Eye conditions

The human eye is a marvel of evolution. It operates very much like a regular camera. Light is focused by the cornea and lens, at the front of the eye and the image falls on the retina at the back of the eye, which acts like a film in the camera. 

Deviations are referred to as 'refractive errors', and the vast majority of these can be corrected with spectacles, contact lenses or surgery.

Normal Vision

Your vision is normal if you can see objects at distance and near, clearly. Light entering your eye is focusing on the retina, as it should. This is also referred to as uncorrected 20:20 or 6:6 vision, during an eye test.

Myopia (Short Sight)

This is the name given when the image does not reach the retina and actually falls short of it (or in front of it). This happens when the eye is too long for the refractive power of the cornea and the lens.

A person who is short sighted would be able to see objects at close range, but distant and even mid range objects would be blurred. Read more...

Hyperopia (Long Sight)

If the eye is too short for the refractive power of the cornea and lens, the image produced will be focused beyond the retina. The result of this means that the person will be able to see distances clearly, but close up images will be blurred.  Read more...

Astigmatism

Astigmatism is caused by irregularities in the curvature of the parts of the eye responsible for focusing light rays (the cornea and the lens). An even curve (a round eye) results in even distribution of the light rays making up an image, which will be clear. If the curvature of the eye is uneven (rugby ball shaped), light rays will be unevenly distributed, causing blurred images at distance and at near.  Read more...

Presbyopia

From the age of 45, it is common for people to wear reading glasses. This is due to the natural lens in the eye becoming less flexible. As a result, objects near to the eye become more blurred as the natural lens cannot change its shape as much. As a result, people tend to hold their print further away to read and eventually, reading glasses, bifocals or varifocals are needed. 

Long-sighted people may be affected more quickly than short-sighted people who may benefit for a short period by being able to read without spectacles. Read more...

Keratoconus

The cornea is the transparent dome-shaped front part of our eyes, allowing for focusing of the eye. To function properly it must be smooth and appropriately shaped.

Keratoconus causes the central area of the cornea to become weak and thinner, making the shape ‘bulge’ in an irregular manner. This results in a refractive error with the end result being distorted vision.

Keratoconus is usually first diagnosed in the form of an Astigmatism, where the cornea is seen to bulge slightly, which in turn, will impair the eyes’ ability to focus... Read more...

Cataracts

A cataract is a clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or in its envelope, varying in degree from slight to complete opacity and obstructing the passage of light.

Cataracts develop for a variety of reasons, including long-term exposure to ultraviolet light, exposure to radiation, secondary effects of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and advanced age, or trauma (possibly much earlier)... Read more...