Astigmatism is a common and usually minor eye condition that causes blurred or distorted vision. It occurs when the cornea or lens isn't a perfectly curved shape. Many people who wear glasses have some degree of astigmatism.

Astigmatism belongs to a group of related eye conditions known as refractive errors. Other common refractive errors include:

• short-sightedness (myopia)
• long-sightedness (hypermetropia)

If you have astigmatism, it's likely you'll also have one of these conditions.

Treating astigmatism

In many cases, the symptoms of astigmatism are so mild that treatment isn't needed to correct your vision. In cases where your vision is significantly affected by astigmatism, glasses or contact lenses can be used to correct it.