Astigmatism Causes & Risks

Causes

The precise cause of astigmatism is unknown. It is often present at birth and may coexist with nearsightedness or farsightedness. Sometimes it may occur after an injury or eye surgery.

Risk Factors

A risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a disease or condition.

The following factors increase your chances of developing astigmatism. If you have any of these risk factors, tell your doctor:

• Heredity—a family history of eye disease or disorders, such as keratoconus
• Eye surgery—certain types of eye surgery, such as cataract (lens of the eyes are cloudy) removal (less common with modern techniques)
• A history of corneal scarring or thinning
• A history of excessive nearsightedness (a visual defect where distant objects appear blurred) or farsightedness (a visual defect where distant objects are seen better than objects that are close)