What is it?

Astigmatism takes place when the front end section of the eye, the cornea, is not a uniform symmetric bulbous shape. Alternatively, its configuration is kind of like that of the back of a spoon - longer in one direction than another. Because the cornea is an crooked form, the eye can’t focus light passing through it sharply on to the back of the eye or retina. So vision is obscured at all distances.

What causes it?

As the eye originates in the womb, various components regulate the shape of it, including hereditary genetic factors and nurture. It turns out that these elements can result in an jagged curvature of the cornea, although the exact cause isn’t known.

Who’s affected?

Most people have a slight astigmatism

Astigmatism is common and is usually present when a person is born. Most people have a slight astigmatism - it’s unusual for the cornea to have developed in a utterly symmetrical way. But in mild cases, the eye can adjust to focus light adequately.

In many examples of astigmatism the person also has other optical troubles like short-sightedness or long-sightedness. Two-thirds of people with short-sightedness also have significant astigmatism.

What are the symptoms?

In severe astigmatism, vision is hazy or distorted whether the person is reading close up or looking further into the distance.

In milder cases the person may complain their vision is smudged at certain distances, that they’ve tired or dry eyes, that it’s a struggle to focus or read, or that they’ve headaches, especially when trying to focus.
How is it diagnosed?

Astigmatism should be diagnosed by a qualified optometrist, ophthalmic surgeon or eye specialist. A complete optometric examination should be done to assess the degree and extent of the problem.

Teeny children, who may not be able to respond to the optometrist’s questions about what they can see, can be assessed using a test called retinoscopy that involves reflected light.

What’s the treatment?

By and large, you can adequately deal with an astigmatism by using properly prescribed eyeglasses or contact lenses.

Milder astigmatism may not need treatment unless the individual is doing a job that puts intensive demands on the eyes, for example, computer work.

In some cases, astigmatism can be corrected by an operation called refractive surgery, which reshapes the cornea.

For some people another option is laser treatment. Try to obtain a balanced view about how good or dangerous laser surgery may be by speaking to your surgeon first.