In myopia, or nearsightedness, light entering the eye focuses in front of the retina due to a cornea that is too curved, or an eyeball that is too long. As a result, myopic individuals are able to see objects clearly when they are near, but not when objects are at a distance. Over 80 million children have been reported to be myopic worldwide, and rates continue to increase. Due to lack of access to adequate vision care in many parts of the world, uncorrected myopia has the potential to have considerable public health and socioeconomic impacts.
In hyperopia, or farsightedness, light entering the eye focuses behind the retina due to a cornea that is not curved enough, or an eyeball that is too short. Consequently, hyperopia individuals find objects more difficult to see when they are near, and easier to see when they are at a distance.
In eyes with astigmatism, the cornea is curved unevenly. In eyes without astigmatism, the cornea is uniformly curved in all meridians, like a baseball. In astigmatism, the cornea is curved more in one meridian than another, like a football. This irregularity causes light that enters the eye to focus at more than one location, and results in distorted vision for potentially both distant and near objects. Astigmatism often happens in conjunction with myopia or hyperopia.
Presbyopia is a condition that occurs with age and causes progressive difficulty focusing on near objects. This difficulty is often first noted between the ages of 35 to 50 years of age, typically with trouble reading the fine print. While presbyopia causes difficulty with near vision, the ability to see distant objects remains unchanged.
In eyes with astigmatism, the cornea is curved unevenly. In eyes without astigmatism, the cornea is uniformly curved in all meridians, like a baseball. In astigmatism, the cornea is curved more in one meridian than another, like a football. This irregularity causes light that enters the eye to focus at more than one location, and results in distorted vision for potentially both distant and near objects. Astigmatism often happens in conjunction with myopia or hyperopia.
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