Astigmatism

Overview

Astigmatism means that the cornea is oval like a football instead of spherical like a basketball.  Most astigmatic corneas have two curves – a steeper curve and a flatter curve.  This causes light to focus on more than one point in the eye, resulting in blurred vision at distance or near.  Astigmatism often occurs along with nearsightedness or farsightedness.

Signs and Symptoms

·         Blurred vision (near and distance)

Detection and Diagnosis

Astigmatism can be detected and measured with corneal topography, keratometry, vision testing and refraction.

Treatment

Astigmatism can be corrected with glasses, contacts, or surgically.  The most common surgeries used to correct astigmatism are astigmatic keratotomy (procedures that involve placing a microscopic incision on the eye) and LASIK.  The objective of these procedures is to reshape the cornea so it becomes more spherical or uniformly curved.

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