Astigmatism Testing: Online Test for Symptoms & Causes
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Do you have blurry vision persistently? This is like the blurriness you get from eye fatigue or tearing eyes, but it lasts all the time. Chronic blurry vision is caused by astigmatism, also called a “refractive error,” in which one or both eyes have irregularities in the corneal and lens area. The underlying mechanism involves an irregular curvature of the cornea, along with the brain and eye muscles trying to compensate defensively.
An estimated 40% of adults worldwide are affected by some degree of astigmatism, so it’s a very common condition. It appears to be mostly congenital, likely with genetic causes. An astigmatism can also develop later in life as a result of injury or another underlying condition, but mostly, you’re either born with it or you’re not.
The most commonly prescribed solution, as one would expect, is glasses. But many more corrective measures are available, including LASIK eye surgery, Intra-Ocular Lens Implants, photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), and a host of related procedures. Other health effects have to be taken into account, naturally, before electing to these procedures. Some also take to coping with contact lenses.
If you’re curious about your own possible astigmatism, there exist visual tests that are so easily administered that you can perform them at home. By no means should you treat the result as a medical diagnosis; a positive result is just enough reason to schedule a checkup with a medical professional. Take this as a starting point.
Table of Contents
- Symptoms of a Astigmatism
- Online Astigmatism Testing
- How to Take an Online Eye Exam
- Accuracy
- Frequently Asked Questions
You deserve clear vision. We can help.
The board-certified surgeons at NVISION have performed over 2.5 million procedures. Your journey to better vision starts here.
Signs You Might Have Astigmatism
To begin with, there are some simple symptoms are common to anyone with astigmatism. You should suspect this to be the case if you have some of these symptoms:
- Blurry vision (under every circumstance)
- Difficulty seeing distances
- Distorted vision
- Eye strain and discomfort when focusing for any length of time
- Eye fatigue
Online Astigmatism Tests
At-home astigmatism testing, where you conduct the exam yourself, is not designed to determine what prescription of glasses or contacts you need to correct astigmatism. It can only help you determine if you have astigmatism.
There are two methods of home-testing for astigmatism. Both of them involve looking at an image with lines on printed paper, so you will want a printer for this exercise. The same principle underlies the letter-lined eye chart you see in every optometrist’s office.
- Print out either the radial dial lines or lined squares version.
- Hang it at eye level somewhere where you have plenty of standing room.
- Stand ten feet back from the chart.
- Cover one eye and examine the chart. Do the lines appear gray anywhere? In the top version, with the angled ray of lines like a protactor, the lines in the center will be sharper while the more slanted lines at either edge seem to fuzz out.
- Cover the other eye and repeat.
The lined square boxes chart works in a similar fashion. Some boxes will appear clear black while others seem to be lighter shades of gray. If either of these tests appear to have fuzzy gray lines, chances are good that you have astigmatism.
Bear in mind that many other conditions can cause blurry vision as well, including everything from diabetes to eye fatigue from staring at computer screens all day. So you should only administer the test when you’re “fresh” in the morning after plenty of sleep and before the day’s activities have you too weary.
Of course, if you suspect that you have an underlying condition causing the blurriness, you should look into that. But by itself with no outward strains on your vision, if you struggle to see crisp, black lines on paper at ten feet, an astigmatism diagnosis is very likely.
Online Diagnosis For Astigmatism
Once again, it bears repeating that only a licensed medical professional can properly diagnose you. But there are also online entities that will consider an online test result almost good enough to prescribe glasses.
- Make an account with a reputable testing service. You have a few options to choose from when getting an online vision test. Look at customer reviews and read expert opinions. Look out for services that charge large amounts for their tests. A report written by CNN’s Jacqueline Howard explored a service from Opternative that could provide a meaningfully accurate online test for between $40 and $60. Most tests should not cost much more than that.
