Astigmatism

Astigmatism is a condition in which the front surface of the cornea of the eye is not truly spherical. The eye is usually pretty healthy, but magnification in one direction is greater than in the others. More severe astigmatism causes blurring of lines at a particular angle. The condition can be treated with cylindrical lens glasses or with hard contact lenses. A special "toric" soft lens is also available now. Cylindrical lenses are shaped like slices from a tube and compensate for the defects of the eye by bending the light rays inward.