Question 1

what is astigmatism?

Accepted Answer

Oval eye shape: Refractive errors require either plus (farsighted) or minus (nearsighted) glasses + an extra amount if the eye is oval in shape (astigmatism).  These are called refractive errors and can be corrected with glasses or contacts.  The list of other eye problems is long and these are usually unrelated to astigmatism.

Question 2

how bad is astigmatism?

Accepted Answer

Usually not: Astigmatism is a physical curvature aspect of the cornea and lens of the eye which in effect makes the eye oval.  The term astigmatism is from physics and is not usually a bad thing.  The correction is a reverse oval in the eyeglasses or contacts.  Most astigmatism is small and easily corrected.  Sometimes it is large or irregular and that make perfect vision difficult. See your ophthalmologist.

Question 3

what causes astigmatism?

Accepted Answer

Irregular Cornea: Astigmatism usually is caused by an irregularly shaped cornea. Instead of the cornea having a symmetrically round shape (like a baseball), it is shaped more like a football, with one meridian being significantly more curved than the meridian perpendicular to it. Astigmatism usually causes vision to be blurred or distorted to some degree at all distances.

Question 4

can astigmatism be cured?

Accepted Answer

Yes: It can be treated with the laser or incisional techniques.  In most cases, astigmatism is not treated surgically but with glasses or contact lenses.  Having astigmatism is normal.  Most people have it.

Question 5

how common is astigmatism?

Accepted Answer

Astigmatism: Astigmatism occurs in about 60% of eyes.  It is an ovalness of the eye corrected with a reverse oval in the eyeglasses and contacts.  The degree is quite variable and most have a small amount but you need to see your ophthalmologist to have yours measured.

Question 6

how is astigmatism treated?

Accepted Answer

Contact lenses: The irregularities in the curvature of the cornea can be addressed though customized contact lenses.

Question 7

what does astigmatism mean?

Accepted Answer

Not spherical: Astigmatism means that the front window of the eye, the cornea, is not spherical.  It is shaped like the side of an egg.  

Astigmatism is normal.

Question 8

what happens in astigmatism.?

Accepted Answer

Distorted vision: Regular astigmatism is a refractive error produced when your eye generates an image as if the light rays passed through a glass football. Glasses, contact lenses, or laser vision correction can correct the error so you can see better.

Question 9

how is astigmatism diagnosed?

Accepted Answer

Diagnosing Astigmati: Astigmatism is caused by a football shaped cornea so technologies can that can measure corneal shape (topographers) can diagnose astigmatism.Glasses refraction, corneal topography, scheimpflug photography, keratometry, and many sophisticated technologies can easily diagnose astigmatism today. Most cases can be corrected by glasses/cls, laser techniquesand lens implant technologies (toric lenses).

Question 10

can a major astigmatism be fixed?

Accepted Answer

Usually: Astigmatism can be corrected with eyeglasses and special contact lenses.  It can be diminished with lasik surgery in most cases.  The key word here is "major".  Discuss with your ophthalmologist what options would be best for you.

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