Sara Keenan
A doctor has weighed in with her expertise after a viral image showed how your vision would be with a certain condition.
The Twitter account Unusual Facts, which shares strange and eerie information, tweeted a split-screen photo of a night time street.
The left side showed blurry lights and lens flare from cars and traffic, while the right appeared clear and sharp.
After racking up more than 54,000 views, many started to wonder what on earth was going on.
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“Could the first picture be capturing windshield curvature rather than a biological issue?” asked one user. “I’ve seen this light streaking effect whenever my wipers are on. Water trails distort the headlights ahead."
Now, a doctor has stepped in to clarify the situation and explain what the image on the left actually reveals.
It turns out the picture compares how people with and without astigmatism perceive lights at night.
Astigmatism occurs when the cornea or lens has an irregular curvature, making it harder for light to focus correctly on the retina.
Doctors don't know exactly why the shape of the cornea or lens varies from person to person but they do know the risk of getting astigmatism is inherited - passed down from parents.
Astigmatism is a common condition that affects a large portion of the population. Those with the condition often report seeing halos, glare, or even streaks of light when looking at bright objects, especially at night.
This can make driving in low-light conditions more difficult or uncomfortable for those who don’t have their astigmatism corrected with glasses or contact lenses.
“How you experience astigmatism depends on its axis and severity,” Dr. Kristen North, a policy consultant for the Canadian Association of Optometrists, told CTVNews.ca. “Some people see double, while others see streaking or blurred lights.”
Unusual Facts also tweeted: “Astigmatism causes light to focus on multiple points rather than just one, leading to blurred vision.”
Some users quickly picked up on this, supporting the image as an accurate depiction of the condition.
“This explains why my friend doesn’t get why I say lens flare is real!” tweeted one.
Astigmatism can be treated with glasses, contacts, or laser surgery, and it’s possible to develop it later in life. So if you’ve noticed blurry lights, it might be time for an eye check!