What is astigmatism?

Similarly to short-sightedness and far-sightedness, astigmatism is a vision defect and it often occurs in combination with one of the above (e.g. hyperopic astigmatism). To have it diagnosed, it is necessary to be examined by an ophthalmologist.

How to diagnose astigmatism?

An astigmatic person sees images unclearly both at close range and at a distance. The contours of people and objects are often blurred for them and the sense of space is frequently distorted.
They squint more often and they tilt their head in the search for the clear image. They perceive straight lines as waves and the stars as spots. These symptoms are accompanied by frontal headaches.

Types of astigmatism

• myopic,
• hyperopic,
• straight,
• diagonal,
• mixed
• irregular (it may be a symptom of the development of keratoconus),
• lenticular.

Ways of correcting astigmatism

If the cylinder value (“CYL” with a plus or minus sign) and axis (“ax” expressed in radians) are listed on the glasses/contact lenses prescription from an ophthalmologist, it means the prescription includes astigmatism correction.

To correct astigmatism toric/cylindrical contacts or glasses fitted with cylindrical lenses are used.

If you do not like wearing glasses or contact lenses because it negatively affects your everyday life, laser vision correction may be a good solution for you as it allows you to permanently correct astigmatism.

Laser vision correction and astigmatism

A laser vision correction surgery allows to correct astigmatism of up to 6 dioptres, regardless of whether it occurs on its own or is combined with another vision defect, e.g. short-sightedness. In the latter case, both defects are corrected during the same procedure or, in rare situations, in two stages.

Astigmatism does not affect the price of the laser vision correction procedure as the cost depends on the correction method applied by the ophthalmic surgeon. The choice of the method is determined mostly by the parameters of the cornea, such as its shape, curvature and thickness.

Additionally, astigmatism left after the surgical cataract treatment can also be corrected through the laser vision correction procedure.

Do you have hazy vision and do you see straight lines as if they were undulated? Do you often squint and rub your eyes? Do contours of figures and objects appear blurred to you? Make an appointment for a specialist ophthalmologic examination and check if you have astigmatism.

The doctor can also tell you if laser vision correction is a suitable procedure for you or if your vision problems are connected with the development of keratoconus, which is treated through a cross-linking procedure.

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