Other Eye Conditions

Nearsightedness

Nearsightedness, or myopia, is when objects are easier to see up close than farther away. Light focuses in the eye in front of the retina. Corrective lenses focus the light back onto the retina for proper vision.

Farsightedness

Farsightedness, or hyperopia, is when light focuses behind the retina. Without corrective lenses, the eye’s focusing system, known as accommodation, is stimulated at all viewing distances. While younger eyes with a mild amount of hyperopia may see fine, others may have blurry vision, eye strain, headaches, or crossed eyes, which may worsen after prolonged near tasks. Corrective lenses relax the focusing system and sharpen vision.

Astigmatism

Astigmatism is a blurring and distortion of vision at all distances. An eye that is not perfectly round, or is football shaped, is the cause of astigmatism.

Presbyopia

Having trouble reading up close? Are you holding things farther away to read? Presbyopia is the eye’s natural loss of focusing power on objects up close. It is not a disease, just a normal part of aging. The lens inside the eye becomes less flexible and can no longer focus light on the retina to see clearly while reading. There are many treatments for presbyopia. The most common are bifocals or reading glasses (cheaters). Bifocal contact lenses or monovision contact lenses offer an alternative to reading glasses. If glasses and contacts aren’t your thing, ask the doctors at Eye Clinic North about other presbyopia-correcting  options, such as monovision or bifocal contact lenses, monovision LASIK, and multifocal and accommodating intraocular lens implants.

Cataracts

Cataracts are caused when the natural lens inside the eye becomes cloudy and opaque. This limits the amount and clarity of light entering the eye. Cataracts can be found on routine eye examinations. To restore vision, cataract surgery removes the cloudy human lens and implants a clear plastic lens. Cataract surgery is the most common surgical procedure performed in the United States and can be as quick as a 12 minute procedure. Cataract surgery also attempts to reduce your dependence on eye glasses or contacts after surgery, much like LASIK or refractive surgery. With standard treatments, reading glasses are usually required after. Ask us about custom surgical treatments to reduce your dependence on needing reading glasses after surgery.

Strabismus (Lazy Eye)

Lazy eye is a term that characterizes an eye turn (strabismus) or loss of vision (amblyopia). Infants, toddlers, and children are at the highest risk of having a lazy eye. In a developing brain, connections need to be made so the brain can “learn” to “see” correctly. When an eye does not see well or is “lazy,” the connections in the brain develop slower. If untreated, this can result in permanent visual impairment of that eye. Pediatric eye examinations are recommended at 6 months old, 3 years old, and before 1st grade to ensure proper development of the eyes and visual system. Treatment of lazy eye consists of eye glasses, patching, prismatic correction, vision therapy, or surgery.

Amblyopia

Amblyopia is decreased vision in one or both eyes due to abnormal vision development in childhood. In the first few years of life, the brain must learn to see or interpret the images provided by the eyes. In amblyopia, the brain receives a poor image from the eye and thus does not learn to see well. Vision loss occurs in this case because nerve pathways between the brain and the eye are not properly stimulated. Normal vision develops during the first few years of life. At birth, infants have very poor vision. As infants grow and use their eyes, the vision improves as the vision centers in the brain develop. If children are not able to use their eyes, the vision centers in the brain do not develop properly and the vision remains poor. Amblyopia may occur despite normal appearance of the eye structures.

Common causes of amblyopia include unequal refractive error between the two eyes, large refractive error, or an eye turn.