Your eye doctor may have told you that you have 20/20 vision, which is ideal, but you could still complain about the overall your overall vision. This is especially true after refractive surgery, eye disease, injury, or at nighttime. You might be seeing glares, halos, and starburst vision. While glare is an uncomfortable brightness, making details obscure, halos are rings around a light source. Starbursts are in the same category but have different symptoms. Many patients ask us, “why are there starbursts in my vision,” so here we answer it.
Starbursts, in simple words, are bursting star-like patterns of light rays. These seem to be extending like spikes, fine filaments, or series of concentric rays from bright lights. It’s a visual phenomenon resulting from refractive defects in the eye. It turns ordinary lights into something overwhelmingly dazzling with annoying light streaks. The condition may be more prominent in low-light situations and is a common side effect of eye surgery. Understanding the underlying causes is important for your vision health, so here’s more about it.
Starburst vision occurs when something alters how light enters your eyes. It’s more noticeable around bright lights at night, but you can also experience starbursts during daytime. You might see thin light rays radiating from the center of the source and going outwards like the shape of a star. The starburst effect makes it difficult to walk or drive at night as street lights and vehicle headlights look distorted. It can be highly frustrating and dangerous, and you’d require immediate assistance if it’s reducing your quality of life.
Since some obstruction in the eye creates the starbursts effect, it’s important to get it thoroughly evaluated. To your surprise, many eye conditions can cause a starburst effect around lights. Here’s a look at those:
Common refractive errors like nearsightedness and farsightedness can cause bright light to appear distorted. Astigmatism starburst is another issue leading to this disturbing condition that scatters the light instead of focusing it onto the retina. Some eye drops or medications can also cause starburst as a side effect.
Starbursts in vision can result from refractive surgeries like LASIK, PRK, and RK. In fact, it’s a common complication of LASIK eye surgery. Since there’s corneal reshaping, it affects how light focuses in the eye. Although these advanced eye surgeries have minimal side effects, even these rare side effects are worth noting.
Those affected by keratoconus, a condition where the cornea thins and bulges into a cone-like shape, can lead you to see halos, glares, and starbursts. Then, there’s Fuchs’ Dystrophy, a genetic eye disease that can cause the cornea to swell, thicken, and worsen your vision with time. Tiny blisters can form on the cornea, which can be painful and result in major vision loss. These conditions change the structure of the eyes, leading to a significant increase in visual aberrations.
HOAs or higher-order aberrations can also lead to blurred vision, ghost images, double vision (diplopia), and starburst patterns. This is a more complex vision issue with those having larger pupil size, corneal irregularities, scar tissue, and cataracts.
Another significant cause of starburst vision can be developing cataracts and glaucoma. These conditions can cause significant interferences with your vision and require timely treatment. Some other reasons may include poor tear film quality, dry eye syndrome, ocular surface disorders, using multifocal intraocular lenses (IOLs), and blepharitis.
In short, what are starbursts in vision? Stars, sparkles, or flashes of light that appear in your field of vision. What causes starburst vision? Changes in how light focuses on the retina due to refractive errors, aging, corneal conditions, dry eye syndrome, and post-surgical effects. How to fix a starburst vision? We’ll explore the options in the next section. While starburst vision may be inconvenient, it can go away within weeks as the swelling in the eye subsides. When it’s persistent, here’s what you can do.
While starbursts in vision can be benign, they can also indicate underlying health issues. Early treatment can help restore vision clarity and reduce the incidence of starbursts. Here’s how to fix starburst vision:
If you’re experiencing starbursts in your vision, comprehensive eye exams are crucial to diagnose and manage your symptoms. When you schedule a consultation, your eye doctor will conduct a series of tests, including a dilated exam, visual acuity test, etc., to evaluate the severity of the condition and suggest the right way forward.
Depending on which eye condition is causing the starbursts to appear, your first line of treatment might include using glasses. Astigmatism starburst vision responds particularly well to glasses and contacts. Glasses with anti-reflective coating can reduce glares or starburst vision. Your eye doctor may also suggest eye drops for dryness, inflammation, or swelling in the eye, which will reduce the starburst effect.
Custom-made contacts can be an appropriate treatment method for addressing starburst vision. These are beneficial for HOAs in particular. Your eye doctor may recommend contacts with anti-glare, anti-reflective, or high-energy visible (HEV) light filtering to reduce the light scattering effect in the eyes and minimize starbursts.
Cataract operation can improve your vision and reduce night light. The procedure removes and replaces the affected lens and implants an artificial lens so there’s no blur. It also helps eliminate unwanted visual images common in many cataract patients. The surgery results in an instant and dramatic improvement in your vision.
How to fix starburst vision with LASIK surgery? Wavefront LASIK procedure, a technically advanced treatment method, can help correct corneal irregularities and eliminate the aberrations leading you to see starbursts. While halos, glares, and starbursts resulting from surgery can go down with time, intervention may be necessary if it’s disrupting your routine.
Be it astigmatism starburst or the one resulting from surgery, do not let these visual irregularities interfere with your daily life. If you believe you have a starburst vision, contact the Milan Eye Center experts to understand its causes and treatment. We’re Atlanta’s top eye care specialists equipped to identify the root cause and offer tailored solutions for a comfortable vision. Call 678-381-2020 now to or schedule your consultation online.
Schedule a consultation with Milan Eye Center today to explore your treatment options and regain visual clarity.
Schedule Your Free Consultation Here
Or call 678-381-2020