{"id":91596471167,"date":"2023-03-11T08:08:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-11T07:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neue-augen.de\/blog\/nicht-kategorisiert\/corneal-astigmatism-everything-you-need-to-know\/"},"modified":"2026-07-14T15:15:50","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T13:15:50","slug":"corneal-curvature-everything-you-need-to-know-about-astigmatism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neue-augen.de\/en\/blog\/corneal-disease\/corneal-curvature-everything-you-need-to-know-about-astigmatism\/","title":{"rendered":"Corneal Curvature – Everything you need to know about astigmatism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A corneal curvature<\/strong> (medical: astigmatism, also called intentionality) occurs when the cornea of the eye does not have a uniform, spherical curvature, but a slightly oval or irregular shape. As a result, the eye does not focus light in a single point on the retina, resulting in blurred or distorted vision, both near and far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corneal curvature is one of the most common visual defects worldwide1<\/sup> and affects people of all ages. Many sufferers do not know for years that their visual impairment has a clearly measurable cause. Typical complaints are blurred vision, headaches and rapid eye fatigue, especially with prolonged reading or screen work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On this page you will get a complete overview: What exactly is a corneal curvature, what causes it, how is it measured and what treatment options are available? For each aspect, you will find an introduction here as well as the link to the in-depth article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a corneal curvature? A definition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Corneal curvature, also known as astigmatism, is a common ametropia in which the cornea (or sometimes the lens of the eye) is not evenly curved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This irregular curvature means that the light that falls into the eye is not correctly focused on a single point on the retina. Instead, multiple focal points or distorted lines appear on the retina, resulting in blurred or distorted vision. Therefore, astigmatism also has its name \u2013 this comes from Greek and can be translated as “pointlessness”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The curvature of the cornea can be in different forms, from mild to severe, and affects both near and distant vision. Astigmatism often occurs together with other visual defects such as nearsightedness (myopia) or farsightedness (hyperopia) 2<\/sup>. In the international classification system ICD, astigmatism is listed under the code H52.2 and can be corrected by glasses, contact lenses or surgical procedures such as laser eye surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Astigmatism is listed in the international classification system under ICD code<\/a> H52.23<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Corneal curvature lasers \u2013 learn more!<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"How<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Types of Astigmatism<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Astigmatism occurs in various forms, depending on the way the light is refracted through the eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most common type is regular astigmatism, in which the curvature of the cornea is different in two main meridians perpendicular to each other. This shape can be easily corrected with glasses or toric contact lenses, as the deviations are even.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another variant is irregular astigmatism, which is caused by an uneven curvature of the corneal surface, often caused by scars or diseases such as keratoconus. Even with irregular astigmatism, the refraction of light is irregular, which makes correction more difficult. Special hard contact lenses or even surgical procedures are often necessary to compensate for visual impairment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An ophthalmologist can determine not only whether a corneal curvature is present, but also what type of astigmatism it is. Accordingly, he will go through the treatment options with you and provide you with comprehensive advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Perform astigmatism test now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Corneal curvature, nearsightedness and farsightedness \u2013 differences at a glance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Corneal curvature, nearsightedness and farsightedness are all common visual defects that affect vision in different ways. In the case of corneal curvature (astigmatism), the curvature of the cornea of the eye or the lens of the eye is irregular, as a result of which the light strikes the retina at several focal points. This results in blurred or distorted vision at all distances as the eye cannot evenly focus the light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short-sightedness (myopia), on the other hand, is a defective vision in which distant objects appear blurred. This is because the eye is either too long or the refractive power of the cornea is too strong, focusing the light in front of the retina. People with nearsightedness have difficulty seeing things clearly in the distance, while nearby objects remain clearly visible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farsightedness (hyperopia) is the opposite of nearsightedness. With this refractive error, the eyeball is often too short or the refractive power of the cornea too weak, so that incident light rays are focused behind the retinal plane. This causes nearby objects to appear blurry, while the view of distant objects is often unimpaired. Farsightedness may also become more pronounced with age (presbyopia), as the eye’s ability to focus on nearby objects decreases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corneal curvature often occurs together with another defective vision \u2013 nearsightedness or farsightedness. Nevertheless, astigmatism must be considered and treated as an independent defective vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Eye lasers for corneal curvature \u2013 learn more<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Risk factors: Possible causes of corneal curvature?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Corneal<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A corneal curvature is usually congenital: the cornea does not grow uniformly round, but slightly oval (a genetic predisposition that cannot be prevented). In addition, there are acquired causes that can change the shape of the cornea in the course of life:<\/p>\n\n\n\n