A person’s eye is naturally spherical shaped so when light enters the eye, it refracts evenly, resulting in a full view of the object. While, an eye with astigmatism is rugby ball shaped meaning when light enters the eye it is refracted in one direction more than in the other resulting in the object appearing blurred.
Astigmatism is often genetic and is generally something that babies are born with. However, it can also be caused by pressure on the cornea from the eyelids (this can be caused by a chalazion). Trauma to the eye or surgery can cause astigmatism.
As your child gets older, poor posture and increased use of the eyes for work can also cause astigmatism.
Find out more about diagnosing astigmatism
