If You See These Rays From Lights You Might Have A Special Eye Condition Not Everyone Has

Do you sometimes see rays or streaks of light coming out from lightbulbs or other bright sources? If you do, you're not alone.

A lot of people notice this, but it's not something that everyone sees.

This effect is often caused by a condition called astigmatism.

Astigmatism affects how light enters and focuses in your eyes. 

About one-third of people in the United States have some degree of astigmatism.

Astigmatism can cause a few symptoms. 

This is what having astigmatism looks like. Reddit / u/Dautista

You might squint to see clearly, get headaches, and have blurry or distorted vision. 

It's this blurry vision that makes light sources appear to have beams or streaks coming out from them.

Recently, someone shared a picture on the Reddit community r/InterestingAsF**k that shows what people with astigmatism often see.

The picture shows a busy restaurant with lightbulbs, and each lightbulb has distinct streaks of light coming from it.

If you notice this effect a lot, it's a good idea to get your eyes checked by an optometrist or ophthalmologist.

They can tell if you have astigmatism and give you glasses, contact lenses, or other treatments to help you see more clearly.

Our eyes are supposed to be perfectly round, like a ball. 

Astigmatism (shown at the bottom) leaves people with different shaped eyes. Wikimedia Commons

But some people have eyes that are slightly oval or egg-shaped.

This is called astigmatism.

Think of it like having an American football-shaped eye instead of a round soccer ball.

When your eye isn't round, it can change how light enters and focuses inside your eye. 

The front part of your eye (the cornea) or the lens inside might have an uneven curve or shape.

If you have mild astigmatism, you might not notice anything wrong.

But if it’s more severe, you might have distorted or blurry vision.

Lights like lamps or streetlights might look like they have rays or streaks coming out of them.

Visual Defect Astigmatism Lophtalmo / Luxembourg / Dr Hayek George

One person who has astigmatism shared their story on Reddit, "I used to think it was normal to see streaks from lights, especially when looking through raindrops on a car windshield at night. 

"I didn't know that not everyone saw those glares until they found out they had astigmatism."

Astigmatism is a common eye problem that many people have, but it's usually not a big deal.

Some people are born with it, while others might get it later from an injury, illness, or surgery.

Doctors aren't sure why some people's eyes are shaped differently, but sometimes it runs in families.

If you think you might have astigmatism, you can visit an eye doctor called an optometrist or ophthalmologist.

During the eye check-up, they might ask you to read letters on a chart or look through a special tool called a 'phoropter'.

You'll tell them which letters look clearest.

They might also shine a light into your eye with a machine called an autorefractor, or measure how curved your eye's front part is with a keratometer.

If the eye doctor says you have astigmatism, they might suggest things like glasses or special contacts to help you see better.

Sometimes, they might talk about surgery to change the shape of your eye and improve how light gets in.

But if your astigmatism is mild, you might not need any treatment.

Many people have a bit of astigmatism and it doesn't cause them big vision problems.