How to correct astigmatism: The most common vision problem

Astigmatism is an eye condition with blurred vision as it's main symptom. The front surface of the eye (cornea) of a person with astigmatism is not curved properly. The curve is irregular, usually one half is flatter than the other. Sometimes one area is steeper than it should be.

The two most common types of astigmatism are:

• Corneal Astigmatism: the cornea has an irregular shape
• Lenticular Astigmatism: the lens has an irregular shape

Either kind of astigmatism can usually be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery. Many people that have an astigmatism problem don't notice they have it. Sometimes uncorrected astigmatism can give you headaches or eye strain and distort or blur your vision at all distances. In order to see if you have astigmatism you want to make sure you schedule an eye exam. You have to watch because children may be even more unaware of the condition than adults, and they are unlikely to complain about blurred or distorted vision. You want to detect astigmatism as early as possible.