Astigmatism
Usually astigmatism is caused by an irregularly shaped cornea or lens located behind the cornea.
Symptoms & Signs
If you have only a small amount of astigmatism, you may not notice it or have just slightly blurred vision. But sometimes uncorrected astigmatism can give you headaches or eyestrain and distort or blur your vision at all distances.
People with undetected astigmatism often experience headaches, fatigue, eyestrain and blurred vision at all distances. While these symptoms may not necessarily be the result of astigmatism, you should schedule an eye exam if you are experiencing one or more symptoms.
Cause
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.
Astigmatism may also result from an eye injury that has caused scarring on the cornea.
Treatments
Almost all degrees of astigmatism can be corrected with properly prescribed eyeglasses or contact lenses.
There is a common misconception that astigmatism can't be treated with laser. There is an rare form of astigmatism due to keratoconus, a disease of the cornea, which can't be treated by laser but most cases of astigmatism easily respond to laser treatment and allow people to get out of having to wear glasses or contact lenses to see clearly.