- Get a Computer, Smartphone & Stable Internet Connection Most accurate online eye tests require two digital devices, as you will have to position screens at multiple distances for your testing. This is usually done with a computer and a smartphone. You will also need a stable internet connection, so you can receive instructions and potentially talk with a medical professional. You may also need to download a testing company’s app onto the devices you intend to use, depending on the service you choose. This is not unusual, but make sure you are downloading the real app from a reputable company.
- Also, check to make sure the service you choose can give you a prescription upon completion of the test. If they don’t, you will need to pay an eye professional for further testing.
- Once you have the proper equipment and an account set up, follow the instructions outlined by the company so you can begin your test. It is important you follow all instructions closely. Otherwise, you may get inaccurate results from your testing, which could lead to a useless prescription. When your test is complete, the information will then be reviewed by a medical professional who will provide you with a corrective eyewear prescription.
- Once you have a prescription from a medical professional, you can effectively get glasses or contacts in the same way you could with a prescription from an in-office visit. Save this prescription information for future use.
You deserve clear vision. We can help.
The board-certified surgeons at NVISION have performed over 2.5 million procedures. Your journey to better vision starts here.
Are Online & At-Home Eye Tests Accurate?
In an actual in-person eye exam, the process would look more like this:
- Taking the eye chart test. This is a preliminary measure.
- Using the phoropter. This is the large device you look through with all the different lenses and dial settings on it.
- Take an autorefractor test. This involves shining a light in your eye and measuring how the light is reflected back from your eye.
- Using a keratometer. This is used to measure the curve grade of your cornea and find distortions on the surface.
Obviously, a simple five-minute test at home is nowhere near the same scope of diagnostics. So a comprehensive eye exam is still the preferred method of diagnosing astigmatism, but a simple preliminary test can still be used just to point you in the right direction for further investigation.
At-home testing, where a patient only looks at eye charts with no medical professional or computer-run assistance, is rudimentary. It can help you to quickly check if you may have a notable level of astigmatism or other problems with your visual acuity, but that is largely the limit of its reach.
Online Astigmatism Testing FAQs
Can I test myself for astigmatism online?
Yes, it’s possible to use an online test for astigmatism, but its effectiveness is limited. An online test may give you an idea of whether you have astigmatism, but you should see a professional in person to assess its severity and get a prescription to correct it.
How can I test myself for astigmatism?
At-home testing for astigmatism includes either a dial or a line test. These tests can help you determine if you may have astigmatism, but they are very limited in their capabilities.
You can easily miss mild astigmatism with these tests. If you do detect the signs of astigmatism, you will still need a medical professional to get an accurate prescription for corrective eyewear like glasses or contacts.
What are the signs of astigmatism?
Astigmatism is a type of refractive error where you experience blurring in your vision regardless of distance as a result of irregularities in your eye’s shape. These are other common symptoms of astigmatism:
- Eyestrain
- General eye discomfort
- Problems seeing at night
- Headaches
- Needing to squint to see clearly
Can you have 20/20 vision with astigmatism?
Yes, just because you can still see 20/20 doesn’t mean that your corneas have no flaws. In many people, they may have some fuzziness of vision but have learned to compensate through means like squinting, holding reading materials at a certain distance, etc.
Can LASIK fix astigmatism?
Yes, it certainly can, albeit there are certain conditions you have to meet to be a good LASIK surgery candidate. In most cases, people cope via prescription glasses or using contacts.
References
- Astigmatism. American Optometric Association.
- Home Vision Tests for Children and Adults. (March 2022). American Academy of Ophthalmology.
- Test Yourself for Astigmatism in 3 Easy Steps. Vision and Eye Health.
- Influence of Different Types of Astigmatism on Visual Acuity. (July–September 2017). Journal of Optometry.
- The Doctor Will ‘See’ You Now: Online vs. In-person Vision Tests. (March 2018). CNN.
- What Is Astigmatism? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment. (February 2022). American Academy of Ophthalmology.
- Comprehensive Eye Exams. American Academy of Ophthalmology.
- Comparative study of the outcome of LASIK in Moderate Versus High Astigmatism. (April 2014). Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science.
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