1 minute read
The View by Dr. Lynne Erbe
By Lynne C. Erbe, O.D.
LYNNE C. ERBE, O.D.
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Got Glasses? Here’s Why!
There are three reasons why people need vision correction. Eye size, eye shape and age.
The first two problems cause light entering the eye to not focus properly on the retina. The retina is the lining in the back of the eye that takes a picture and sends it to your brain for processing. If the eye is larger than it should be, you are nearsighted and the image stops short in front of the retina. This means your vision is good up close. If your eye is smaller than it should be, you are farsighted and the image is behind the retina.This means you see better far away, but in severe cases may need some correction for distance too. If the front of your eye is more curved, then you have astigmatism and have trouble seeing both near and far. Finally, the hardening of the lens inside the eye causes a loss of focus ability up close. This is a natural part of the aging process which will slowly decline over several birthdays. These refractive “errors” are “corrected” by the prescription your doctor determines during the exam. Traditionally the doctor will shine a light in your eye to see what error or errors (yes they can be in combination) you are experiencing. This is because that’s what eyes do... they focus light. The doctor will come up with a very accurate starting point and then give you a few options that you may like better. This is the infamous “is it better one or two” part of the exam, but sometimes it can look the same. The lenses are actually bending (refracting) the light that is entering the eye to focus on the retina to correct the problem. Once the best correction is determined, there are several options to help you see clearly. Glasses (technically not made of glass very much anymore), contact lenses and Lasik surgery are options that can provide high tech function and fashion. In fact, today’s options are numerous and better than ever.
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