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Glossary Astigmatism Astigmatism is one of a group of eye conditions known as refractive errors. Refractive errors cause a disturbance in the way that light rays are focused within the eye. Astigmatism often occurs with nearsightedness and farsightedness, conditions also resulting from refractive errors. Astigmatism is not a disease nor does it mean that you have "bad eyes." It simply means that you have a variation or disturbance in the shape of your cornea. More... Glaucoma Glaucoma, once thought of as a single disease, is actually a broad term for a certain pattern of damage to the optic nerve (the bundle of nerve fibers that carries information from the eye to the brain). More... Latest Glaucoma News Hyperopia Hyperopia, also known as farsightedness, is usually inherited. Children are often hyperopic which may lessen as an adult. Hyperopia is a refractive error, which results from a disorder rather than from disease. A refractive error means that the shape of your eye does not bend light correctly, resulting in a blurred image More... LASIK (Laser in-situ keratomileusis) LASIK surgery may be used to correct mild to moderate nearsightedness. It is also considered the best procedure for correcting high myopia (greater than 7 diopters), although the results of surgery become harder to predict with larger amounts of nearsightedness. In general, for correcting nearsightedness over 3 diopters, both LASIK and PRK are better than radial keratotomy (RK). LASIK is an elective, cosmetic procedure. There are no medical reasons to have it. It is done based on your individual preferences to correct nearsightedness in otherwise healthy eyes. Myopia Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is inherited and is often discovered in childhood. Myopia is a refractive error, which results from a disorder rather than from disease. A refractive error means that the shape of your eye does not bend light correctly, resulting in a blurred image. Myopia often progesses throughout the teenage years, when the body is growing rapidly. People with high myopia have a higher risk of detached retina, which can be repaired with surgery, and glaucoma. More... Presbyopia Presbyopia (aging of the lens in the eye and the muscles that control the shape of the lens) commonly occurs after age 40, when the lens of the eye becomes more rigid and does not flex as easily. The result is that it is more difficult to read at close range. This normal aging process of the lens can also be combined with myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism. Presbyopia is a refractive error, which results from a disorder rather than from disease. A refractive error means that the shape of your eye does not bend light correctly, resulting in a blurred image. More... PRK Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is a type of refractive surgery used to correct myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism. The procedure removes the epithelial layer of the cornea, then uses a laser to shape the underlying stromal layer to improve the patient's vision. More...

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