Very Common
What It Means
Easy to Correct
Understanding Astigmatism and How It Affects Your Lenses

Astigmatism is extremely common and easy to correct -- here is what it actually is, and what the numbers on your prescription mean.

What Astigmatism Actually Is

Astigmatism happens when your cornea or lens is shaped more like a football than a basketball -- slightly oval instead of perfectly round. That irregular curve causes light to focus at more than one point on the retina instead of a single sharp point, resulting in blurred or distorted vision at any distance, near or far.

It is extremely common, affects most people to some small degree, and is easily corrected with the right lens -- it is not a disease or an eye health problem, simply a difference in shape.

How Common Is It?

The large majority of people have at least a small, often unnoticeable degree of astigmatism.

Is It Progressive?

It can change gradually over time, which is part of why regular eye exams matter.

Can It Be Corrected?

Yes, fully, with single vision or progressive lenses ground to your specific corneal shape.

Reading the Astigmatism Values on Your Prescription

If your prescription includes CYL (cylinder) and AXIS values, you have astigmatism. CYL indicates the strength of the correction needed, and AXIS (measured in degrees, 1 to 180) indicates the orientation of the irregular curve. Both values are required together -- one without the other doesn't mean anything on its own.

Example A prescription reading '-1.25 CYL x 090' means a moderate astigmatism correction oriented along the 90-degree axis. Any single vision or progressive lens can incorporate this correction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can astigmatism be corrected with regular glasses? +
Yes. Standard single vision or progressive lenses fully correct astigmatism when ground with the correct CYL and AXIS values from your prescription.
Does astigmatism get worse over time? +
It can shift gradually, which is one reason regular eye exams (see our guide on exam frequency) matter even without obvious symptoms.
Why does night driving look worse with astigmatism? +
Uncorrected or under-corrected astigmatism often causes halos and starburst effects around lights at night, which is why accurate correction matters especially for night driving.
Do contact lenses correct astigmatism the same way? +
Astigmatism requires specific toric contact lenses, different from standard contacts -- your eye doctor will specify this separately from your glasses prescription.
More Helpful Guides
Astigmatism, fully corrected

Every lens type at Shade Gray, starting at $49, can be ground to your exact CYL and AXIS values.