June 20, 2011 @ 08:29 PM — by Dr. William Goldstein
Astigmatism is one of the most mistunderstood terms in eye care. In fact, it almost sounds like a life-threatening disease when some patients talk about it! "How can I have LASIK, Dr. Goldstein? I have....ASTIGMATISM!". And really, it's just another common cause of blurry vision.
In most cases, astigmatism is actually a very benign condition, and one that can be treated very successfully. The first step is to understand what astigmatism really is. Actually, astigmatism is similar to near and farsightedness. It is merely a problem in the way that the eye focuses light. Astigmatism occurs when the eye has unequal curvature, and is shaped like a football instead of round in all directions like a basketball. This difference in curve causes two points of focus in side the eye. Nearsighted, or myopic patients have eyes that are too long, and farsighted, or hyperopic patients have shorter than ideal eyes. The treatment of astigmatism is similar to treating nearsightedness and fars