If you have astigmatism

[doyoureallyneedthat]

Did your parents? Or family members
Dd has it and no one in the family does, hers is quite severe so I'm just wondering why as me and Dh don't have it?
I am pretty short sighted (blind without glasses really)
Optician says it's usually genetic? Could there be something wrong with her eyes?

I have in one eye but not aware of anyone else in my family having it either.

I've recently discovered I've got lots of weird stuff in common with a group of my 2nd cousins though so maybe I should ask them. Things being genetic doesn't necessarily mean that close family members will share them.

I have it in one eye and am very short sighted. Neither of my parents do. Dd is longsighted.

Looks like it's more common than I thought then. I have a history of retina problems also so I hope poor dd doesn't inherit that!

I have it in one eye. I am short sighted in one eye and long sighted in the other - never one to do things by halves!

Don't think either of my parents have it, although both are long sighted these days.

I have an astygmatism. I am short sighted -6 both eyes. Worn glasses full time since aged 7
Neither parent or sister has sight problems. My mum aged nearly 70 now wears reading glasses but only recently. Its just bad luck.

I have it and there is a history of it in my family - so it is probably genetic in my case.

it's also possible to not realise how bad your eyesight is till you get glasses/contacts. A friend of my mums didn't realise till she was in her 20s and got her first pair of glasses that trees had individual leaves . She'd managed all the way through school and university, accepting that how she saw things was normal.

I have it, and it causes my short sightedness. I wear glasses, or normal contacts. As contacts are very bendy these days, not everyone with astigmatism needs torics.

Here is some good info about what it means www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/astigmatism.htm

It is the astigmatism that usually causes the near or shortsightedness, and it is the cornea that is usually rugby ball shaped, rather than the whole eye.

My parents don't have it, and my child has not had any problems identified yet. But my brother does also has it.

Here is some good info on why doctors think that some traits, like astigmatism, are controlled by both genetics and environment. The theory for this comes from comparing these traits in identical twins. 40% of the time, only one twin in an identical twin pair ends up with astigmatism.

It could be that the gene for astigmatsm just means you are more likely to develop it as you grow, rather than you certainly will be born with it.

genetics.thetech.org/ask/ask256

I do and my parents don't, I am very short sighted, -7.25 and with an astigmatism. My Dad will tell everyone that he is very shortsighted but he is only -2.

I'm moderately short sighted with moderate astigmatism. My brother is too, and my mum.

I have astigmatism and badly long sighted +9 and +9.5. Neither my parents nor 5 siblings had anything other than perfect sight into their forties. I have had specs since I was 5. Only dd2 needs specs here, no astigmatism and short sighted -4 and -3.75 which our optician found strange.

It's an odd one isn't it! Maybe it's more environmental. From what I've read not a lot of research has gone into why it happens. Reading that only one of a set of identical twins had astigmatism was fascinating and would suggest environmental factors must play a part in it.

I have it, but noone else in my family does.

I do, one of my sisters does, neither of my parents do and neither of my kids are (so far) showing signs of it despite not one but two blindo parents.

As someone said upthread, it just means my eyes are shaped like rugby balls rather than footballs (or as one optician put it, "most peoples eyes are shaped like oranges, but yours are more like lemons).

I'm also shortsighted, but that's being cancelled out by age-related longsightedness. Hoorah. I think.

I'm not sure how environmental factors could make your eyeball a different shape, though? Unless it's in the womb.

I think that article does say that they don't really know what causes it, that it's not reading in the dark or watching tv too close, but it's not 100% genetic, or both pairs of identical twins would always have it of they had the gene.

Perhaps as your eye grows through childhood it can develop if you have the faulty gene? In most cases its just the cornea that is not perfect, rather than the whole eye shape.

I didn't need glasses till I was 5. But maybe I was just squinting a lot before then? Or maybe as my eye grew the effect worsened to become notable?

Me neither Leeds but it surely must do if only one identical twin is affected?

I am -13 in both eyes plus astigmatism. Been like it for so many years I'm used to the complete and utter blur the world is without my contact lenses.My sister had perfect eye sight.

I am severely short sighted and have a mild astigmatism in one of my eyes, in the other I have severe astigmatism and am not as myopic. To put it bluntly my eyesight is so bad I can't have laser eye surgery.

DH has a similar story with his eyesight but no way as severe.

Both of my parents wear glasses, neither of his do.

I'm 15 weeks pregnant and I must admit that it's something that I will be keeping an eye on (no pun intended) as Peanut grows up.

I do, so does my Mum and some of my siblings. One of my children has ot also.