Are your eyes playing tricks on you? A viral Twitter post revealing the symptoms of astigmatism revealed to many social-media users that their eyes could be.
Cole, who's from the US, runs Twitter account @UnusualFacts6.
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He posted side-by-side photo of traffic on his account to show the difference in vision between those with astigmatism and those without it.
In the 'normal' version, the traffic and rear lights had a slight blur around them.
But in stark contrast, in the shot representing what people with astigmatism see, there were streaks of light shooting out across the image.
Astigmatism is a condition in which the surface of the eye is shaped more like an egg than a round ball, leading to blurred vision.
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The condition is present from birth for most and can either correct or worsen with age.
Cole captioned the photos: "Astigmatism is when the cornea is slightly curved rather than completely round...
"With astigmatism, light focuses on several points of the retina rather than just one point. This is what people with astigmatisms vs without."
The post, which has since been shared almost 23,000 times and liked more than 55,000 times, left many people who were previously unaware of the condition convinced that they had it.
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One person said: "Holy sh*t, I thought everyone saw the lines. When I was little I would squint to make em longer to entertain myself. Thought that was normal."
Another person commented: "I THOUGHT EVERYONE SAW THE LINES?! I didn't realize [sic] I had an astigmatism?!"
A third added: ""I was today years old when I found I have astigmatism,""
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One simply said: "I had no clue this was a thing! Honestly just thought that's how light worked!!!"
People who have previously been diagnosed with astigmatism spoke about their experiences with seeing light in different forms.
One wrote: "My mom has astigmatism, but I also see those lines (only not as long) whenever I look at traffic lights..."
Another said: "I'm pretty sure I only have myopia. It could have something to do with my allergies, though."
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A third commented: "I have it in one eye, so I see both at the same time. Makes it very hard to drive at night."
Featured Image Credit: Unsplash
