Skip to main content

Astigmatism

Girl Abstract Colorful Hair. Astigmatism causes blurry vision and can make driving and other tasks difficult

Astigmatism: Causes and Symptoms

Astigmatism is a very common eye condition that's easily corrected with glasses or contact lenses and on some occasions, eye surgery.

Astigmatism is caused when your cornea, the front part of the eye, is not perfectly round or spherical. Because our bodies are not perfect, astigmatism occurs in nearly everybody to some degree but for most, not to the degree that it causes blurry vision. Your cornea is naturally shaped like a dome of a ball or sphere. Under normal circumstances, when light enters the eye, the cornea bends it evenly, creating a clear picture on the back of your eye. In a person with astigmatism, their eye is shaped more like an oval or a football and light entering the eye is bent in two different directions. This causes a blurry picture at the back of the eyes as only part of the picture is in focus. Objects at any distance can appear blurry and wavy. For vision problems due to astigmatism, glasses or contact lenses and sometimes even vision correction surgery are all possible treatments.

People with undetected astigmatism often have blurred vision which can be associated with fatigue and eyestrain. While these symptoms may not necessarily be the result of astigmatism, you should schedule an eye exam if you are experiencing one or more symptoms.

Our Optometric Team Knows Astigmatism!

Our optometric team can diagnose astigmatism with a thorough eye exam. Astigmatism may occur in combination with other vision problems such as nearsightedness and farsightedness, or even dry eyes. Astigmatism can impact your vision and enjoyment of life, visit our optometrist if you notice changes in your vision, fatigue or eye strain.