title: The visual and functional impacts of astigmatism and its clinical management.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide a comprehensive overview of research examining the impact of astigmatism on clinical and functional measures of vision, the short and longer term adaptations to astigmatism that occur in the visual system, and the currently available clinical options for the management of patients with astigmatism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The presence of astigmatism can lead to substantial reductions in visual performance in a variety of clinical vision measures and functional visual tasks. Recent evidence demonstrates that astigmatic blur results in short-term adaptations in the visual system that appear to reduce the perceived impact of astigmatism on vision. In the longer term, uncorrected astigmatism in childhood can also significantly impact on visual development, resulting in amblyopia. Astigmatism is also associated with the development of spherical refractive errors. Although the clinical correction of small magnitudes of astigmatism is relatively straightforward, the precise, reliable correction of astigmatism (particularly high astigmatism) can be challenging. A wide variety of refractive corrections are now available for the patient with astigmatism, including spectacle, contact lens and surgical options.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Astigmatism is one of the most common refractive errors managed in clinical ophthalmic practice. The significant visual and functional impacts of astigmatism emphasise the importance of its reliable clinical management. With continued improvements in ocular measurement techniques and developments in a range of different refractive correction technologies, the future promises the potential for more precise and comprehensive correction options for astigmatic patients.
authors.affiliation: Contact Lens and Visual Optics Laboratory, School of Optometry and Vision Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Read
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Collins
mesh_terms: D001251:Astigmatism / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D003261:Contact Lenses; D005139:Eyeglasses; D006801:Humans; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology
keywords: astigmatism; cataract surgery; contact lenses; refractive surgery; vision