Johnstone M. Kim, MD, is a board-certified ophthalmologist and a practicing physician at Midwest Retina in Dublin, Ohio.

Astigmatism is a common vision problem that affects about 1 in 3 people. It occurs when the cornea or the lens of the eye has an irregularly shaped curvature. This prevents light from focusing evenly on the retina.

Astigmatism can cause blurry or distorted vision, headaches, and eyestrain. With astigmatism, you may see more glare around lights at night, which can cause difficulty driving. If you have been diagnosed with astigmatism, there are ways you can ease your symptoms and improve your night vision.

The cornea and lens bend light and focus it on the retina, the light-sensitive surface at the back of your eye, which allows you to see. If you have astigmatism, the cornea or lens is irregularly shaped. Instead of a round surface, it may be shaped more like a football. This shape prevents light from focusing correctly on the retina, causing blurry and distorted vision. At night, your eyes dilate to let in more light, which causes problems with glare and halos around streetlights and headlights.

Some cases of astigmatism are mild enough that they don’t need any treatment. Moderate or severe cases usually require some treatment to see clearly, which may include glasses, contacts, or corrective surgery.

If you have problems with night vision or driving at night, talk to your optometrist or ophthalmologist. They can do an eye exam to see if your problems are caused by astigmatism or some other eye condition. 

If you are diagnosed with astigmatism, your eye doctor may suggest the following strategies to treat it:

Yellow-tinted glasses marketed for driving at night haven’t been found to be effective and could make your vision worse. A 2019 study found that yellow-lens night-driving glasses didn’t improve road visibility for participants or reduce headlight glare from other vehicles. The glasses are designed to reduce the light reaching the eye, which can actually make it harder to see at night.

When driving at night, make sure that your car’s windows, mirrors, and headlights are clear. This can improve your view and reduce the chance of glare from lights. Here are some tips for improving your night-driving view:

To help improve your night vision, it’s important to get your eyes checked regularly by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. They can give you a complete exam to diagnose astigmatism or any other conditions that are making it hard to see at night. If your astigmatism gets worse between annual check-ups, make an appointment with your healthcare provider to discuss different options for treatment.

No, but it may seem like it. Astigmatism occurs when the cornea is irregularly shaped, preventing light from focusing evenly on the retina. This can cause distorted vision and glare around lights. While astigmatism does not worsen at night, lights make it harder to see clearly after dark. 

Yes, prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses can correct astigmatism. You can tell if your eyeglass prescription corrects for astigmatism by looking at the cylinder or CYL. Cylinder refers to the lens power added to correct astigmatism and account for the misshapen curvature of the eye.

Yes, laser eye surgery can correct astigmatism by reshaping the cornea to be more spherical. This can permanently correct the problem and eliminate the need for glasses or contacts for most people.

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American Academy of Ophthalmology. Eye health statistics.

Berntsen D, Cox S, Bickle K et al. A randomized trial to evaluate the effect of toric versus spherical contact lenses on vision and eyestrain. Eye & Contact Lens: Science & Clinical Practice. 2019;45(1):28-33. doi:10.1097/icl.0000000000000528

Hwang A, Tuccar-Burak M, Peli E. Comparison of pedestrian detection with and without yellow-lens glasses during simulated night driving with and without headlight glare. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2019;137(10):1147. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2019.2893

Rauch K. Night driving glasses may hurt, not help. American Academy of Opthalmology. Jan. 30, 2018.

Massachusetts Eye and Ear. 7 tips for seeing clearly while driving at night. Harvard Medical School Teaching Hospital. September 17, 2018.

American Automobile Association. What to do about cloudy headlights.

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