Astigmatism

Astigmatism in the eye occurs when the normal symmetrical shape of the cornea and the lens of the eye are misaligned, thus leading to incorrect vision. In this condition, the cornea is shaped like a football or the curved back of a spoon, causing loss of vision.

The difference in curvature in the medians of the eye results in the difference in the power of the eye along each median. There are five types of astigmatism based on nearsightedness and farsightedness:

Simple myopic astigmatism where one meridian is nearsighted and the other is farsighted.

Compound myopic astigmatism - Here though both meridians are nearsighted, one is more so than the other.

Simple hyperopic astigmatism - Where one meridian is farsighted and other is nearsighted.

Compound hyperopic astigmatism - Here though both meridians are farsighted, one is more so than the other.

Mixed astigmatism - Here, one meridian is nearsighted and the other is farsighted.

Typically, astigmatism is quite mild and rarely requires corrective lenses. However, people who suffer from severe astigmatism may suffer from symptoms like eyestrains, squinting, headache, blurred vision and fatigue.

Astigmatism is a condition that is found in both, adults and children. It can be corrected with spectacles as well as contact lenses. There are various types of lenses available in the market today. Besides hard lenses, there are also several soft lenses available today, like toric lenses, which can correct this condition. They have a special correction built in to them, which contains a prescription for both, farsightedness and nearsightedness.