VISION PROBLEMS

Near-sightedness (myopia)
Nearsightedness (myopia) is a common vision condition in which you can see objects close to you clearly, but objects farther away are blurry. Nearsightedness most commonly occurs when your eye is slightly longer from front to back than average. This causes light rays to be focused more toward the front of rather than on the back of your eyes.

Far-sightedness (hyperopia)
Hyperopia occurs when light is focused behind the retina rather than on it, and the eye has to make a compensating effort to re-focus. This can cause discomfort, headaches or problems with near vision. Glasses may need to be worn all the time or just for close work, such as reading, writing or computer use. In older people, as re-focusing becomes more difficult, distance vision may also become blurred. Hyperopia usually is present at birth and tends to run in families.

Astigmatism
Astigmatism occurs when the curvature of the cornea or lens is not perfectly round. It is sometimes described as the eye being shaped like a football rather than a soccer ball. Astigmatism blurs your vision at all distances. Most people have a small amount of astigmatism, which may not need correcting. If vision is blurred or headaches occur, our optometrist may recommend glasses are worn all the time or just for specific tasks. Astigmatism is often present at birth and may occur in combination with nearsightedness or farsightedness. The condition tends to remain constant, neither improving nor deteriorating much over time.

Presbyopia
Presbyopia is the loss of focusing ability that occurs naturally with age. In younger people, the lens is very flexible and the eye has a wide range of focus from far distance to close up. As you get older, the lens slowly loses its flexibility leading to a gradual decline in ability to focus on near objects. Presbyopia is not a disease but a normal and expected change which sooner or later affects everyone, whether you already wear glasses or contact lenses or not. Around the age of 40-45, you will begin to notice that you are holding the newspaper further away or need more light to read small print. There is no advantage in delaying using reading glasses or progressive lenses; they will not make the eyes lazy. Your optometrist will advise you on the best form of vision correction to suit your individual lifestyle and occupation.