Astigmatism

Astigmatism is caused by the irregular shape of the cornea and, to some extent, affects most people. Although many people have an irregularly shaped cornea, not all need to wear corrective lenses. A small amount of irregularity will not affect vision.

Those who have a large amount of astigmatism will have blurred vision and may suffer headaches. This is because the irregularity of the cornea means that light is not focusing on the retina as it should. Unlike myopia or hyperopia, having astigmatism means that vision can be blurry at any distance. Astigmatism often affects people with myopia or hyperopia.

Causes

The cause of astigmatism is not known, but is usually present from birth and may be hereditary. Like other vision conditions, astigmatism can change over time leading to a worsening or lessening of the problem. In astigmatism, the curvature of the surface of the lens or cornea may be different in one place than it is in another. Besides heredity, an injury or surgery may also cause a change in the curvature.

Treatment

As with myopia and hyperopia, corrective lenses are the most common way to allow those with astigmatism to see clearly. But it can also be corrected by reshaping the cornea through refractive laser surgery. By undergoing LASIK or PRK, some of the tissue of the cornea is removed to allow light to focus on the retina in the correct way.

If you would like to learn more about how to correct your astigmatism, please contact an experienced eye doctor in your area to set up an initial consultation.