What is Astigmatism? Exploring Symptoms and Treatments

Defining Astigmatism

The cornea—the clear, curved surface at the front of your eye—helps focus light onto the retina. When it’s smooth and round, light bends evenly, creating crisp, clear vision. If the cornea is uneven, however, light rays focus at multiple points instead of one, leading to blurred or distorted vision. 

In people with astigmatism, the cornea is shaped more like a football than a basketball. This irregular curve changes how light is refracted, making objects appear stretched, fuzzy, or shadowed. Astigmatism can also occur alongside nearsightedness (myopia) or farsightedness (hyperopia). 

There are two types of astigmatism:

• Corneal Astigmatism: This form happens when the cornea’s curvature is uneven, causing light to focus at multiple points. It often leads to blurry vision at all distances and can make bright lights appear to have halos or glare. 

• Lenticular Astigmatism: In this type, the eye’s internal lens—not the cornea—is irregularly shaped or slightly tilted, which distorts how light enters the eye. Symptoms are similar to corneal astigmatism, such as blurred or shadowed vision, even if the cornea’s shape is normal. 

What Causes Astigmatism?

The exact cause of astigmatism isn’t fully understood, but genetics play a major role. Many people are born with it, and it often runs in families. A comprehensive kid’s eye exam at The EyeDoctors Optometrists can identify astigmatism early, even in children, so corrective steps can be taken as vision develops. 

Astigmatism can also develop later in life due to factors such as: 

• Eye disease 

• Eye injury 

• Eye surgery (like cataract surgery) 

Astigmatism Symptoms to Look Out For

Both types of astigmatism share similar signs, and many overlap with symptoms of other vision conditions. Blurred or distorted vision is one of the most common indicators—something also seen in nearsightedness or farsightedness. If you’re unsure whether your vision issues stem from astigmatism, keep an eye out for these additional symptoms:

• The need to squint to bring things into clearer focus 

• Headaches 

• Eye strain or discomfort 

• Difficulty seeing at night 

The best way to determine whether you have astigmatism is to schedule a comprehensive eye exam at The EyeDoctors Optometrists. The exam is quick and comfortable and allows your optometrist to measure how your eyes focus light, the curvature of your cornea, and your visual clarity across distances.

How Astigmatism Is Treated

Astigmatism may sound complex, but it’s easily treatable. The skilled optometrists at The EyeDoctors Optometrists specialize in diagnosing and managing refractive errors like astigmatism, helping you find the right solution for clearer, more comfortable vision.

LASIK Surgery

LASIK is one of the most common and effective ways to correct astigmatism. This laser procedure reshapes the cornea by removing microscopic layers of tissue to create a more rounded surface. For people with astigmatism, the laser smooths out the uneven, football-like curvature so that light can focus correctly on the retina.   

The process is quick, recovery is typically fast, and most patients experience minimal discomfort. Possible side effects may include dryness, glare, or light sensitivity, but these are usually temporary. Your doctor at The EyeDoctors Optometrists will take detailed corneal measurements and design a custom laser treatment plan tailored to your eyes. While not everyone qualifies for LASIK, many with mild to moderate astigmatism are great candidates.

Eyeglasses

Eyeglasses remain one of the simplest and most popular options for correcting astigmatism. Lenses designed for astigmatism include a specialized cylindrical correction that compensates for the uneven curve of the cornea, allowing light to focus properly on the retina.   

During your appointment, your doctor will determine the exact strength and axis of your astigmatism and write a prescription specifying how the lenses should be crafted. Those over 40 may also benefit from bifocal or progressive lenses to correct both distance and near vision. With the right prescription, eyeglasses can provide clear, balanced vision without surgery or ongoing maintenance.

Specialty Contact Lenses

For some, contact lenses offer clearer and more natural vision than glasses because they move with the eye and provide a wider field of view. However, not all soft contact lenses are designed to correct astigmatism effectively.   At The EyeDoctors Optometrists, we offer a range of specialty contact lenses to address astigmatism, including:

• Toric soft contact lenses, which are shaped to match your corneal curvature. 

• Rigid gas permeable lenses (RGPs), which maintain their shape and provide sharper optics for more irregular corneas. 

Another treatment option, orthokeratology (Ortho-K), involves wearing specially designed rigid contact lenses overnight to gently reshape the cornea. This provides clear vision during the day without glasses or contacts, though the effect is temporary and vision will revert once the lenses are no longer worn.