Myopia vs Hyperopia vs Astigmatism – What’s the Meaning of it all?
We all know these words floating around by our eye specialists, friends, or while surfing the internet. All your confusion around terms like Astigmatism, Myopia, and Hyperopia will end today as we deeply understand what they mean.
Although several differences set these terms apart, they have one thing in common. Myopia, Hyperopia and Astigmatism are refractive errors that commonly affect human vision. Those suffering from any of these conditions face issues with seeing objects clearly that are either near or far.
But what are the critical differences between Astigmatism, Myopia, and Hyperopia that set these refractive errors apart? What leads to these conditions? What are the options available to cure these conditions? Let’s find out!
What is Myopia
Myopia is commonly known as Nearsightedness. It is a condition that causes distant objects to appear blurry; however, the nearby objects can be seen clearly. It is one of the most common vision-related issues that affect human eyes.
1. What causes Myopia?
When the Cornea (the outermost transparent layer of the eye) is curved more than usual, it causes the light entering the eyes to focus before where it should be focusing, that is the retina.
But, when the light entering your eyes focuses right on the Retina, you can see everything perfectly. However, in the case of Myopia or Nearsightedness, when the light entering your eyes focuses in front of the Retina, it causes the faraway objects to look blurry.
2. Symptoms of Myopia
The most prominent sign of Myopia is finding it difficult to see distant objects.
Other accompanying symptoms are headaches, eyestrain, and squinting to see far objects.
What is Hyperopia
Also known as Hypermetropia, this refractive error causes nearby objects to seem blurry; however, distant objects appear clear. This, again, is a common condition that human eyes could suffer from.
1. What causes Hyperopia?
Farsightedness is caused when the cornea is flat or slightly curved. This condition leads the light entering the eyes to focus behind the Retina.
2. Symptoms of Hyperopia
The obvious symptom of Farsightedness is having difficulty seeing near objects. This means a person with this condition isn’t able to read correctly.
Other symptoms include headaches, strain in the eyes, and squinting of sight to see near objects.
What is Astigmatism
Astigmatism is a refractive error that causes objects at all distances to seem blurry or distorted. This condition could either be present at the time of birth or may occur due to eye injury or disease.
1. What causes Astigmatism
The usual shape of an eye is round, like a basketball or football, but that’s not the case with Astigmatic eyes. A person with Astigmatism could either have eyes that are oval or if the shape of the eyes is not symmetrically round. This leads the lights entering the eyes to focus at multiple places except for the Retina.
2. Symptoms of Astigmatism
Astigmatic eyes either cannot clearly see objects at all distances or may have distorted vision.
Just like the other two conditions, this one could cause headaches, eye strain, discomfort and squinting of the eyes.
How to treat Refractive Errors like Astigmatism, Myopia, and Hyperopia
Eyeglasses or contact lenses are the most common solutions that help people with these conditions see better. However, those who prefer freedom from using vision aids like contacts and glasses could undergo LASIK surgery.
LASIK surgeries have been around for a while and are trusted by millions worldwide to treat refractive errors with a very high success rate.
If you, too, are looking to get your eyes treated for any of these refractive errors, get in touch with Planet LASIK. Our eye specialists are experts with cutting-edge technology and years of experience in this field. Get in touch for a free appointment.
