Medically Reviewed by Jack Abrams, MD
Glasses or Contacts Lens Wearers Have Common Vision Problems Including Myopia, Hyperopia, Astigmatism and Presbyopia
For patients of Abrams Eye Institute that require corrective lenses, including glasses and contact lenses, the cause are all due to refractive errors, which means they’re problems with the way the eyes focus light, rather than an eye disease. Refractive errors have to do with the physical shape of our eyes, so let’s take a closer look at them:
Myopia: What’s Right In Front Of You
Myopia is the technical term for nearsightedness, meaning that you can see clearly up close but distant objects are blurred. This happens when the eyeball itself is too long, or else when the cornea (the clear front part of the eye) is too curved. That additional curvature or length causes light to focus in front of the retina instead of on it, which makes the resulting images look fuzzy.
The way glasses or contacts correct myopia is by compensating for this error to extend the light’s focus onto the retina where it belongs. These lenses are concave (thinner in the middle), and always have a negative prescription.
Hyperopia: Gazing Into The Distance
Hyperopia, better known as farsightedness, means that you can see distant objects clearly, but everything up close is blurry. Hyperopia happens for the opposite reasons that myopia does. Instead of being too long, the eyeball is too short, or else the cornea is too flat. This causes light to focus behind the retina, making near images fuzzy.
In order to correct hyperopia, corrective lenses must be convex (thicker in the middle) and have a positive prescription. The larger the number, the stronger the prescription.
Astigmatism: A Warped Perspective
The third common refractive error people experience is astigmatism, which is a little different from the other two. A normal cornea is uniformly curved so that there is a single focal point. A cornea with astigmatism is more football-shaped, creating multiple focal points, which makes things appear blurry at any distance and bends their images.
Astigmatism is often paired with one of the other refractive errors, requiring more complex lenses to correct than they do. Typically, the lens will be somewhat cylindrical rather than spherical.
Presbyopia: Eye Change as You Age
Presbyopia is the natural aging of the eye which results in loss of elasticity in the flexibility of the lens and causes the need for reading glasses in people over 40 (when it typically begins). At this age, patients usually need a second prescription for their glasses (bifocals).
Keep Your Prescription Updated
All these types of refractive error can change and worsen over time, which is why most people who need corrective lenses don’t keep the same prescription forever. If it’s been a while since your last eye exam, or if you’re noticing blurriness, where there used to be clarity, having sharp vision again, is just one appointment away with Dr. Jack Abrams and the team at Abrams Eye Institute.
Come See the Team at Abrams Eye Institute
Do you think you may need glasses or contact lenses? Do you need a new prescription for corrective lenses? Call us at 702-304-9494 to see how our award-winning service can help you with your vision care. Abrams Eye Institute has clinics in Southwest Las Vegas, Henderson and Pahrump.
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.