Amblyopia
Most commonly known as lazy eye. It causes reduced vision in one or both eyes and is most prevalent among children. This is due to an abnormal neural pathway from the eye to the brain. Early diagnosis and treatment may prevent future problems with your child’s vision. Treatments of lazy eye include: occlusion therapy, surgery, and vision therapy.
Signs and symptoms may include:
- A wandering eye, either inward or outward
- Eyes which work out of sync
- Poor depth perception
- Squinting or shutting of eye
- Head tilting
- Abnormal results of vision screening tests
Please see a doctor if your child’s eye wanders after the first few weeks. It also important to note any family history of eye conditions such as crossed eyes, or childhood cataracts.
Astigmatism
Though the cause is unknown, astigmatism is a common and generally treatable imperfection which leads to the eye to focus due to an irregularity of the curvature of the cornea. It often presents itself at birth and may cause a combination of nearsightedness or farsightedness. This irregularity in the cornea may cause the symptoms stated below.
Signs and symptoms may include:
- Blurred vision (most common)
- Eyestrain
- Headaches
- Night vision difficulty
Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS)
Also known as Digital Eye Strain, affects 75% of computer users. Individuals with CVS experience eye discomfort and vision problems after looking at digital screens for extended periods of time. The level of discomfort is usually associated with the amount of digital screen usage. Treatments of CVS include: computer glasses and adjustments when viewing a a computer to improve lighting, seating position, anti-glare screens, etc. .
Signs and symptoms may include:
- Eyestrain
- Headaches
- Blurred vision
- Dry eyes
- Neck and shoulder pain
Emmetropia
Emmetropia describes 20/20 vision. An emmetropic eye has no refractive error or de-focus error, and has no visual defects, thus “perfect vision.”
Hyperopia
Most commonly known as farsightedness. It’s a condition which causes distant objects to be seen clearly, and close objects to be blurred. This is due to the eye’s inability to bend light properly, which means the eye is unable to correctly focus the light that enters in. Hyperopia can be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses, or even through surgery.
Signs and symptoms may include:
- Difficulty with focusing on near objects
- Eye strain
- Fatigue or headache after close work
- Aching or burning eyes
- Irritability or nervousness after sustained concentration.
Myopia
Most commonly known as nearsightedness, myopia is the opposite of hyperopia. People with myopia experience an inability to clearly see distant objects, while able to view close objects. Myopia is caused by the anatomy of the eyeball being longer than normal, causing light to blur distance vision. Just like hyperopia, myopia may be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. Laser vision correction is only recommended after the eye is finished with development, usually for people over 18 years old.
Signs and symptoms may include:
- Difficulty with viewing distant objects
- Squinting in order to see clearly
- Headaches caused by eyestrain
Presbyopia
A normal part of aging, presbyopia may occur as people reach their 40s, even if there were no vision problems prior. Presbyopia is the inability to focus on objects near the eye. There is no known cure for presbyopia, however it may be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses, or surgery.
Signs and symptoms may include:
- Headaches
- Eyestrain
- Ability to see objects at arm’s length