In astigmatism, the front surface of the eye, or cornea, has a non-spherical shape. The oval curve of the cornea in astigmatism is similar to the shape of an egg, rather than spherical like a golf ball.

People with astigmatism tend to have blurred or distorted vision when viewing detail at far distances or close up. It is also common to get headaches or eyestrain with uncorrected astigmatism.

Your optometrist will perform a test known as refraction to determine the amount of astigmatism in your prescription.

Absolutely. Both glasses and contact lenses can be prescribed to clear up the blur created by astigmatism. Toric contact lenses are specially designed for people with astigmatism and provide sharper vision than regular contacts. Refractive laser surgery is also an option to correct astigmatism.