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| There are many factors which affect the eyes and their ability to see clearly. Below are some of the most common. Remember, only a qualified eye care professional can determine your eye conditions and the best options to correct them. |
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Myopia, or nearsightedness, affects the ability to see clearly in the distance. Myopia is caused by the eyeball being too long, and/or the shape of the cornea. |
| When the cornea is curved too much, or if the eye is too long, faraway objects will appear blurry because they are focused in front of the retina. This is called myopia, or nearsightedness. Myopia affects more than 25 percent of all adult Americans. It is easily corrected by lasik, glasses, or contact lenses. |
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| Hyperopia affects close-up vision. Hyperopia, or farsightedness, is the opposite of myopia. Distant objects are clear, and close-up objects appear blurry. |
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| With hyperopia, images focus on a point beyond the retina. Hyperopia results from an eye that is too short. Hyperopia is related to the size and shape of the eyeball and cornea, and shouldn't be confused with the reading difficulties that appear around age 40. Hyperopia is easily corrected with lasik, glasses, or contact lenses. |
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Astigmatism is a condition in which the uneven curvature of the cornea blurs and distorts both distant and near objects. A normal cornea is round, with even curves from side to side and top to bottom. |
| With astigmatism, the cornea is shaped more like the back of a spoon, curved more in one direction than in another. This causes light rays to have more than one focal point and focus on two separate areas of the retina, distorting the visual image. Two-thirds of Americans with myopia also have astigmatism. Things can look blurry at near and distance. Astigmatism can be corrected by glasses, some levels can be corrected by contact lenses or refractive surgery. |
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| Presbyopia is not really a refractive error, but an aging change in the lens of the eye. Around the age of 40 or so, the lens of the eye gradually loses its ability to focus for up close. You notice "your arms are getting too short." This is separate from your eye's natural inclination toward near sightedness or far sightedness.
Only you and your eyecare team can decide what works best for you and your life style. Be sure and ask a lot of questions, and think about where you will use your up close and distance vision. Not all technology is ideal for everyone, and it is important to clearly communicate your needs and expectations to your eye care team, so you can make the best decisions together.
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There are countless choices to correct presbyopia. Multi-focal or over the counter reading glasses, bifocal or mono vision contact lenses, or refractive surgery with one eye corrected for up close, are safe, successful options that have improved the lives of thousands of people just like you. If you've been diagnosed with cataracts, intra-ocular lenses used for cataract surgery are now available in multi-focal style.
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Only you and your eyecare team can decide what works best for you and your life style. Be sure and ask a lot of questions, and think about where you will use your up close and distance vision. Not all technology is ideal for everyone, and it is important to clearly communicate your needs and expectations to your eye care team, so you can make the best decisions together.
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