Learn About Astigmatism
Astigmatism is a type of refractive error of the eye. Refractive errors cause blurred vision. They are the most common reason why a person goes to see an eye professional.
Other types of refractive errors are:
- Farsightedness
- Nearsightedness
People are able to see because the front part of the eye bends (refracts) light and focuses it on the retina. This is the inside of the back surface of the eye.
If the light rays are not clearly focused on the retina, the images you see may be blurry.
With astigmatism, the cornea is abnormally curved. This curve causes vision to be out of focus.
The cause of astigmatism is unknown. It is most often present from birth. Astigmatism often occurs together with nearsightedness or farsightedness. If astigmatism gets worse, it may be a sign of keratoconus.
Astigmatism is very common. It sometimes occurs after certain types of eye surgery, such as cataract surgery.
Astigmatism makes it hard to see fine details, either close up or from a distance.
Mild astigmatism may not need to be corrected.
Glasses or contact lenses will correct astigmatism, but do not cure it.
Laser surgery can help change the shape of the cornea surface to eliminate astigmatism, along with nearsightedness or farsightedness.
Baylor College Of Medicine - Ophthalmology
My work focuses on improving the outcomes of cataract surgery and refractive surgery procedures such as LASIK and PRK. It involves all aspects: careful measurement, individualized selection of the appropriate options for each patient, meticulous surgery, prevention of complications, and maximizing the final vision. I also specialize in the management of complex conditions including cataract and intraocular lens problems, iris repair and replacement, and management of LASIK and PRK problems. I conduct research and teach physicians around the world in these areas. Dr. Koch is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Astigmatism. His top areas of expertise are Astigmatism, Cataract, Keratoconus, Cataract Removal, and Corneal Transplant.
Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
James Randleman is an Ophthalmologist in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Randleman has been practicing medicine for over 34 years and is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Astigmatism. His top areas of expertise are Keratoconus, Astigmatism, Nearsightedness, Vitrectomy, and Cataract Removal.
University Of Pittsburgh Physicians
Vishal Jhanji is an Ophthalmologist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dr. Jhanji is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Astigmatism. His top areas of expertise are Interstitial Keratitis, Astigmatism, Keratoconus, Corneal Transplant, and Cataract Removal. Dr. Jhanji is currently accepting new patients.
Astigmatism may change with time, requiring new glasses or contact lenses. Laser vision correction can most often eliminate, or greatly reduce astigmatism.
In children, uncorrected astigmatism in only one eye may cause amblyopia.
Contact your health care provider or ophthalmologist if vision problems worsen, or do not improve with glasses or contact lenses.
Summary: This study is a single-arm, prospective, observational study conducted at one site to evaluate the comfort and vision of the TOTAL30 Multifocal (T30MF) contact lenses over the course of long wear days. The study will assess the proportion of positive subjective Visual Analog Scale (VAS) assessments of comfort and vision at 10, 12, 14, and 16 hours of wear on Days 1, 7, 14, and 30. Additionally, th...
Summary: Keratoconus causes irregular astigmatism and reduced vision. Epi-off corneal crosslinking (CXL) stabilizes the cornea but often leaves higher-order aberrations uncorrected. This randomized, parallel-group trial compares corneal wavefront guided photorefractive keratectomy (corneal wavefront guided PRK, 50 µm therapeutic ablation) combined with accelerated epi-off CXL versus epi-off CXL with epithe...
Published Date: July 09, 2024
Published By: Audrey Tai, DO, MS, Athena Eye Care, Mission Viejo, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Le NT, Mamalis C, Weikert MP, Al-Mohtaseb Z. Excimer laser surface ablation: photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), laser subepithelial keratomileusis (LASEK), and Epi-LASIK. In: Yanoff M, Duker JS, eds. Ophthalmology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 3.3.
Olitsky SE, Marsh JD. Abnormalities of refraction and accommodation. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 660.
Stevens DV, Young JA. Correction of refractive errors. In: Yanoff M, Duker JS, eds. Ophthalmology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 2.4.