How to Cure Astigmatism Naturally? Get to Know More Here!

Reviewed by DR. Dr. Iwan Soebijantoro, SpM(K)

By JEC Medical Team

23 Sep 2026

970 Views

If your vision feels blurry or hazy, whether when looking at things far away or up close, you may have astigmatism. Astigmatism is a condition in which the eye is more curved than it should be. This condition causes incoming light to not focus on a single point on the retina.

So, can astigmatism be cured naturally? Can this condition only be treated through medical procedures? Read the following explanation all the way through to find the answers!

How to Cure Astigmatism Naturally

Since astigmatism relates to the shape of the cornea or the eye’s lens, natural methods like herbal remedies or eye exercises cannot change that shape.

However, there are several steps people with astigmatism can take to reduce symptoms of eye strain, including:

Taking short breaks between activities such as reading, writing, or driving.
When using digital devices, take a 20-second break every 20 minutes to look at an object 20 feet (about 6 meters) away.
Adjusting lighting based on the activity you’re doing.
Using moisturizing eye drops.
Using a humidifier.
Quitting smoking.

Medical Treatment Options for Astigmatism

The good news is that several medical procedures can treat astigmatism. Here are a few of them:

1. Glasses or Contact Lenses

If you are looking for a way to correct astigmatism without surgery, glasses or contact lenses are the answer.

Glasses for patients with astigmatism are designed with a curved shape to compensate for the irregular shape of the cornea or lens that causes blurred vision. These lenses work well when you look straight ahead.

However, certain cylindrical lenses can make the floor or walls appear slanted. Nevertheless, this effect may disappear once the patient gets used to them. With fairly severe astigmatism, it may take about one week to adjust.

In addition to glasses, patients with astigmatism can also wear special contact lenses called toric lenses. These contact lenses are designed to return to the correct position every time the patient blinks.

2. Orthokeratology

Orthokeratology is a treatment procedure that uses rigid contact lenses worn while sleeping to reshape the cornea. These lenses are gas-permeable (rigid gas-permeable contact lenses) and are a good choice for severe astigmatism.

Once the cornea has reshaped, you can still wear the lenses periodically to maintain the new shape.

3. LASIK

LASIK (Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis) is a type of laser surgery that reshapes the cornea. A laser ablates several corneal layers above the pupil on the eye's outer surface.

A patient may not have 20/20 vision, but their vision may be clear enough to do most daily activities without glasses or contact lenses, typically 20/40 or better.

For reference, 20/20 vision indicates normal visual acuity. Meanwhile, 20/40 means you can see clearly at 20 feet, equivalent to someone with normal vision who can see clearly at 40 feet.

Although many people rely on LASIK as a solution for clearer vision, several conditions make it not an ideal option, including:

Patients with medical conditions or who take medications that may affect wound healing.
Patients with thin corneas, as LASIK requires a certain amount of corneal tissue.
Patients whose jobs involve heavy physical activity or do not permit refractive surgery.
The patient’s eyeglass prescription has changed within the past year, indicating that their eye condition is still changing too rapidly for LASIK to work effectively.
The patient is under 18 years of age, as most surgeons recommend waiting until one’s early 20s to undergo LASIK.
The patient has previously undergone LASIK, as scar tissue can form after repeated surgeries.
The patient is pregnant, so hormonal changes can cause fluctuations in her eye condition. Additionally, eye drops used during recovery may also affect breast milk.

If the patient does not have any of the above conditions and her astigmatism is no more than 3.0 diopters, LASIK still has a high probability of success.

4. SMILE

SMILE (Small Incision Lenticule Extraction) is a refractive surgery that uses a laser to shape a disc-shaped section of the cornea (lenticule) beneath the corneal surface. The laser then makes a small corneal incision so the lenticule can be removed. This process reshapes the cornea so light can focus more effectively on the retina.

SMILE can be an option for people with active lifestyles or jobs, especially if they prefer to avoid LASIK, which involves creating a flap (a thin covering layer) on the cornea. To undergo SMILE, several requirements must be met, namely:

Be at least 22 years old.
Have myopia between -1 and -10 and astigmatism up to 3 diopters.
Your eyeglass prescription has not changed in the past year.
Having generally healthy eyes and corneas.
Having realistic expectations regarding the results of SMILE.

5. Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE)

RLE (Refractive Lens Exchange) is an elective surgery to replace the eye’s natural lens with an intraocular lens (IOL). The IOL is customized to correct vision based on the eye's condition and is permanently implanted inside the eye.

Once implanted, this lens functions like the eye’s natural lens by refracting light to focus precisely on the retina. The surgery allows many patients with astigmatism to no longer need glasses or contact lenses, or to use them only for specific activities such as reading.

RLE can be an alternative for patients who do not want to undergo LASIK, which reshapes the cornea. The procedure may be considered for patients who:

Experience presbyopia and wish to reduce their dependence on glasses or contact lenses.
Have extreme myopia or hyperopia, making them ineligible for laser vision correction.

Conversely, RLE may not be suitable for patients with eye conditions affecting the cornea, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, risk factors for retinal detachment, or uveitis.

6. Astigmatic Keratotomy

Astigmatic Keratotomy (AK) is an eye surgery to treat astigmatism that creates a small circular incision at the edge of the cornea where it is most curved or steep. This incision relaxes the cornea and makes it rounder, thereby reducing astigmatism.

Patients with mild astigmatism typically achieve the best results after AK surgery and regain normal vision. However, AK has now largely been replaced by LASIK and Limbal Relaxing Incision (LRI).

That concludes our explanation of how to treat astigmatism naturally, as well as some medical treatments commonly administered by healthcare professionals.

Ultimately, natural methods focus on maintaining eye health and comfort, rather than correcting astigmatism, while medical treatments are tailored to each patient’s specific eye condition. While natural methods can be applied generally, medical treatments should be considered based on each patient’s individual needs.

Among the astigmatism treatments mentioned above, LASIK is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures. If you are looking for a place to undergo LASIK, trust JEC Eye Hospitals and Clinics.

JEC offers LASIK using femtosecond laser technology, which uses infrared light with greater precision than other laser technologies. With the femtosecond laser, the surgery is bladeless, creating a smooth surface that improves vision quality.

The laser procedure takes only a few seconds, yet delivers optimal results. Find a doctor right away for eye treatment that suits your condition.