Astigmatism occurs when your cornea is shaped more like a football than a basketball. Sometimes astigmatism can be caused by an irregular shaped lens inside the eye. This irregular shape causes distortion or blurry images due to the unequal bending of light rays entering the eye. Astigmatism is a very common condition and most people (especially those with nearsightedness or farsightedness) have it to some degree.  People with mild astigmatism can experience slightly blurred or distorted vision at all distances, but people with extreme astigmatism can be affected so much it prevents them from performing their daily activities. Astigmatism can be corrected with SMILE, LASIK, PRK, RLE, or ICL.