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COMMON EYE CONDITIONS

MYOPIA (NEARSIGHTEDNESS)

When light focuses in front of the retina, this refractive error is known as myopia or near-sightedness.  Someone with myopia will have difficulty seeing distant objects in focus.  With myopia, the eyeball is longer than a normal eye. 

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HYPEROPIA (FARSIGHTED)

When light focuses behind the retina, this refractive error is known as hyperopia or far-sightedness.  Someone with hyperopia will have difficulty focusing on near objects.  With hyperopia, the eyeball is shorter than a normal eye.

ASTIGMATISM

A normal-shaped cornea is spherical, whereas a person with astigmatism has a cornea that is shaped more like a football, with both flat and steep curves.  When light enters an eye with astigmatism, it is focused on multiple different points instead of a single point in the eye, which causes you to see a blurred image.  Many people with myopia and hyperopia have some degree of astigmatism as well.

PRESBYOPIA

As we age the natural lens within the eye begins to lose its elasticity and ability to accommodate to nearby objects.  Presbyopia usually becomes noticeable around the age of 40 and can be corrected with the use of reading glasses.

CATARACTS

When the natural lens within the eye begins to harden and become discoloured, this is referred to as cataracts.  When this happens light entering your eye becomes scattered and blocked, preventing it from reaching the back of your eye, which interferes with your vision.

DYSFUNCTIONAL LENS SYNDROME (DLS)

This is a progressive loss of function of the lens inside the eye.  It is an age-related condition that usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 60.

KERATOCONUS

This is a defective cornea that over time, thins and bulges into a cone-like shape. Without treatment, vision starts to deteriorate to the point that glass or contact lenses are no longer viable.  Until recent years, the only way to treat keratoconus was with a corneal transplant.  It can now be treated with a non-invasive procedure called corneal cross-linking (CXL).

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