Astigmatism
In this condition factsheet:
The Facts on Astigmatism
The cornea is the clear front layer on the surface of the eye that does most of the work of bending light as it enters the eye. Light must be bent properly so that it creates a sharp image. Theoretically, the eye's cornea should be perfectly round, like a slice off the surface of a ping-pong ball.
When parallel light rays pass through the cornea, they should be bent just enough to meet and focus on the retina (the light-sensitive membrane that lines the back of the eye). The lens is responsible for fine adjustments of focus.
Astigmatism is a condition in which the cornea is oval, like the bottom of a dessert spoon. This means that the light rays focus at different points in the eye. As a result, the focus is smeared so that while lines in one direction may be sharp, lines in another direction will be blurry.
Causes of Astigmatism
We don't know what causes astigmatism, but we know it tends to run in families. Some people are born with astigmatism. Others get astigmatism later in life, sometimes after eye injury, surgery, or disease.
Everyone has a tiny degree of astigmatism – no cornea is perfectly round. It's only a problem when it interferes with vision. Astigmatism is not made worse by sitting too close to the television, squinting, or reading in low light.
Symptoms and Complications of Astigmatism
If you have astigmatism, you may be able to focus on an object just fine, but the peripheral field of view won't be perfectly clear. Often, people with astigmatism have myopia (nearsightedness) as well. If their vision isn't corrected, everything will be blurred, but still some areas of the field of view will be more focused than others. People with astigmatism may experience headache or eyestrain.
Astigmatism shouldn't cause halos, dimming, brightness, or any changes to the outward appearance of the eye. These symptoms suggest other problems like glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and conjunctivitis. The degree of astigmatism may change over the years, but there shouldn't be any sudden changes in ability to see and make out detail.
