serraolaser – Pathologies
Refractive Sight Defects

A refractive error means that the shape of your eye doesn’t refract the light properly, so that the image you see is blurred. Although refractive errors are called eye disorders, they are not diseases.

The Normal Eye

Normal Eye In order for our eyes to be able to see, light rays must be bent or refracted by the cornea and the lens so they can focus on the retina, the nerve layer that lines the back of the eye.


Nearsightedness (Myopia)


In myopia, distant objects appear blurry because the eye is too long, and images focus in front of the retina instead of on it.

Myopia is inherited and is often discovered in children whey they are between 8 and 12 years old. During the teenage years, when the body grows rapidly, myopia may become worse. Between the ages of 20 and 40, there is usually little change.

If the myopia is mild, it is called low myopia. Severe myopia is known as high myopia. If you have high myopia, you have a higher risk of detached retina. Your ophthalmologist (Eye M.D.) should discuss the warning signs of retinal detachment with you if you are in this risk category. If the retina does detach, a surgical procedure is the only way to repair it. It is important to have regular eye examinations by an ophthalmologist to watch for changes in the retina.

Farsightedness (Hyperopia)

Hyperopic Eye A hyperopic eye is shorter than normal. Light from close objects, such as the page of a book, cannot focus clearly on the retina.

Like nearsightedness, farsightedness is usually inherited. Babies and young children tend to be slightly hyperopic. As the eye grows and becomes longer, hyperopia lessens.

In hyperopia, close objects appear blurry because the eye is too short, and images are not in focus when they reach the retina.



Astigmatism distorts or blurs vision for both near and far objects. It’s almost like looking into a fun house mirror in which you appear too tall, too wide or too thin. It is possible to have astigmatism in combination with myopia or hyperopia.

Presbyopia Hyperopia



You also can have presbyopia in combination with myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism.