What is an astigmatism?
If you experience distortion or blurring at all distances, then you may be diagnosed with astigmatism, the most common refractive error. In fact, most people with myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness) experience some degree of astigmatism as well. Extreme cases of astigmatism cause vision to be blurred both near and far. These problems are caused when the cornea is more oblong than spherical, like the back of a spoon. The light rays entering the eye bend unequally, resulting in two different focal points and causing distortion or tilting of images. More than 50 percent of people diagnosed with myopia also suffer from astigmatism. The table below illustrates the categories of severity for astigmatism: • Mild • Moderate • Severe • Extreme • <1.00 diopters • 1.00 to 2.00 diopters • 2.00 to 3.00 diopters • >3.
