Astigmatism is a common vision problem caused by an error in the shape of the cornea of the eye. Due to the irregular shape of the cornea a person is not able to focus on both horizontal and vertical lines simultaneously, hence the blurred vision is observed in this defect and as the individual tries to focus the eye for clear vision eye straining is a common occurence followed by headache.
This defect can be easily corrected by using cylindrical lenses in spectacles.