Astigmatism is a common eye problem that can make your vision blurry or distorted. It happens when your cornea (the clear front layer of your eye) or lens (an inner part of your eye that helps focus the eye) has a different shape than normal.

The only way to find out if you have astigmatism is to have an eye exam. Glasses or contact lenses can help you see better - and some people can have surgery to correct their astigmatism.

The most common symptoms of astigmatism are:

• Blurry sight
• You have to close your eyes to see clearly
• Headache
• Tired eyes
• Difficulty seeing at night

If you have mild astigmatism, you may not notice any symptoms. That's why it's important to get regular eye exams - your eye doctor can help make sure you see as clearly as possible. This is especially true for children, who are less likely to realize that their vision is not normal.

Astigmatism occurs when your cornea or lens is a different shape than normal. The shape causes the light to bend differently when it enters your eye, creating a refractive error.

Doctors don't know what causes astigmatism, and there's no way to prevent it. Some people are born with astigmatism, but many people develop it as children or young adults. Some people can also develop astigmatism after an eye injury or eye surgery.

Ophthalmologists can monitor astigmatism as part of an enlarged eye exam. The exam is simple and painless.

The most common treatments for astigmatism are glasses or contact lenses . Your eye doctor will prescribe the correct lenses to help you see as clearly as possible.

Doctors can also use surgery to treat astigmatism. The surgery changes the shape of your cornea so that it can focus light correctly.

If your astigmatism is mild, you may not need treatment. Your eye doctor can help you figure out if you need treatment and what type of treatment is best for you.