Astigmatism is a common eye condition that’s easily corrected by eyeglasses, contact lenses, or surgery. Astigmatism is characterized by an irregular curvature of the cornea. This is one type of refractive error. Astigmatism occurs in nearly everybody to some degree. For significant curvature, treatment is required.

A person’s eye is naturally spherical in shape. Under normal circumstances, when light enters the eye, it refracts evenly, creating a clear view of the object. However, the eye of a person with astigmatism is shaped more like a football or the back of a spoon. For this person, when light enters the eye it is refracted more in one direction than the other, allowing only part of the object to be in focus at one time. Objects at any distance can appear blurry and wavy.

Your optometrist can diagnose astigmatism with a thorough eye exam. It may occur with other refractive errors such as myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness). Unfortunately, astigmatism often goes undetected in school-age children.

Because astigmatisms may increase slowly, you should visit your optometrist or ophthalmologist whenever you notice significant changes in your vision. Optometrists are trained specifically to examine the general health of the eyes and prescribe  eyeglasses and contact lenses. Ophthalmologists provide total eyecare, including exams, diagnosis, and treatment of disease through medication and surgery.