Astigmatic corrector

Astigmatism is a common condition where light entering the eye gets bent or focused unequally in one meridian versus another.  It can coexist with nearsightedness or farsightedness, and will cause things to appear blurry at distance and near.  Uncorrected astigmatism may also cause eyestrain and headaches.   Fortunately, it is usually easily corrected by glasses or contact lenses.  Contact lenses that correct astigmatism fall into two main types:  rigid gas permeable and soft.  Both vary considerably in their advantages and disadvantages which will be detailed in this article.

What is astigmatism?

Astigmatism is a type of refractive error where light rays focus at different points in the eye.  This creates a blurry image affecting both the distance and near acuity.  Astigmatism can be caused by the shape or curvature of the cornea being more football- shaped versus round in a spherical eye or by the lens inside of the eye (less significantly).