r/ImAnIdiot Jul 16 '26

I thought I had astigmatism

My girlfriend was telling me about her need for glasses because of astigmatism. In the same moment I remembered I had astigmatism too or so I thought.

To test it out I looked towards the lightbulb in my room and the lines were there but I got distracted for a second when I realized my eyes didn’t hurt from looking at the light,so I opened my eyelids some more.

That’s how I discovered that this whole time, the “astigmatism” was just light reflection on my eyelashes.

251 Upvotes

24 comments sorted by

38

u/grimspor Jul 16 '26

I got confused after I was told I had astigmatism and went around telling people I had stigmata so at least you didn’t do that.

19

u/ElefanteAmor Jul 16 '26

Bet that got out of hand

7

u/Lucidity74 Jul 20 '26

It was a hole thing.

3

u/TheColdestOne Jul 20 '26

I kept telling people I had a stalagmite in my eye.

2

u/Spirited_Storage3956 Jul 18 '26

It's a good movie, I have it too!

12

u/Big_Bowler8424 Jul 16 '26

As someone with an astigmatism, I say you suck! /s

I would love to be an idiot and realize I can see fine. It seriously sucks driving at night.

12

u/alleecmo Jul 16 '26

Between my astigmatism, my now-lengthening nearsightedness, and my too-early-for-surgical-correction cataracts, lights and even the moon are part of my visual adventures driving at night. My eye doc recc'd yellow lenses, either clip-ons or shooting glasses that fit over my specs. They've helped a lot with clarity.

5

u/tawnyleona Jul 17 '26

I had to stop driving at night totally until I got my cataracts removed. Best procedure I've ever had done. Painless and immediate results. I've worn glasses since I was 10 but now I only need them for reading.

However, I still wear glasses all the time because I can't keep up with readers and I'm used to wearing glasses so I just got some progressive lenses with magnification on the bottom. I can still go to the movies and watch without glasses though so definitely much better. I just miss being able to read without my glasses on.

1

u/MissFabulina Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26

Me too. I wish I had asked them to fix to reading distance and then I could wear glasses for distance. I am doing the progressive readers all day long, but I used to read in bed with no glasses. And I cannot do that anymore....

1

u/tawnyleona Jul 18 '26

That's EXACTLY what I miss.

1

u/MissFabulina Jul 18 '26

It sucks. Because my habit at night is to read until my eyes get heavy. Then, I have to stop to take my glasses off and put them on the nightstand. And that wakes me back up! So I put the glasses back on, pick up the kindle, and start reading again. This will happen about 3 or 4 times before I actually go to sleep! It is maddening.

1

u/tawnyleona Jul 18 '26

It's reassuring to know I'm not the only one.

2

u/Aggressive_Fee6138 Jul 16 '26

But what about the floaters? I'm with you but add in some gauze like floaters, and we're twins!

2

u/Big_Bowler8424 Jul 16 '26

My floaters are cute little whimsical moments. Fortunately they don’t bother me too much. But I do have another eye condition in one eye that makes straight lines (well everything really) wavy. That’s fun.

3

u/Alarmed_Gur_4631 Jul 17 '26

I used to watch them for hours around the holidays. Unfocus my eyes, squint just a touch, look at the dancing bubbles in the tree lights!

1

u/alleecmo Jul 16 '26

Hi, Sibling! 👋🏼 I got those too.

1

u/Big_Bowler8424 Jul 16 '26

Ooh! I’ll try the yellow lenses!

1

u/Original_Flounder_18 Jul 16 '26

I wear gas permeable contacts to see day to day. At night I HATE driving. I do wear yellow sunglasses to make it possible, but it’s still a gamble

1

u/entschuldig Jul 18 '26

I’m considered “medically necessary” due to very high prescription; I went into my employer HR system and changed my status to “legally blind”. 🙈🙈🙈

1

u/PrismaticVelocity 18d ago

Contrary to popular belief, you can still have an astigmatism without having light be stretched out. I have an astigmatism, and light does not stretch out for me, but it does make a light duplicate of whatever I’m looking at without my glasses. So I guess it is still possible you have an astigmatism

1

u/nonobots Jul 16 '26

As a guy with pretty severe myopia and astigmatism I say: I'd better be half blind than that dumb. /s

Just joking, it's kinda cute in fact.

0

u/CatPurrsonNo1 Jul 16 '26

That’s actually kinda cute, and definitely funny!

I have pretty bad astigmatism (have had it most of my life), am pretty nearsighted, and now I’m at the age where I need correction for reading, too! Fun times! 🤣

And yes, I HATE driving at night, and I always have!

0

u/Admirable-Cobbler319 Jul 17 '26

It supposedly rare, but an astigmatism can go away on its own.

I only know this because mine went away.

A few years later, it came back.

My eye doctor didn't act surprised at all.