Astigmatism Correction

Astigmatism simply means that your cornea is not perfectly spherical. That's all. A cornea with no astigmatism (which is incredibly rare) is extremely spherical at the apex, similar to a round ball such as a tennis-ball.

A cornea that has astigmatism is steeper along one axis and flatter along another. Picture the side of a football. One side is flatter (from nose to nose) and the other meridian is steeper (where you hold it).

That is all. Astigmatism is not caused by anything you did, it is just the natural shape of your eye.

Contact lenses can correct astigmatism, they have been able to for well over thirty years. If you have ever been told by an eye doctor that you can not wear contact lenses because you have astigmatism, I highly suggest you find a new eye doctor. Because that one lied to you!

Soft contact lenses that correct astigmatism are called Toric lenses and there are plenty of them for all types of prescriptions. And if your eyes are out of the "bell curve" of disposable contact lenses, an eye care provider who knows what they are doing can easily have a pair custom made for you.

Gas permeable lenses can correct any corneal refractive error, including extremely advanced cases of astigmatism. You may feel them more at first, but your vision will be better than you could have ever imagined.

This one is obvious, of course eyeglasses can correct your astigmatism. (as long as it is regular, there is such thing as irregular astigmatism but I won't get in to that in this lens)

Find a frame you like and go to a qualified optician to have your lenses fit. If everything is not lined up just right with your glasses, you will suffer constant headaches. Be patient if it takes a little while to get used to them. They will help you comfortably see.

Of course, if you are a brave soul, you can opt for elective refractive surgery. Remember how I said astigmatism is basically the shape of your cornea? Well surgery will effectively re-shape the front surface of you cornea. Leaving you with a smooth and spherical eye.

While extremely successful, there are risks involved. And the extent of astigmatism a person has may dictate whether or not they are a candidate.

If you opt for surgery, make sure you really trust your surgeon!

Glasses have two expensive parts, the frames and the lenses. The lenses are going to be expensive regardless. At least if you want good ones they will be. (but trust me, they are worth it!) You can save on the frame by purchasing an optical quality pair of reading glasses, such as those designed by scojo or eyebobs. These are very reputable frame designers that offer quality ready made reading glasses at a great price. And their frames are really cute too!