No, people with astigmatism generally do not see better at night; in fact, their vision often worsens in low light because their dilated pupils allow more light to hit the uneven cornea, causing more blurring, glare, halos, and streaks around lights, making activities like night driving challenging. While the blurry vision itself is consistent, the extra light in dim conditions exacerbates the visual distortions, making it seem worse than during the day.
Yes, astigmatism can significantly affect how well you see in low light. The irregular curvature of the cornea causes scattered light to enter the eye. This creates glare, halos, and blurriness at night. Corrective lenses or laser surgery can restore clarity for safer night driving.
Most mild cases of astigmatism can be corrected with prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses. In children with astigmatism, eyeglasses tend to work better than contact lenses. In some cases, the child's eye doctor may suggest a procedure called corneal cross linking to prevent the condition from progressing further.
If you've already been diagnosed with astigmatism, you know this condition can cause blurry vision and make it difficult to see at night, especially when driving. If you're seeing beams of light or light halos when driving at night, astigmatism may be the cause—and you should consult your eye doctor.
You can have 20/20 vision and still have astigmatism.
As long as your vision can be corrected to better than 20/200 in one eye with corrective lenses, you are not considered to be Legally Blind no matter how nearsighted, farsighted, or how much astigmatism you have.
While eye exercises cannot fix astigmatism, they may help to relieve risk factors that can worsen the condition. A basic understanding of astigmatism is necessary for understanding the possible effects of vision exercises.
Your cornea shapes more like a rugby ball than a football when you have astigmatism. This causes light to focus at multiple points in your eye. This irregular shape creates vision challenges, and extended screen use makes these issues worse.
When you have astigmatism, you should avoid eye rubbing, prolonged digital screen time without breaks, neglecting corrective lenses, poor contact lens hygiene, and driving at night if it causes significant glare/blur, as these activities strain eyes, worsen symptoms like blur and headaches, and can damage the cornea. Focus on regular eye exams, proper lens care, and taking breaks to manage the condition effectively.
For example, driving with severe, uncorrected astigmatism can be dangerous due to vision blur and distortion. But driving with glasses or contacts that correct astigmatism may be no different than driving with 20/20 vision.
The same study found that it is particularly prevalent among very young children, with 23 percent of children between the ages of 6 months and 1 year old having astigmatism. But many grow out of it. By the times children are 5 to 6 years old, only 9 percent had astigmatism.
The diopter measures what grade of vision correction your eyes need to focus clearly: Mild astigmatism: less than 1.00 diopters. Moderate astigmatism: 1.00 to 2.00 diopters. Severe astigmatism: 2.00 to 3.00 diopters.
Astigmatism is caused by an irregularly shaped cornea or lens (more like a football than a basketball), leading to blurry vision, often hereditary and present from birth, but it can also develop due to eye injury, surgery, infection, or conditions like keratoconus, with age-related changes also being a factor.
Eye Injuries
If the lens of the eye becomes damaged, light may refract unevenly. These injuries damage the cornea, the lens of our eye, or the retina, all of which are involved in the sequence of bending light to focus on the retina. If any of these eye structures become injured, it can worsen existing astigmatism.
Driving at night is difficult enough for those with perfect vision — but for people with astigmatism, it can be even more difficult. In low light conditions, the blurry vision associated with astigmatism can become worse. That's because when the lighting dims, your pupil dilates to let in more light.
Or, when you're looking at something far away: Another common issue caused by astigmatism is a flare or “smearing” of lights, causing lights to appear as bands of color instead of distinct points: You should schedule an eye exam if you're experiencing any of these conditions.
No, a -7 prescription doesn't automatically mean someone is legally blind; legal blindness depends on your best-corrected vision (with glasses/contacts), not the prescription number itself, meaning you're legally blind if you have 20/200 vision or worse in your better eye even with correction, or a very narrow visual field. While -7 indicates severe nearsightedness, it's often correctable to normal vision, so you'd only be legally blind if after correction, your vision remains at or below 20/200 or you have significant peripheral vision loss.
Most people who have astigmatism are born with it. Others develop it as their eyes grow and change throughout their lives. If you have astigmatism or another type of refractive error, there's a chance your children might as well.
Astigmatism causes blurred or distorted vision at all distances. Wearing glasses regularly helps sharpen details and reduce eye strain. In many cases, all-day wear is recommended.
The 30-30-30 rule for eyes is a guideline to prevent digital eye strain: every 30 minutes spent on a screen, look away at something 30 feet (about 9 meters) away for at least 30 seconds, allowing your eyes to relax and refocus. This simple break helps reset your focusing system, moisturizes eyes by encouraging blinking, and reduces symptoms like dryness, irritation, and headaches from prolonged screen time.
Testing and diagnosing astigmatism
If you think you may have an astigmatism or another eye condition, book an appointment as soon as you can. Our eye specialists can quickly diagnose and recommend treatment that best suits your needs.
Astigmatism is quite common; affecting an estimated one out of three people. You can have astigmatism in your right eye only, your left eye only, or both eyes, with varying levels of refractive error. Many people with astigmatism have other refractive errors as well.
Astigmatism is often present at birth and may occur in combination with nearsightedness or farsightedness. Often it's not pronounced enough to require corrective action.
Some essential eye vitamins that may help correct astigmatism include:
Blurred and Distorted Vision by Type
Unlike nearsightedness or farsightedness, which affect only certain distances, astigmatism blurs your vision at all ranges. You might tilt your head or squint to find a clearer angle, and letters may appear slightly doubled or shadowed.