Have your eyes been playing tricks on you? You might want to sit down for this.
The Twitter account Unusual Facts has gone certified viral — with more than 70,000 reactions — after posting side-by-side photos demonstrating what a “normal” eye sees in comparison to a person with astigmatism.
One shot of traffic features car lights that appear to be flared and stretched into a blur — while in the other the car lights appear more in focus and pinpointed.
Unusual Facts’ seemingly simple visual aide is freaking out thousands of folks who thought they were seeing things just like everybody else all their lives.
“Listen I’m in the school bathroom right now I did not ask for an existential crisis while I’m taking a s–t,” tweets @SamtheToaster.
“I had no clue this was a thing! Honestly just thought that’s how light worked!!!, adds @VesuvianVoice.
“…my life and seeing is a lie, I thought everyone saw the lines,” posts AmbientGryph.
“EVERYTHING MAKES SENSE NOW, I THOUGHT IT JUST SCREWED WITH DEPTH PERCEPTION. I HATE IT,” screams @SyrisReigns.
“I was today years old when I found I have astigmatism,” cracks @PureBredGay, exhibiting a more humorous perspective than many of the seemingly shocked commenters in the thread.
“Astigmatism is when the cornea is slightly curved rather than completely round,” the post says. “With astigmatism, light focuses on several points of the retina rather just one point. This is what people with Astigmatisms [see] vs. [those] without.”
A curve in the cornea causes this blurred vision, as it prevents light from focusing properly on the retina — but the exact cause of astigmatism is unknown, according to the American Optometric Association (AOA).
The condition is present from birth for most people and it can either get better or worse with age, the AOA reports.