If you have recently been diagnosed with astigmatism, you may be curious about what astigmatism is, what causes it, and how your doctor will treat it. The good news is that astigmatism is easily treated, treatment is successful for almost all patients, and some mild cases may not even need treatment at all. Read more to find out about this condition, its symptoms, causes, and treatments.

What Is Astigmatism?

Astigmatism means that the cornea, which should be shaped like a sphere, takes on a more oblong shape or is otherwise misshapen. You may be diagnosed with one of two kinds of astigmatism depending on whether the cornea or the lens is misshapen. These imperfections can be a problem for vision because the light rays cannot perfectly refract. Astigmatism is not classified as an eye disease, but rather a “refractive error” due to the fact that it causes light to incorrectly refract. Corneal astigmatism is the form that is seen most often, but lenticular astigmatism, or astigmatism of the lens, is also commonly seen.

Causes of Astigmatism

Although not a lot is known about what causes astigmatism, it is clear that it shows a strong prevalence in families. Therefore, anyone who has family members with astigmatism is likely to be born with the condition. Other risk factors include keratoconus or a family history of keratoconus, corneal scarring, extreme myopia or hyperopia, eye injury, or eye surgery.

Symptoms of Astigmatism

Astigmatism can often be confused with nearsightedness and farsightedness. It is helpful to point out that all three of these things are different, but astigmatism often occurs in conjunction with myopia and hyperopia. One good distinction is that astigmatism can cause blurriness at every distance rather than just up close or just far away. Other symptoms may be noticeable too, such as eye strain, frequent squinting, a gritty feeling in the eyes, or frequent headaches.

Treatments for Astigmatism

If the patient has very mild astigmatism with no distressing symptoms, astigmatism treatment may not be needed at all. If, however, the astigmatism is more severe or the patient is experiencing blurriness or other symptoms, the doctor will diagnose the problem and then recommend a treatment. During the exam, your doctor may use a phoropter, which has multiple lenses which the patient looks through to find the clearest picture. A Keratometer may be used to measure the curvature of the cornea.

Patients will mild astigmatism will most likely be prescribed eyeglasses or soft contact lenses. These will help to correctly refract the light and minimize blurriness. Patients with more extreme astigmatisms may be prescribed gas-permeable rigid contact lenses that are designed to help correct the shape of your eye or refractive surgery such as LASIK. These types of surgery can reshape the eye but are only performed on patients who have healthy vision.

If you or your child has a history of astigmatism, it is important to visit your eye doctor right away. Astigmatism, particularly in children, should be treated right away to avoid damage to the vision and unpleasant symptoms such as headaches or eye strain. Contact your doctor today if you think you or a family member may have astigmatism.