ASTIGMATISM

WHAT IS ASTIGMATISM?
Astigmatism is the most common vision problem among people. It caused by an irregularly shaped cornea or lens and is corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses or refractive surgery.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF ASTIGMATISM?
If you have only a small amount of astigmatism, you may not notice it or have just slightly blurred vision. Sometimes uncorrected astigmatism can cause headaches or eyestrain, and distort or blur your vision at all distances.

WHAT CAUSES ASTIGMATISM?
Astigmatism occurs when the cornea is shaped more like an oblong football rather than a spherical baseball, which is the normal shape. The lens of the eye can also cause astigmatism if it is shape is not completely convex. In either case, light rays focus on two points in the back of your eye, rather than just one. Many people are born with astigmatism, and the resulting vision problem may get worse over time.

HOW CAN ASTIGMATISM BE TREATED?
Astigmatism can be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses, or surgery. Many people with astigmatism believe that they cannot wear contact lenses, or only rigid contact lenses (RGP) can correct astigmatism. This is no longer true. Now there are soft contact lens designs that correct astigmatism that are called toric contact lenses. Toric contact lenses have a special correction built into them and may also contain a prescription for nearsigntedness or farsightedness. LASIK surgery can also be an option for individuals with astigmatism.