Astigmatism: An Overview
Astigmatism refers to an uneven or irregular shape of your cornea (the front surface
of your eye) or your lens (the part of the eye that focuses light onto your retina).
It is an eye condition that is usually present from birth and can blur or distort
your vision at all distances, near or far. This can affect how you perform everyday
activities such as reading, working at a computer or watching a movie.
A normal, healthy cornea is spherical, like a basketball. Light passes through the
lens and is able to sharply focus onto the retina. An eye with corneal astigmatism
is more oblong, like a football. Light is bent and distorted as it passes through
the lens, often causing light rays to focus improperly on the back of the eye. This
creates blurry vision.
Astigmatism-Correcting Cataract Surgery
When replacing a clouded lens affected by cataracts, your doctor can often correct
astigmatism as well. AcrySof® IQ Toric IOLsare specially designed
to minimize the imperfections in your cornea. This allows light to enter and focus
onto the retina properly and can greatly reduce, or even eliminate, your need for
glasses or contact lenses for distance vision activities such as driving or playing
golf.