Astigmatism can be diagnosed by an optometrist during an eye examination. He or she will also be able to assess how severe it is and make recommendations to correct it.

You might want to consider getting a check up if you are experiencing blurred vision, headaches and/or eyestrain. Having said this it is important for all adults under the age of 65 to get their eyes checked on a regular basis. We usually recommend that people with healthy eyes get them tested at least once every two years.

In the majority of instances it can be put right by wearing either toric contact lenses or glasses. If it is mild enough your optometrist might say that you do not need treatment unless there are special circumstances, such as the fact that you work in front of a computer all day.

Toric contact lenses are very popular for correcting astigmatism. Unlike ordinary lenses they have two different prescriptions which are positioned at right angels to each other. Furthermore, they have a special weighting built into them to make sure that they stay in place when you move your eyes around.

The reason that toric contact lenses are used to correct astigmatism is that they alter the curvature of your cornea thereby correcting the problem.

With so many different types of toric contact lenses available, you should speak to your optometrist about the best option for your particular needs.

Another treatment option is to have refractive surgery. This is designed to alter the shape of your cornea to correct the problem. This type of surgery is done with the use of either lasers or implantable lenses.