What Is Astigmatism?
Astigmatism is a common eye problem in which a person’s cornea or lens has an irregular shape. These problems are known as Corneal astigmatism and Lenticular astigmatism respectively.
The cornea is a clear layer that completely covers the part of the eye that has color. Ideally, the shape of the cornea is round, like a tennis ball. The cornea’s job is to bend rays of light that enter the eye so that these light rays can be better focused on the lens enabling the retina to produce a clear image.
When the cornea has a more oval shape, like that of a football, light cannot focus properly. Instead of one focus point, as is what happens when the cornea is properly shaped, the misshapen cornea focuses light onto two areas of the retina. That is what results in blurred vision and/or the appearance of doubled vision. More →
Routine eye exams are important even for people who are not experiencing eye trouble. How often a person needs an eye exam depends on a number of factors including age, overall health and whether or not eye disorders run in the family. .. 
