
Chris Jones 5 years ago
You must have misunderstood somewhere along the line. 20/40 vision means that the person sees at 20 feet what a person with normal vision sees at 40 feet. Another way of saying this is that a person with 20/40 vision has vision that is only half as good as normal.
Load More Replies... RacconLifeGirlie 5 years ago
I knew I had astigmatism, but didn't know it affected those little lines. So every time I would tell my mom that "the light line points to the restaurant I want to go to, so we should go there" she didn't know what I meant. Wow, that's weird.
Alex Bailey 5 years ago
Even if she had the same problem her own light lines would be from a different angle so it would still not have helped directions.
Load More Replies... Mark À Irvine 5 years ago
I wish the editor(s) would mark the photos illustrating this article to indicate clearly which photos depict astigmatism, as my sense from reading the article is that some of the photos show how astigmatics see and others show how people without astigmatism see.
Daniel (ShadowDrakken) 5 years ago
I have astigmatism, and I'm calling b******t on this. Things only look like that first pic when my glasses need cleaning. If I take my glasses off, the light doesn't suddenly refract all over the place, I simply get a faint halo around everything (it's actually a double-image, but so close together that it forms a halo)
Daniel (ShadowDrakken) 5 years ago
This is far more accurate: What-astig...s-like.jpg
Chris Jones 5 years ago
There isn't a diagnosis of 'blurry vision'. It will always have a cause.
Load More Replies... Janet Keel 5 years ago
I like the way I see the world. So boring without our magical way of seeing the night lights.
María Hermida 5 years ago
I don't know if you are trying to be funny or offensive, but you are neither. Just plain stupid.
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