Astigmatism: The cornea of the eye is not round like a basketball but shaped more like the side of a football. This unique shaping of the cornea will cause light to be focused at different places. This can be corrected w/ special shaped lenses that will focus the light to the correct part of the retina. Hyperopia or Farsightedness: Usually occurs when the eye is too short and images focus behind the retina. Patients may be able to use the lens in their eye to help focus light onto the retina. This will allow them to see clearly far away and up close. However this may cause eye strain or problems with near vision. Plus power lenses are used to focus the image on the retina providing a clear image with out having to strain the eyes. Monovision: Patients are fitted with two different powers of contact lenses. One eye (usually the dominant eye) will have the distance prescription, while the other eye has the near prescription. The brain then decides which eye to use depending on what distance is being viewed. Myopia or Nearsightedness: Usually occurs when the eye is too long and images focus in front of the retina. Patients will usually be able to see up close but have trouble w/ distance vision. Minus power lenses are used to focus the image on the retina providing a clear image. Presbyopia or "My arms are too short to read anything": Begins to occur around age 40. The lens of the eye begins to harden. As a result it is not able to focus light as well as it did before. Reading glasses, bifocals, or no line bifocals will focus the light for the patient allowing them to see and read up close. Patients may also try monovision w/ contact lenses. Dry Eye Syndrome: Corneal and conjunctional dryness due to deficient tear production or allergies: treated w/artificial tears, punctual occlusion + other means if needed. Computer Vision Syndrome: A collection of eye and visual problems associated with long term computer use: most common symptoms are eyestrain, dry/burning eyes, blurry vision, and headaches. Macular Degeneration: Disturbance of the retina resulting in loss of fine vision. Glaucoma: Disease caused by increased pressure inside the eye resulting in damage to optic nerve and retinal nerve fibers. Cataracts: An opacity or cloudiness of the crystalline lens inside the eye. “Pink eye” Conjunctivitis: Inflammation of the mucus membrane that covers the white of the eye. Symptoms are grittiness, pink eye, and swelling. Usually viral in origin and very contagious. Click here for more Terms