ABC’s of Vision – Part 1

Visiting a vision doctor? The following terms are helpful to know when dealing with glasses and lenses, an eye examination, premium contact lenses, and much more.

A – Astigmatism:  a distortion of the shape of the eye where the eye appears more like a football than the normal basketball shape.

B – Bifocal: A type of lens that is separated into 2 viewing fields; one for distance and one for reading.

C – Cornea: the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber

D- Dilation: Drops are put into the eyes to allow the doctor to get a clear view of your retina, optic nerve, and vessels in the back of the eye.

E- Extraocular Muscles: six muscles that move the eyeball

F – Floaters: Particles that float in the vitreous and cast shadows on the retina; seen as spots, cobwebs, spiders, etc. Occurs normally with aging or with vitreous detachment, retinal tears, or inflammation.

G – Glaucoma: A disease of the eye having to do with offset pressure inside the eyes that damages the optic nerve. Known as the sneak thief of sight.

H-Hyperopia: Farsightedness. Farsighted people are able to see objects far away in focus but objects near are blurry.

I – Intraocular Pressure: The pressure inside the eyes.

K- Keratoconus: a disorder characterized by an irregular corneal surface resulting in blurred and distorted images.

L – Lazy Eye: Also known as Amblyopia. Decreased vision in one or both eyes without detectable anatomic damage in the eye or visual pathways. Usually uncorrectable by eyeglasses or contact lenses.