There are 4 major types of refractive error. Some of the treatment options are:

• eyeglasses,
• soft contact lenses
• rigid contact lenses
• ORTHOKERATOLOGY or CORNEAL MOLDING
• laser vision correction

1. Nearsightedness, or myopia is a common (30% of US population) vision condition in which people can see near objects clearly, but objects farther away appear blurred. People with myopia can have difficulty clearly seeing a TV screen, road signs or the whiteboard in school. Myopia occurs if the eyeball is too long or the cornea (the front surface of the eye) is too curved. As a result, the light entering the eye isn’t focused correctly, and distant objects look blurred. While the exact cause of myopia is unknown, there is significant evidence that many people inherit myopia, or at least the tendency to develop myopia. If one or both parents are nearsighted, there is an increased chance their children will be nearsighted.

2. Farsightedness, or hyperopia is a vision condition in which distant objects are usually seen clearly, but close ones do not come into proper focus. Farsightedness occurs if your eyeball is too short or the cornea has too flat, so light entering your eye is not focused correctly. People with farsightedness can have difficulty in concentrating and maintaining a clear focus on near objects, eye strain, fatigue and/or headaches after close work, aching or burning eyes, irritability or nervousness after sustained concentration.

3. Astigmatism is a common vision condition that causes blurred vision. It occurs when the cornea (the clear front surface of the eye) is irregularly shaped or sometimes because of the curvature of the lens inside the eye. An irregularly shaped cornea or lens prevents light from focusing properly on the retina (the light-sensitive surface at the back of the eye). As a result, vision becomes blurred at near and far. Though mild astigmatism may go unnoticed, this can lead to eye discomfort and headaches.

4. Presbyopia is a vision condition in which the crystalline lens of your eye loses its flexibility, which makes it difficult for you to focus on near objects. Presbyopia may seem to occur suddenly, but the actual loss of flexibility takes place over a number of years. Presbyopia usually becomes noticeable in the early to mid-40s. Presbyopia is a natural part of the aging process of the eye. It is not a disease, and it cannot be prevented. Some signs of presbyopia include the tendency to push reading materials further away for better clarity, blurred vision at normal reading distance and eye fatigue along with headaches when doing close work.