What Is “Astigmatism”?

The cornea is the curved, clear covering of the colored part of the eye that light passes through.  The term astigmatism usually describes a common problem that results when the cornea is not evenly curved. Normally, the cornea’s surface has a spherical curve (like the shape of a basketball) and the light rays passing through it focus on one spot.  Sometimes, however, the curve is uneven and more closely resembles the shape of the back of a spoon—flatter in some areas and steeper in others.  This uneven curve (astigmatism) causes light to focus on more than one spot. As a result, vision is blurred, in much the same way that the view is distorted when  looking through wavy glass.  Astigmatism may make printed words seem somewhat ‘muddy’ or shadowed, with a period often looking more like a comma.  It can cause eyestrain or squinting. If you have astigmatism and cataracts, Dr. Solomon now offers you a new option for correcting both.…bladeless refractive laser cataract surgery.  When you look into it, you need look no further than Dr. Kerry Solomon! And in case you forgot…it’s STILL Cataract Awareness Month!