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What are refractive problems?
These disturbances usually result in blurred vision that improves with spectacles or contact lenses. The human eye works in much the same way as a camera does. In order to see clearly, it needs to focus on the retina the objects we are looking at. This is achieved thanks to the convergent power of the cornea and the crystalline lens. When the image is not properly focused on the retina, there is a refractive error.
Short-sightedness
Myopia is the refractive defect that prevents us from seeing distant objects well, while near objects are seen without difficulty, because the images are focused in front of the retina.
This may be caused by the cornea being too curved or by excessive elongation of the eyeball.
It usually stops increasing by the age of 21, although in some cases it may increase beyond this age.
Hyperopia
It is an eye defect that blurs near objects because images are focused behind the retina and not directly on it. It occurs because the eye is shorter than normal or because the cornea is too flat.
In young people, if the hyperopia is not very severe, it can be compensated for with the eye muscles and they can see well at a distance and acceptably close up, but with age this ability is lost and objects at a distance are blurred, and later also those at a distance. This type of anomaly does not strictly speaking increase with age, what happens is that it becomes more evident.
Although a farsighted person can see normally up to the age of 35-40 years, from this age onwards the problem may begin to manifest itself.
Astigmatism
Astigmatism occurs when the cornea does not have the same curvature in all its axes and, therefore, there are different focal points either in front of or behind the retina, causing blurred vision both at a distance and up close.
The irregularity of the corneal structure may be genetically determined or caused by surgical interventions.
Many people have a refractive error, the main symptom being poor vision or eye strain. Myopia causes poor distance vision and relatively good near vision. Farsightedness causes difficulty seeing up close and eye strain. Astigmatism causes poor distance and near vision. Very often astigmatism is combined with myopia or hyperopia in the same eye.
How can a refractive error be corrected?
Several methods have been devised to correct refractive errors. These include spectacles, contact lenses and refractive surgery. In all cases, the aim is to divert the path of light rays so that they focus properly on the retina.
Glasses allow good vision as long as they are worn. They have the limitation that as the refractive error increases, the lenses become heavier, thicker and distort the image. Spectacles do not cover the entire visual field (outside the frame there is blurred vision) and for some people they are aesthetically undesirable. They are a good way to correct mild refractive errors.
Contact lenses enable vision correction across the entire field of vision. They require discipline and dedication on the part of the wearer as they must be cleaned and properly stored daily. They can cause eye rubbing or irritation and increase the risk of corneal infections. They enable correction of moderate and high refractive errors without being as noticeable as spectacles.
Refractive surgery corrects vision across the entire visual field without the need to place foreign objects on the cornea. Once performed, there is no need for glasses or contact lenses for proper vision. It is not a compulsory procedure in almost all cases, but rather an alternative for the definitive correction of refractive defects in people who do not wish to use glasses or contact lenses. It allows the correction of mild, moderate and high refractive errors without being noticeable at all.