Refractive Errors - Why people need corrective lenses

The most common eye problem faced by most people is an improperly shaped eye that results in the improper refraction of light. The result of the refractive error is that the person has blurry vision and requires some form of corrective lenses. There are four kinds of refractive errors:

• Myopia, also known as nearsightedness
• Hyperopia, also known as farsightedness
• Astigmatism
• Presbyopia

Myopia occurs because the cornea is too steep or the eye is longer than it should be. The result is that the light focuses in front of the retina and the person is nearsighted. Distant objects are blurred.

Hyperopia is the condition resulting from the eye being too short. The person cannot focus on near objects because the light is not focused on the retina. Distant objects are clear. This is the individual who requires 'readers".

Astigmatism results in distortions from the shape of the eye. Here the eye is flatter than it should be or the cornea, instead of being rounded, is skewed in one direction or the other. The individual suffers from distortion in both near and distant vision.

Presbyopia is a condition that occurs usually in people over forty years of age. The presbyopic individual is the one who begins to hold the newspaper further away in order to focus on the print. The result is tired eyes and a headache if the condition isn't corrected for, meaning the individual requires bifocals.

It is not unusual for an individual to suffer from one or more refractive error. The refractive error conditions are diagnosed during eye tests. Once the refractive condition is diagnosed, the eye care provider writes a prescription for the proper type of lenses to correct for the problem. These can be eyeglasses or contact lenses. In some cases, surgery can correct for the refractive errors. Each of the options should be discussed with the eye care provider.

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