Astigmatism & Red Dot Sights

Astigmatism & Red Dot Sights: Many of us might not be familiar with astigmatism. Archers find it tough to target if they have astigmatism. Many a time, they do not even know they have an issue of vision. They think the red dot sights they are using are defective. So, if you are into archery and are facing blurry vision, you need to know a bit about astigmatism.

Astigmatism

Astigmatism is an eye condition, an imperfection in the curvature shape of the cornea. When you have it, the vision blurs. The eyes cannot focus light at a single focal point. So, at every distance, you have blurred vision.

It is the biggest hindrance to an archer. You look through your red dot sight, and you cannot see it properly. You mistake it as an issue with the device. Have a thought, and think if it is your eyes or a defect in the sight.

Issues with Red Dot

We have stated earlier that many archers don’t even know they have an eye problem. The moment they look through the red dot, they can’t see things clearly. Instead, they see a blurry dot or a double dot.

The dot might seem like a comma, star, or apostrophe. Or you see a smeared dot or a clutch of dots. As they are seeing everything pretty clear most of the time, they take it as an issue in the red dot sight. However, it is not the case.

Recognizing Astigmatism

There are a few ways to know you have astigmatism. Recognizing the issue is pretty easy. You can try a few things to see if you have astigmatism or not. Tell someone else to look through the sight.

If that someone sees a bright red dot instead of a weird one, then you need to contact an eye specialist. You can also use a camera. Click a picture of the dot. If it’s a clear dot, then you have eye issues.

Rotate the sight clockwise or counterclockwise. If the red dot doesn’t move and stays in the same position, then you know you have astigmatism.

Overcoming The Issue

It is simple. Contact an ophthalmologist. Upon diagnosed with astigmatism, he will either give you corrected eyeglasses or lens or suggest orthokeratology to reshape the curvature. If it is a severe problem, then you will have to get eye surgery done.

You can also try sights with green illumination as you have issues with red ones. Wearing polarized sunglasses is another way to tackle the problem.

The next you can do is use the lowest of brightness. The more the intensity of the light, the larger you will face problems seeing the dot through the sight.

Best Red Dots for Astigmatism

Now the question arises, what the best red dot sights are. And the answer is holographic and prismatic sights. These are the best for tackling blurry vision due to astigmatism. Now, let’s explain the two types a bit.

Holographic Sights

Such sights create an illuminated pattern in a dot or circular form. The laser bounces off the holographic grate. So, you see a floating holographic image over the target. The grid works like a polarizing filler and solves the issue of a blurred or strange red dot.

Prismatic Sights

The prismatic sights use prisms to focus instead of multiple lenses. Very few lenses and mirror is the reason that it is an excellent option for astigmatism patient.

Instead of taking the matter lightly, contact a doctor when you recognize you might have astigmatism. It is not a matter to ignore, because nurturing will make it severe.