ASTI - what???? Astigmatism 101.

When we diagnose patients with ocular disease or refractive error, we take great care explaining the condition to our patients. Astigmatism is one of the diagnoses we discuss with patient on daily basis.

Astigmatism occurs because the cornea is curved more in one direction than the other direction, so that it is shaped like the back of a teaspoon. With astigmatism, images at all distances will be blurry. A person's eye is naturally spherical in shape. Under normal circumstances, when light enters the eye, it refracts evenly, creating a clear view of the object. However, the eye of a person with astigmatism is shaped more like a football or the back of a spoon. For this person, when light enters the eye it is refracted more in one direction than the other, allowing only part of the object to be in focus at one time. Objects at any distance can appear blurry and wavy.

Astigmatism can be hereditary and is often present at birth. It can also result from pressure from the eyelids on the cornea, incorrect posture, or an increased use of the eyes for close work.

Patients do not have to worry about astigmatism too much. Just as other refractive errors, astigmatism can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. Additionally, LASIK can also correct most types of low to moderate astigmatism.