Have you ever been told your eye was shaped like a football?
When your cornea has two different curvatures it usually causes astigmatism.
Astigmatism is a very common type of prescription that affects 75% of people. In a comprehensive eye exam an optometrist checks the health of your eyes and your prescription. Eye health is to ensure good vision throughout your life, and the prescription is how we can give you the clearest vision possible using glasses or contacts. Astigmatism is a prescription, although there are some rare health concerns that are related to astigmatism such as keratoconus. Astigmatism is diagnosed by your corneal curvature and prescription. Astigmatism is caused by an irregular shaped cornea or lens. The cornea is the front surface of your eye and the lens is inside your eye and is responsible for focusing. With astigmatism, the shape is not a perfect sphere, it has two different curvatures like a football. Those two different curvatures produce two different focal points which result in a blurred image. Astigmatism typically causes blurred vision at all distances. Glasses can make those two focal points clear and reduce eyestrain.
