astigmatism

The inability to focus clearly at any distance due to an irregular or misshapen cornea. Instead of a cornea with a symmetrically round shape (like a basketball), an eye with astigmatism has an elliptical shape (more like a football). Images fail to come to a single focus on the retina to produce clear vision. Instead, multiple focus points occur, and vision is blurred or distorted to some degree at all distances.