What is astigmatism?
Astigmatism is a refractive problem with the eye, similar to nearsightedness or farsightedness.
It is caused by a misshaped eye, but is very common. Most astigmatism comes from the cornea, but can also come from the lens. The best way to think about astigmatism is to imagine your eye being shaped like a football or an egg, instead of perfectly round like a basketball.
Most patients that wear glasses or contact lenses have some astigmatism.