What Are My Options for Correcting Astigmatism? Astigmatism is an eye condition caused by the imperfection of the eye lens or cornea curvature. This renders your cornea unable to evenly distribute light on the retina. It impairs close range and distance vision. People with this condition often experience distorted or blurry vision, headaches, squi nting, low vision at night, or eyestrain. Astigmatism can coexist with refractive conditions like hypermetropia (farsightedness) and myopia (nearsightedness). Most people are born with astigmatism, while others develop it due to eye disease or injury. Ty pes of Astigmatism The two types of astigmatism include lenticular astigmatism and corneal astigmatism. Lenticular astigmatism is when the eye lens is irregularly shaped. Corneal astigmatism occurs when the cornea is irregularly shaped. It's hard for young children to realize they have blurry vision, so a regular eye test is needed. Adolescents often have difficulty seeing writings on the whiteboard/blackboard or reading. Diagnosis and Treatment of Astigmatism People with astigmatism have an irregular cornea, the shape of a football. One area is always steeper than normal. Normally, the eye is supposed to be smooth and evenly curved in every direction, just like a baseball. This will enable it to refract light properly. Luckily, astigmatism is easy to treat, with several surgical and non - surgical treatment options available today. These include: Corrective Lenses : Corrective eyewear is a simple non - surgical approach to treating astigmatism. The contact lenses have a special prescription to correct the eye curvature. Laser Vision Correction: Advanced laser technology reduces the patient’s dependence on contact lenses. Procedures involved include laser - assisted subepithelial keratectomy, small incision lenticule extraction, and photorefractive keratectomy. In subepithelial keratectomy , the surgeon uses alcohol to loosen the cornea before altering the cornea's curvature with a laser. Small incision lenticule extraction is a new approach that reshapes a patient’s cornea us ing a laser. Photorefractive keratectomy is when the epithelium is surgically removed and allowed to grow back, taking the cornea's new shape naturally. Let the doctors evaluate you to determine the best astigmatism correction option for your unique case. About Author The Eye Center is the leading refractive practice in South Carolina, providing full service eye care and specializing in Refractive Surgery – Lasik, AST, PRK, PRELEX, as well as Corneal Transplant and Cataract Surgery.