Please click on the condition below for a more detailed description:
[learn_more caption=”Myopia”]
What is Myopia?
- Myopia is the medical term for ‘nearsightedness’.
- In a myopic eye, near objects such as a book may be seen clearly, however, distant objects appear blurred.
- Having an eyeball that is too long or a cornea that has too much curvature are usually the reasons for myopia.
- The excess length or curvature causes light entering the eye to focus in front of the retina, which causes the distance blur.
What are the Symptoms of Myopia?
- Blurred distance vision
- Headaches
- Excessive squinting
How Common is Myopia?
- Being nearsighted is very common in the United States.
- Nearly 25-30% of the population is myopic
- Certain groups of people are more at risk for myopia due to genetics or lifestyles
- People with myopic parents, Asian-Americans and people working in jobs that involve a lot of reading tend to be myopic more often
What Causes Myopia?
- Most myopia is genetic, meaning you inherit it from mom and dad
- Some evidence points to excessive near work and the stress that causes on the eye as a potential cause of myopia as well.
- People who spend a lot of their time reading or those who work extensively on computers tend to be at higher risk for myopia development
When does Myopia Occur?
- Myopia generally develops during childhood.
- It usually progresses during puberty until around the age of 20.
- Myopia can also develop due to other causes at any stage during life.
- Diabetes, improper contact lens wear, cataract development and eye injuries are also potential sources of myopia development
- Myopia can also occur if the eye fails to properly focus at night.
- This form of myopia is called “night myopia”
How is Myopia Diagnosed?
- Diagnosing myopia begins with a comprehensive eye exam at Remke Eye Clinic
- During this exam, your doctor uses tests such as visual acuity and machines such as a phoropter to determine the degree of myopia
- Sometimes, it may be necessary for your doctor to use eye drops to evaluate the health of your eyes more thoroughly
How is Myopia Treated?
- Eyeglasses
- Contact Lenses
- Orthokeratology
- Refractive Surgery
- Vision Therapy for Stress-Related Myopia
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[learn_more caption=”Hyperopia”]
What is Hyperopia?
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Hyperopia is the medical term for ‘farsightedness’.
- In a hyperopic eye, distant objects such as a movie screen may be seen clearly, however, near objects do not properly focus.
- Having an eyeball that is too short or a cornea that has too little curvature are usually the reasons for hyperopia.
- The short length or lack of curvature causes light entering the eye not to focus properly on the retina, which causes blurred vision.
What are the Symptoms of Hyperopia?
- Blurred near vision
- Eye strain, fatigue and headaches
- Difficulty concentrating or maintaining focus
- Burning or irritated eyes
How Common is Hyperopia?
- Being farsighted is very common in the United States.
- Nearly 50% of the population has some degree of hyperopia
- Certain groups of people are more at risk for hyperopia due to genetics or lifestyles
- People with hyperopic parents and African-Americans tend to be hyperopic more often
What Causes Hyperopia?
- Most hyperopia is genetic, meaning you inherit it from mom and dad
- Some evidence points to environmental factors as a potential cause of hyperopia as well.
When does Hyperopia Occur?
- Hyperopia generally develops during childhood.
- Most people are born with some degree of hyperopia
How is Hyperopia Diagnosed?
- Diagnosing hyperopia begins with a comprehensive eye exam at Remke Eye Clinic
- During this exam, your doctor uses tests such as visual acuity and machines such as a phoropter to determine the degree of hyperopia
- Sometimes, it may be necessary for your doctor to use eye drops to evaluate the health of your eyes more thoroughly
How is Hyperopia Treated?
- If mild, some people are able to compensate for their hyperopia without vision correction
- Eyeglasses
- Contact Lenses
- Vision Therapy for Focusing-Related Problems
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[learn_more caption=”Astigmatism”]
What is Astigmatism?
- Astigmatism is a vision condition that leads to blurred vision at any distance
- In an astigmatic eye, the cornea or the lens have an irregular shape
- This irregular shape prevents light entering the eye to focus properly on the retina. Light focuses on two different areas of the retina
What are the Symptoms of Astigmatism?
