A condition where the surface of the eye is oval shaped, like a football, rather than round. This uneven curvature of the eye causes light to be refracted (bent) differently in one direction than another, resulting in distorted vision. Astigmatism can occur alone, with nearsightedness or farsightedness, and can usually be corrected with glasses, contact lenses or refractive surgery, such as laser vision correction.  For more information about refractive errors please click here.