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Why You Wear Glasses
Click here to see how you eye works. Note: Macromedia Flash Player required!
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Normal Vision
The normal eye receives light through the front of the eye and focuses a clear image exactly onto the macula as seen in the picture above. When the images hits the retina at the correct location, you perceive a clear image and your vision is measured at 20/20 or better.
When the light rays entering the eye are focused before or after the retina or have more than one focus then vision is blurry. These conditions are know as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Another common problem that begins to affect everyone starting at age 40 is presbyopia.
When you receive glasses or contacts, they are correcting one or more of these conditions by adjusting the focus of light back onto the retina. |
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Nearsightedness - Myopia
Myopia, or nearsightedness, is caused when an image is focused on a point in front of the retina. This results in a blurred image on the retina. Distant vision is affect more than near vision, hence the name. The amount of blur depends upon the amount of myopia. Some people are only blurred a little, while others can't see the alarm clock when they wake up in the morning.
So what causes myopia? There are many different causes. When the eye is too long it results in Axial Myopia. When an eye is too strong because the cornea or the lens is too strong then you have Refractive Myopia . Either way, the treatment is glasses, contacts or Refractive Surgery. |
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Farsightedness - Hyperopia
Hyperopia, or farsightedness, is caused when an image is focused on a point behind the retina. This results in a blurred image on the retina. Unlike myopia, small to moderate amounts of hyperopia still result in decent vision. Usually by age 30-40 people with hyperopia will start to notice a decrease in near and possibly distant vision. People who have higher amounts of hyperopia will be blurred at near and at distance from day one.
So what causes hyperopia? Like myopia, there are many different causes. When they eye is too short it results in Axial Hyperopia. When the eye is too weak to focus the image on the retina it results in Refractive Hyperopia.
Hyperopia is treated with glasses, contact lenses, Conductive Keratoplasty, and Refractive Surgery. |
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Astigmatism
Astigmatism is caused when light passes through the eye and is split into 2 different focal planes. This causes overall blurred vision at near and at a distance. Most times, astigmatism is accompanied by myopia or hyperopia.
Astigmatism can be caused by the cornea, the lens or both. Small amounts of astigmatism occur naturally, but larger amounts start to cause blurriness, smeared images or shadowed images.
Astigmatism is treated with glasses, contact lenses and Refractive Surgery . |
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Presbyopia
Presbyopia is the most common visual problem encountered in people over the age of 40. It occurs when the normal lens inside the eye begins to loose its ability to focus in up close. People who have had normal vision or have been a little farsighted all their lives will notice that small print becomes blurry and their arms aren't long enough any more. People who are nearsighted will begin look over their glasses or take them off to read.
There is no way, so far, to stop presbyopia. It is progressive and gets worse with age.
Treatment for presbyopia is reading glasses, bifocals, monovision contacts and Conductive Keratoplasty . |
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| Call our office at 318-212-3937 and schedule an appointment today! |
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