Home » Needs For Vision » Astigmatism For healthy eyes one has to fulfill all the needs for vision correction, if there is any problem in the eyes like optical power or any disorder. One such disorder of the eye is Astigmatism. When a patient suffers from astigmatism, then there is a mild imperfection that is caused in the eye curvature. The good news about the disorder is it can be treated easily. When one is suffering from this disorder then there is a blurred vision. Astigmatism is caused when the cornea of the eye i.e. the lens which is a part of the front portion of the eye shows a curvature that is slightly different in one direction where the other is concerned. The surface of the cornea is uneven because of the curvature which is flatter at places and steeper at the others. It is said to be corneal astigmatism when the shape of the cornea is distorted. Lenticular astigmatism is when the curvature of the lens is uneven. In both the categories of astigmatism one can experience blurred visions.When there is blurring caused by Astigmatism then objects at all distances, near or far form a hazy image in the eye.

Astigmatism can be congenital that is it can be present right from the birth and it can be caused as a complication with long sightedness or shortsightedness. The problem of Astigmatism is that, the condition has tendency to remain the same for long periods of time, neither deteriorating nor improving. Astigmatism is however a common eye defect and mostly every one is affected by this disorder to some extent, more or less. But because of its least pronounced state no treatment is required. But if it is serious, then treatments are done which include wearing corrective lenses and in many cases surgery can also be done. As stated earlier the causes of Astigmatism are nothing but refractive error which is in turn caused by improper curvature of the lens or the cornea of the eye. In many cases, astigmatism can also develop after one suffers from an eye injury, a surgery or even a disease. However it is a myth that reading in inadequate light, or watching T.V from close or even squinting can lead to Astigmatism.Proper treatment of astigmatism is available and that is done to correct the uneven curvature of the lens or the cornea that is responsible for the blurring of the vision. If one wears corrective lenses then the vision is corrected and a refractive surgery only cures it completely. Contact lenses work best in this case as they are ideal for correcting both the corneal astigmatism as well as lenticular astigmatism. Some of the refractive srgery methods are LASIK surgery which is Laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis where keratome is used to operate on the cornea. The other one is PRK or Photorefractive keratectomy.