It can be difficult to get older and sometimes, we may even forget that we can’t do all of the things we could when we were a younger individual. Today, however, we have become much more aware of our limitations because of knowledge sharing that takes place online. The social aspect of the Internet helps us to stick closer to each other but at the same time, it reveals our limitations if we look too deeply.
There are many ways that we may change as we get older and sometimes, looking at the facts can be a little bit painful. We may even try to overlook our limitations but when they are presented in a way that we can actually see them, it’s difficult to ignore. Perhaps that is why these pictures went viral because it shows a common problem so clearly.
This particular reminder came in the form of the tweet from a user that describes himself as being the purveyor of “the most weird and horrific facts on the Internet”.
For example, did you know that all of the swans in England belong to the Queen? Of course, that is a fun fact but this one really hit home for many people.
All swans in England belong to the queen.
— Unusual Facts (@UnusualFacts6) March 19, 2019
Have you ever been driving at night and you see the lights as long streaks that seem to go off into the distance? Perhaps they look more like a smudge and is difficult to know exactly what you are seeing. This is an issue that is known as astigmatism and the Internet can’t seem to wrap their head around it.
Astigmatism is when the cornea is slightly curved rather than completely round..
With astigmatism, light focuses on several points of the retina rather just one point. This is what people with Astigmatisms vs without. pic.twitter.com/RXWWayFBRJ
— Unusual Facts (@UnusualFacts6) March 25, 2019
Astigmatism occurs when the cornea of the eye is unnaturally curved. When light enters into the eye, it does so in a way that it can’t come to sharp focus. We see the streaks of light or the light smudges because the light is not refracted evenly through the cornea.
On the other hand, when an individual has a natural and appropriate curve to the cornea, all of the light enters the eye and comes into focus at a single point.
Most people have at least some degree of astigmatism and it can go along with other eye problems, such as nearsightedness and farsightedness. If it isn’t looked into and corrected properly, however, it could make it dangerous for us to drive at night.
Fortunately, there are corrective lenses available to eliminate the effect of astigmatism for the most part. Surgical procedures are also available to change the shape of the eye and that can go a long way to helping as well.
If you are seeing light streaks at night or if you know somebody that complains of it, you don’t need to see a psychiatrist. You just need to see an eye doctor because, more than likely, you have astigmatism.