- Blurred/Distorted vision
- Headaches and eye strain
How Common is Astigmatism?
- Astigmatism is very common in the United States.
- Most people have some degree of astigmatism
- Usually small amounts do not interfere with normal vision and require no treatment
- Larger amounts can significantly alter vision and lead to other associated problems such as headaches
- Most people have some degree of astigmatism
- Astigmatism commonly occurs with other vision conditions such as myopia or hyperopia
What Causes Astigmatism?
- It is believed that most astigmatism is genetic
- Astigmatism can also result from injuries or surgeries on the eyes and from increase near work
- Often times, doctors will use the analogy of a basketball versus a football to explain astigmatism
- A normal eye has a round shape like a basketball while an astigmatic eye takes on a shape more like a football with different curvatures along the surface of the cornea or lens
When does Astigmatism Occur?
- Astigmatism is usually present at birth
- It can increase or decrease over time or with the onset of certain diseases
How is Astigmatism Diagnosed?
- Diagnosing astigmatism begins with a comprehensive eye exam at Remke Eye Clinic
- During this exam, your doctor uses tests such as visual acuity and machines such as a phoropter and keratometer to determine the degree of astigmatism
- Sometimes, it may be necessary for your doctor to use eye drops to evaluate the health of your eyes more thoroughly
How is Astigmatism Treated?
- Eyeglasses
- Contact Lenses
- Orthokeratology
- Refractive Surgery
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[learn_more caption=”Amblyopia”]
What is Amblyopia?
- Amblyopia is the medical term for a ‘lazy eye’
- It is the loss/lack of visual development in one of the eyes in the area of central vision
- Peripheral vision is usually not affected
- It is not completely correctable with glasses or contact lenses
- It is not related to any particular eye health issues
What are the Symptoms of Amblyopia?
- Bumping into things on one side
- Favoring one eye over the other
- Crossed eyes
- Other symptoms are not as obvious
What Causes Amblyopia?
- Amblyopia can result from the two eyes not working properly together
- It is often associated with a large difference in prescription between the two eyes or with being cross-eyed
- It can also develop as a result of a childhood cataract
When does Amblyopia Occur?
- Amblyopia usually develops before age 6
- Children born premature are at a higher risk for amblyopia
- The chances of developing amblyopia in adulthood are relatively small
How is Amblyopia Diagnosed?
- Diagnosing amblyopia begins with a comprehensive eye exam at Remke Eye Clinic
- Early diagnosis is critical for intervention and treatment
- Children are recommended to have a comprehensive eye exam by the age of 6 months and again at age 3 to monitor visual development
How is Amblyopia Treated?
- Prescription Lenses
- Prisms
- Vision Therapy
- Eye-Patching
Amblyopia Resource
- National Institute of Health: http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/amblyopia/index.asp
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[learn_more caption=”Presbyopia”]
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What is Presbyopia?
- Presbyopia the medical term for a condition in which the lens of the eye loses its ability to focus properly
- This makes seeing near objects difficult
What are the Symptoms of Presbyopia?
- Holding reading/near material further away
- Blurred vision at near
- Eye fatigue/Headaches
How Common is Presbyopia?
- Presbyopia occurs in everyone after a certain age
- People usually begin to notice presbyopia around age 40
What Causes Presbyopia?
- Presbyopia is a normal part of aging
- It is not a disease
When does Presbyopia Occur?
- Presbyopia occurs gradually over years
- It usually becomes noticeable around the age of 40
How is Presbyopia Diagnosed?
- Diagnosing presbyopia begins with a comprehensive eye exam at Remke Eye Clinic
- During this exam, your doctor uses tests to evaluate your vision and your ability to focus on objects close to you
How is Presbyopia Treated?
- Reading GlassesBifocals
- Trifocals
- Contact Lenses
- Presbyopia the medical term for a condition in which the lens of the eye loses its ability to focus properly
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[learn_more caption=”Emmetropia”]
What is Emmetropia?
- Emmetropia is the medical term used to describe an eye with an ideal combination of both power and eyeball length
- Images are perfectly focused on the retina
How is Emmetropia Treated?
- No corrective lenses are needed for an emmetropic eye.
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