Eiichiro Oda, the creator of Manga One Piece, has to undergo surgery due to astigmatism, a common eye disorder that occurs when the cornea has an abnormal shape. As a result, Manga One Piece will be on hiatus for a month after chapter 1086 is released, and the next episode will be aired on July 18, 2023, to give Oda time to recover. Let’s learn more about astigmatism, its symptoms, and treatment options.
Astigmatism is a refractive error that occurs when the cornea or lens of the eye has an irregular shape, causing blurred vision and difficulty seeing at night. It is also commonly referred to as a cylindrical error or a cylindrical refractive error. When someone has astigmatism, their eyes can appear spherical or like the bowl of a spoon. This causes light entering the eye to refract unevenly and affect vision at all distances.
In normal eyes, light entering the eye passes through the cornea, which focuses the light onto the lens. The lens then refocuses the light to create an image on the retina at the back of the eye. The retina then sends signals to the brain via the optic nerve, which is interpreted as vision. However, in astigmatism, the light entering the eye is bent more in one direction than the other, and the light does not focus properly on the retina. This results in distorted or blurry vision and a lack of sharpness in images, whether near or far.
Astigmatism usually occurs due to an irregularly shaped cornea, known as corneal astigmatism. Alternatively, it can occur when the lens inside the eye is irregularly curved, known as lenticular astigmatism, caused by cataracts. Anyone can develop astigmatism at any time, and some may have it from birth.
Symptoms of astigmatism include blurred vision, difficulty seeing details, seeing halos around lights, squinting to see better, headaches, and eye fatigue.
Several treatment options are available for astigmatism, such as eyeglasses, contact lenses, and refractive surgery. Corrective eyeglasses and contact lenses are a common solution for correcting astigmatism, while orthokeratology (ortho-K) involves using rigid contact lenses worn at night to reshape the cornea temporarily. Refractive surgery is recommended when someone experiences severe astigmatism. The procedure uses a laser or small blade to reshape the cornea, which can typically correct astigmatism permanently.
In Oda’s case, surgery will help correct his astigmatism and improve his vision so that he can continue creating the best manga content he’s known for. Despite his condition, fans expressed their concern and gratitude for Oda on social media. With the hiatus of Manga One Piece for a month, fans are eagerly waiting for Oda’s quick recovery and return to creating more captivating stories for the world to read.
