Do I have astigmatism?

Astigmatism is an inability of the eye to focus clearly at any distance because of the shape of the front of the front surface of the eye (the cornea).

Instead of being spherical, like a soccer ball, a cornea with astigmatism is more curved in one direction than the other, similar to a rugby ball.
Almost all eyes have a little astigmatism, but often the distortion is so slight that it does not significantly affect vision. However, if you have more than a small degree of astigmatism it can noticeably blur vision unless glasses are worn.

Astigmatism can occur alone or along with short-sightedness or long-sightedness.

Do I need reading glasses?

Presbyopia is the term used to describe the deterioration in reading vision that develops in most people around 45 years of age. You will know when you start to experience presbyopia because you will find that you need to hold the newspaper/menu/book further away to be able to read the text.

Up until around 45 years of age, the natural lens inside your eye can flex to allow clear vision at various distances. But as your eye ages, your natural lens hardens and loses its ability to change shape to focus on near objects. Your distance vision is usually unchanged. This is a normal aging process that can be treated with reading glasses or bifocals. Another option is laser eye surgery using a technique called monovision or blended vision.

Click here to learn more about monovision.