Common Focusing Problems

Nearsightedness (Myopia)

Farsightedness (Hyperopia)

Astigmatism

Myopia (Nearsightedness)

Myopia is the most common refractive condition and affects one in four people in North America. Myopic individuals are "nearsighted": they see near objects clearly, but distant objects are blurry. Myopia occurs when the cornea is too curved or the eye is too long. This causes light to focus in front of the retina, resulting in blurry distance vision.

Hyperopia (Farsightedness)
Hyperopia or "farsightedness", is caused when the cornea is too flat in relation to the length of the eye or the eye is not long enough. This causes light to focus on a point beyond the retina, resulting in blurry distance vision.

Astigmatism
Astigmatism occurs when the cornea is not perfectly rounded (i.e. more curved in one direction than the other). Astigmatism can occur with Myopia "nearsightedness", or Hyperopia "farsightedness". This causes light to focus on more than one point, resulting in blurry and distorted vision.