in most cases, however, astigmatism is simply caused by a bad posture with the head habitually tilted to one side.
What is the explanation? One of the visual system?s functions is to help maintain our sense of balance. Whether we?re sitting, standing, or moving, our eyes are constantly scanning the world around us for horizontal features because we must be aware of the horizontal at all times to avoid falling over. As an example of how important the horizontal scanning process is, you?ve probably noticed how easy it is to lose your sense of balance in a completely dark room.
The muscles that surround and move the eyeball, the extraocular muscles, are attached to the eyeball in such a way so that they facilitate the horizontal scanning process. When the head is habitually tilted to one side, usually the result of a bad posture or neck injury, the extraocular muscles adapt by pulling unequally, causing the eyeball and/or cornea to buckle and warp.
Astigmatism is probably the most common visual defect because few people have perfect posture. In most cases, the amount of astigmatism is small and doesn?t cause much blurring.. Astigmatism resulting from a tilted head is usually not permanent and can often be reduced simply by correcting the posture in conjunction with vision therapy eye exercises.
Refractive errors: At times a child may turn their head to the side if they have a significant refractive error, particularly astigmatism. It is thought that the head turn allows the patient to see better since they are looking through the narrowed opening of the eyelids, which may simulate a squinting mechanism.
Can my child see when the head is in an abnormal position?
Yes, most children adopt a head posture to improve their vision if the head turn is indeed from an ocular cause.
Can a longstanding head turn lead to any permanent problems?
Yes, a significant abnormal head posture could cause permanent tightening of neck muscles that can lead to chronic neck ache or headache. An abnormal head posture may also cause the facial bones to grow abnormally leading to facial asymmetry.

