{"id":2586,"date":"2024-09-11T21:47:52","date_gmt":"2024-09-12T01:47:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.warbyparker.com\/learn\/?p=2586"},"modified":"2026-04-02T03:12:40","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T07:12:40","slug":"what-does-astigmatism-look-like","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.warbyparker.com\/learn\/what-does-astigmatism-look-like","title":{"rendered":"What Does Astigmatism Look Like?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Astigmatism is a really<\/em> common vision condition, affecting roughly 40% of people<\/a> worldwide. It\u2019s a refractive error, usually due to a misshapen cornea or eye lens that makes it difficult for your eye to focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how do people with astigmatism<\/a> see? That is, how does your uncorrected vision appear if you have astigmatism?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re here to let you know what astigmatism looks like to people who have it. We\u2019ll explain what happens in an eye to cause astigmatism and how vision with astigmatism differs from normal vision. Then, we\u2019ll let you know what you can do to correct astigmatism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

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Having vision issues?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t

Get a comprehensive eye exam from one of our expert optometrists<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t

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What Causes Astigmatism?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The root cause of astigmatism is still being researched. However, we know that astigmatism tends to be something people are born with and may worsen as they age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s explore how astigmatism occurs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In someone with \u201cnormal\u201d vision, the eye\u2019s cornea and lens at the front of the eye have a round, spherical shape like a golf ball. This perfect orb helps the eye refract and focus light rays onto the retina at the back of the eye in one single point, creating a clear picture for you to \u201csee.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an eye with astigmatism, the cornea (corneal astigmatism) or lens (lenticular astigmatism) has an irregular shape, more like an egg. This shape distorts the light coming into the eye, which distorts the image we see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Astigmatism often happens in conjunction with refractive errors like myopia<\/a> (nearsightedness), hyperopia<\/a> (farsightedness), or presbyopia<\/a> (age-related farsightedness). But astigmatism can happen on its own as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

People with astigmatism generally have distorted vision. They don\u2019t see things the way people with normal visual acuity<\/a> do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what does your vision look like if you have astigmatism? If you experience one or more of the vision problems listed below, it\u2019s a good idea to get an eye exam<\/a>, as you may have astigmatism. In rarer cases, you could have an eye injury or eye condition like keratoconus, which results in a thinning cornea with a more conical shape:<\/p>\n\n\n\n