Astigmatism is a common eye condition which may cause blurred vision, eye discomfort or headaches.
It’s characterised by an irregularly shaped cornea or lens. An ‘ideal’ cornea is perfectly spherical like a soccer ball, enabling light to bend and focus on the retina in just the right place so the eye can see clearly. When you have astigmatism, the cornea may be oval shaped, more like a rugby or AFL ball, meaning the light bends differently depending which part of the cornea it passes through. This results in a ‘blur circle’,rather than just one clear focal point. It can be tough for someone with astigmatism to focus on objects in the distance, and sometimes up close as well.
• Blurred, distorted or ‘double’ vision
• Fatigue
• Eye strain
• Headaches
It’s common for someone with astigmatism to also be either short sighted (myopic) or long sighted (hyperopic).
Astigmatism is easy to diagnose during a routine eye test and rest assured, it’s also easy to correct with glasses or contact lenses and in some cases laser surgery.
Your optometrist will recommend the best option for you.
