What Causes Astigmatism

"Astigmatism occurs when the cornea is shaped more like an oblong rugby ball than a spherical football, which is the normal shape. In most astigmatic eyes, the oblong or oval shape causes light rays to focus on two points in the back of your eye, rather than on just one. This is because, like a football, an astigmatic cornea has a steeper curve and a flatter one."

Astigmatism - Signs & Symptoms

"If you have only a small amount of astigmatism, you may not notice it or have just slightly blurred vision. But sometimes uncorrected astigmatism can give you headaches or eyestrain, and distort or blur your vision at all distances.
It's not only adults who can be astigmatic. In a recent study of 2,523 children at Ohio State University School of Optometry, more than 28 percent of them had astigmatism. Children may be even more unaware of the condition than adults, and they are unlikely to complain of the blurred or distorted vision. Unfortunately, astigmatism can affect their ability to see well in school and during sports, so it's important to have their eyes examined at regular intervals in order to detect any astigmatism early on. In the U.K, it is recommended that children under the age of 16 should have their eyes tested at least once every 12 months."

Astigmatism

"Astigmatism is one of the most common vision problem.
It may accompany nearsightedness or farsightedness. Usually it is caused by an irregularly shaped cornea (called corneal astigmatism). But sometimes it is the result of an irregularly shaped lens, which is located behind the cornea; this is called lenticular astigmatism. Either kind of astigmatism is usually corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses"