Astigmatism: What Is It, What Causes It, and How to Treat It

Astigmatism. It may seem like a fancy scientific word, but an astigmatism is quite easy to understand. In a nutshell, an astigmatism is a condition in which your eye's cornea or lens has an irregular shape, resulting in blurry vision. It affects about one-third of the U.S. population. Continue reading to find out what causes an astigmatism and how to treat it.

What is an Astigmatism?

To break it down further, your eye is made up of many parts. Your pupil is the dark center part of your eye which allows you to see. Your pupil is covered by a cornea, which is a clear covering on the front of your eye. Ideally, your cornea should be a circular ball shape. An astigmatism happens when your cornea is irregularly shaped, like an egg or a football. An astigmatism can also occur if your lens has an irregular shape. Your lens sits behind your pupil and should also be shaped like a round ball. These differences in shape, and the resulting refraction of incoming light into your eye, are what causes an astigmatism.

Astigmatism Symptoms

So what symptoms are involved in astigmatisms? The most prominent symptom is often blurry vision - either towards objects close to you or far away. Astigmatisms can also lead to eye strain, headaches, eye discomfort, poor night vision, and squinting.

Astigmatism Causes

Most people are usually born with astigmatisms. However, you can also get astigmatisms outside of genetic factors. Some people can attain an astigmatism after eye injuries, eye surgeries, or eye-related diseases.

How to Treat an Astigmatism

If you have an astigmatism, don't fear! Astigmatisms are treatable. First off, it's important to consult with your eye doctor to complete astigmatism tests and get diagnosed. You should also discuss treatments. Some astigmatisms can be mild and will not require any treatment. However, if your astigmatism is causing vision problems, you will most likely benefit from wearing prescription glasses. Wearing Rx glasses will improve your vision and help alleviate your astigmatism symptoms. However, if your astigmatism is severe you could also try wearing corrective lenses (also referred to as Orthokeratology) to correct the shape of your cornea. In most severe cases, refractive surgery is another option.

Next Steps

If you've already confirmed with your optometrist or ophthalmologist that you have an astigmatism and need prescription glasses, explore our variety of men's and women's glasses. Our stylish frames come in an array of shapes, colors, and styles. You can also shop Buy 1, Get 1 Free on many of our frames.