Nearly 75% of adults in America use some sort of vision correction to help with poor eyesight. The significant majority of them wear eyeglasses, and a small portion use contact lenses, while an even smaller percentage undergo LASIK eye correction surgery. There’s a good chance you have searched for “eyeglasses near me” at some point in your life. Maybe you’re even wearing eyeglasses to read these sentences.
It’s no surprise that the great majority of American adults wear eyeglasses; there are so many issues of the eye that can lead to poor vision. Whether you’re experiencing nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, eyeglasses can help. Here you can read about these common eye problems and why glasses serve as the perfect solution.
Myopia (Nearsightedness)
Myopia is the most common eye condition that happens when a person can see things that are close-up, but struggles to see things in the distance. The main cause of myopia is an elongation of the eye. MayoClinic says that “it occurs when the shape of your eye causes light rays to bend (refract) incorrectly, focusing images in front of your retina instead of on your retina.”
Nearsightedness can come about very quickly or slowly. You might not experience vision trouble due to myopia until later on in life, or it may happen at a very early age. It often starts off as a very minor issue during childhood or adolescence and then slowly progresses into more severe vision impairment.
Hyperopia (Farsightedness)
On the flip side of myopia is hyperopia, which is the fancy word for farsightedness. If you are farsighted, you are able to see things that are far away, but struggle with close-up objects. This is not as common as myopia, but studies show that it affects nearly a quarter of the population. Hyperopia happens when light enters the eye and settles just behind the retina. With normal vision, light would settle directly on the retina rather than behind it.
Whether you are nearsighted or farsighted, the issue can be remedied with glasses or corrective lenses. Farsighted individuals will have contact lenses that read with a (+) in front of the prescription number. Nearsighted contact lens prescriptions start with a (-). Neither of these conditions is serious, and the solution is fairly easy. However, it is still important to visit your local eye doctor every year to keep up with vision changes.
Presbyopia
Many people confuse hyperopia with presbyopia, mainly because the symptoms are nearly the same. Presbyopia comes along with the aging process and is caused by the hardening of the eye lens. The main symptom of presbyopia is difficulty focusing on an object. This, like the other two conditions mentioned, can be treated with glasses or contact lenses.
Astigmatism
Another common eye issue that causes blurred vision, astigmatism is due to an irregularly shaped cornea. Anyone suffering from astigmatism will struggle to focus clearly on both near and far objects. Once again, this is an easy fix with a trip to the eye doctor. Once you receive your prescription, you can correct astigmatism with glasses or contacts.
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