Understanding the Eye
As you familiarize yourself with our procedures and treatments, you may encounter unfamiliar terms. We hope you find the information on this page helpful.
- Astigmatism
- A condition caused by imperfections in the cornea, resulting in light being focused at two different points. Astigmatism can exist on its own or in conjunction with myopia or hyperopia.
- Cataract
- An opacity or cloudiness of the lens of the eye that interferes with vision by blocking light.
- Cornea
- The clear circular window at the front of the eye; it refracts light entering the eye onto the lens, which then focuses it on the retina.
- Glaucoma
- The leading cause of preventable blindness, glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve and is frequently associated with an elevated eye pressure.
- Hyperopia
- Also known as farsightedness, hyperopia occurs when light is focused too far back in the eye.
- Iris
- The colored part of the eye; the iris controls the amount of light that passes through the pupil.
- Lens
- The transparent, double-convex portion of the eye that further focuses light from the cornea onto the retina.
- Monovision
- A procedure that corrects one eye for distance vision, while correcting the other eye for near vision. It is typically used to treat patients suffering from presbyopia.
- Myopia
- Also known as nearsightedness, myopia occurs when light is focused too far forward in the eye.
- Presbyopia
- Frequently the cause for reading glasses, presbyopia can exist by itself or along with myopia, hyperopia, and/or astigmatism. It occurs primarily between 40 and 45 years of age; after its onset the lens system lacks sufficient elasticity and/or space to maintain focus when objects are within arm’s length.
- Retina
- The back wall of the eye, the retina is covered with specialized nerve cells that convert images to electric energy.
