Astigmatism

What is Astigmatism?

Any object we gaze at must be consistently in focus at the back of the eye in order to see totally clearly. Astigmatism occurs when the front surface of the eye called the cornea or the crystalline lens of the eye (or both) are not shaped spherically, but rather have different curvatures, a bit like a rugby ball. This occurs when the eye focuses light at two different places on the retina, the layer at the back of the eye, causing blur and distortion in vision.

Astigmatism is relatively common and can be corrected with spectacles or contact lenses. You may have astigmatism if you have blurred vision, headaches or eye-strain. It is commonly found in people with short sight or long sight vision.

How do you treat astigmatism?

Astigmatism is a type of refractive error, and is corrected with glasses, or contact lenses to enable you to see clearly. If your astigmatism changes, or you are having it corrected for the first time, you may find your glasses feel strange at first, whilst your brain gets used to seeing things with the astigmatism corrected.

What are the symptoms of Astigmatism?

Astigmatism can cause:

• Blurred vision
• Headaches
• Eyestrain (you may notice this after concentrating for a long time – on a computer, for example)

Astigmatism normally occurs alongside short sight or long sight

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