Astigmatism in Detail

What is Astigmatism?

Put simply Astigmatism means the cornea is shaped more like a rugby ball than a football.

Vision with astigmatism can be compared to looking through bottle glass; images appear tall, thin, wide, or blurry.

Astigmatism is usually inherited and may be present at birth. Astigmatism can occur in conjunction with nearsightedness or farsightedness and usually remains unchanged through life.

Astigmatism is diagnosed with a routine eye examination.

Glasses and contact lenses are used to correct vision.

Hard or gas permeable contact lenses generally improve astigmatism better than soft contact lenses. In some cases, however, soft contact lenses may be helpful.

Astigmatism can also be corrected with refractive surgery.

The cornea is reshaped to allow light to focus properly on the retina.

If you are experiencing blurred or distorted vision or other eye problems, you should obtain a complete eye examination.