Astigmatism
When someone reveals that they have astigmatism, it's not uncommon for other people to hear it as "a stigmatism," which many then interpret - incorrectly - as a mark or a stain of some kind on that person's eye. In reality, astigmatism has to do with the shape of a person's cornea, the transparent bubble that bulges out from the surface of the eye and allows light to focus.
In most "normal" people, the cornea is round and completely smooth, like the surface of a balloon; for people with astigmatism, the cornea is shaped more like a football, with a more severe degree of curvature. Astigmatic corneas generally have two different curves, a flatter one and a steeper one. This unusual shape means that light does not get focused on a single plane but rather on two planes, resulting in blurred or indistinct vision.
An alternative and less common form of astigmatism is lenticular astigmatism, in which it is the lens (located just behind the cornea) that has an irregular shape.
Experts estimate that most people are astigmatic to some degree or another; astigmatism is the most common vision problem encountered by optometrists.
The condition is most likely hereditary. Fortunately, this condition is generally quite treatable, with eyeglasses or corrective contact lenses or refractive surgeries, such as LASIK. It used to be that people with astigmatism were told they could not wear soft contact lenses, but with the advances in technology and the continuing refinement of toric contact lenses, astigmatic people can now enjoy all the versatility, comfort, and convenience of soft contacts.
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