Eye Conditions
Listed below are refractive eye conditions we test and correct with prescription glasses.
Hyperopia, also known as long-sightedness, is a common eye condition where things up close appear blurry, but you can see faraway objects just fine. Although in some cases it affects both short and long-distance vision.
Essentially, hyperopia is a refractive error in which the visual image is focused behind the retina rather than directly on it.
Symptoms of Hyperopia
Symptoms include having to strain to see clearly, feeling eye strain after doing close-up work, getting frequent headaches, and occasionally seeing double.
Clear vision is achieved through the use of spectacles or contact lenses.
Myopia
(short-sightedness)
Myopia, also known as nearsightedness or shortsightedness, is a common eye condition where distant objects appear blurry. Myopia usually starts in childhood and progresses until adulthood, potentially leading to serious eye conditions like myopic maculopathy, retinal detachment, cataracts, and glaucoma. However, by managing myopia in its early stages, we can slow its progression and reduce the risk of developing severe myopia and associated eye conditions.
At Rototuna Optometrists, we have a dedicated clinic focused on myopia control and treatment, ensuring the best care for our patients.
Astigmatism
Astigmatism is a common refractive error that can cause blurry vision and tired eyes. It’s caused by curvature on the cornea or in the lens of the eye. It is often explained as ‘rugby ball shaped’. It is a common condition affecting the eye’s shape and is not a disease.
The blur of astigmatism makes things uncomfortable to look at, and difficult to focus on, and may cause headaches, tiredness and poor concentration.
Sometimes astigmatism can be inherited but it often happens as a normal characteristic of growth.
Do you have tired eyes?
If you have tired eyes often, you may have uncorrected astigmatism. The eyes tire as they focus back and forth between two slightly different images, trying to find the best compromise. Fatigue also occurs if you squint to see better.
Contact lenses or spectacles are used to achieve clear vision. Refractive surgery can be a permanent solution in some cases. If this is an option that is appropriate for you, your optometrist will explain it to you.
Presbyopia
What is Presbyopia ?
Presbyopia is a vision condition in which the lens of your eye gradually loses its ability to focus, making it difficult to see near objects clearly. It is not a disease but a normal age-related process that affects everyone – even if you have never had a vision problem before. People usually notice the condition at around age 45, when they realise they need to hold reading materials further away in order to focus on them.
As we get older, the lens of the eye thickens and slowly loses its flexibility, making it difficult to hold objects very close and see clearly. Around the late thirties to early forties, vision at our normal reading distance becomes blurry. We have to hold the print further away to focus clearly.
For comfortable vision at close distances, prescription glasses are usually worn. A pair of reading glasses is the simplest form. Progression focus lenses are recommended if your distance vision needs to be corrected also.
Keratoconus
Keratoconus is a disorder of the cornea that causes it to thin, leading to an irregular cone-like shape that distorts your vision and makes it hard to use regular glasses.
It usually starts in the teenage years and gets worse from vigorous eye rubbing and allergies. Keratoconus is fairly common in New Zealand compared to other regions around the world. As it progresses, glasses become less effective at improving vision.
What Causes Keratoconus
The cause of the condition is largely unknown, although it is believed to have a genetic component as it does run in families. Vigorous, prolonged eye rubbing is associated with keratoconus progression.
The milder form of keratoconus is treated with soft contact lenses or glasses. As the condition advances and the cornea becomes more distorted, specially designed soft lenses are often needed. In advanced cases, rigid gas-permeable contact lenses are often the best option for vision correction.
It’s vital these lenses are custom-fitted to avoid poor vision, discomfort and even scarring of the surface of the eye. Other treatment options for Keratoconus include corneal cross-linking, corneal intacs, and corneal grafts. All of these procedures will be explained to you by your optometrist.
