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What is astigmatism?

Normally, the cornea is spherically curved, similar to a contact lens. This shape, together with the lens of the eye, ensures that the incident light is focused at one point on the retina, resulting in a sharp image.

With astigmatism, light rays are refracted vertically and horizontally to varying degrees and are not focused at a common point on the retina. Instead of a focal point, focal lines appear on the retina. This is where the technical term astigmatism ("lack of points") comes from.

Astigmatism is usually congenital. If it occurs later in life, it often results from injuries, inflammation, or scarring following eye surgery.

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How does astigmatism manifest itself?

Mild astigmatism is often barely noticeable and occurs in many people. Mild curvature of up to 0.5 diopters is common and considered normal.

Symptoms of astigmatism can include headaches, dizziness, and eye pain. The eye constantly tries to correct the blurred image by focusing the lens. This strains certain eye muscles and can cause headaches and eye irritation.

If the astigmatism is severe, it also leads to blurred vision at all distances. In contrast, with myopia or hyperopia, only distance vision or only near vision is affected.

In addition, images often appear distorted. Because there is no focal point on the retina, but rather focal lines, those affected see point-like structures, for example, more as stripes or rods. This is why astigmatism is also referred to as astigmatism. Frequently, astigmatism is accompanied by myopia or hyperopia.

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Astigmatism, astigmatism, astigmatism - what is the difference?

Astigmatism

Astigmatism means something like "pointlessness". In the astigmatic eye, a focal line is created instead of a focal point, as horizontally and vertically incident rays of light are refracted differently. Themost common form of astigmatism isastigmatism of the cornea. Less common is an astigmatic curvature of the lens of the eye; very rare is a deformation of the back of the eye (including the retina).

Astigmatism

Astigmatism is theGerman technical term for astigmatism. It refers to the effect of defective vision: those affected see point-like objects distorted and more as strips or bars.

Astigmatism

Astigmatism is themost common form of astigmatism, which is why the two terms are often used interchangeably. Astigmatism is present when the cornea is not evenly spherically curved.

Different forms of astigmatism

A distinction is made betweenregular and irregularastigmatism. Withregular astigmatism, incident light rays are imaged on perpendicular focal lines ("rod"). Regular astigmatism is the most common form of astigmatism.

In the case ofirregular astigmatism, the cornea is curved to varying degrees at different points. In extreme forms (for example due to scarring), the light is refracted in many different directions so that there are hardly any focal lines left. Correcting irregular astigmatism is therefore more difficult.

 

Correction of Astigmatism

Astigmatism can be corrected with cylindrical glasses ("cylindrical lenses") or special contact lenses.

Hard or soft toric contact lenses are suitable for contact lenses that correct astigmatism. We will advise you in detail on your individual solution!

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How to find your astigmatism in your prescription

Astigmatism is recorded in the prescription using cylinder and axis values.

The cylinder value (cyl) indicates the strength of the refractive error in diopters, e.g., -1.00 dpt.

The axis value (axis) indicates the position (between 0 and 180 degrees) in which the cylinder must be incorporated into the lenses to optimally compensate for astigmatism.

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