Introduction to Refractive Errors
A refractive error refers to the inability of your eye to bend light correctly, resulting in a blurry or distorted image. Light has to be “refracted” or bent by the cornea and the lens to the retina in order for us to see as we should. The common refractive errors are: myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism (blurry vision at all distances). Refractive errors are commonly treated with refractive surgery, corrective lenses or contact lenses.
How can LASIK help?
A prevalent myth regarding lasik surgery is that it is not a viable alternative to contact lenses and glasses for people who possess some level of refractive error. This could not be any further from the truth. In other words, people who have conditions of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism are often found to be great candidates for refractive procedures as a means to clarify their vision. In nearsightedness (myopia), the light rays of the eye are bent too much. Lasik surgery flattens the cornea of the eye, allowing the light rays to focus onto the retina. Farsightedness (hyperopia), occurs when the light rays of your eye are bent too much. In treating farsightedness with lasik surgery, the cornea is “steepened” allowing for the light rays to pass through to the retina. Astigmatism occurs when the light rays are not bent simultaneously, providing for cloudy vision. Lasik surgery alleviates astigmatism by making the cornea more round-like in shape and allowing the light rays to pass in a uniform fashion.